The 20th century witnessed the rapid evolution of the book cover from a functional layer protecting the fragile paper inside, into a sophisticated visual tableau through which the author's message is interpreted and communicated. Front Cover is the first book to bring together the jackets and covers that have made the greatest impact over the course of the century, from the pioneering designs of the Modernist movement to the digital collages of the Internet Age.

Each chapter explores a different period --- the modern designs of the 1920s and 1930s, the evolution of the contemporary book jacket in the postwar era, the explosion of the mass market and popular culture in the 1960s, and the incisive, stylish jackets created recent years by design firms such as Pentagram. Jackets by major designers and illustrators include E. McKnight Kauffer, Eric Ravilious, and Jeff Fisher are featured, alongside first editions of many of the century's most influential novels, including Brave New World, Catch 22, and Nineteen Eight-Four and Bonfire of the Vanities.

Complete with features on topics such as the Cold War novel, the author as jacket artist and the Bond novel, and with almost 300 jackets illustrated in color, this is an essential compendium of the book jacket for anyone with passion for books and a love of great design.