LITERATURE FOR THE PEOPLE How the Pioneering Macmillan Brothers Built a Publishing Powerhouse

Daniel and Alexander Macmillan were sons of a Scottish crofter. Together, they founded a small publishing company in London in 1843. By the time Alexander died in 1896, they had published Lewis Carroll, Thomas Hardy, and Rudyard Kipling, among many others. This audio biography of the brothers and their company, narrated by the author, focuses more on the creation and growth of the business than on the brothers' personal lives. That makes the work especially fascinating to those interested in the history of publishing. Sarah Harkness, who shows confidence as a biographer, betrays some nervousness as a narrator in the first chapters, but she soon hits her stride and lets her clear passion for her subject carry her through. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2025]