No society had ever generated so much ink and paper in so little time. Between the Revolutionary War and the dawn of the twentieth century, the number of American newspapers increased five hundredfold. In Empire of Ink, Alex Wright tells the story of how an unruly young democracy found its voice.

Vividly bringing a pivotal chapter in American history to life, Empire of Ink reveals how the nation’s age-old struggles over truth, technology, and power continue to echo into today’s digital age.

“Engaging…A fresh, often startling account of newspapers’ early years.”
―Kirkus

“This beautifully written book takes us beyond the familiar New York papers and editors to a whole continent bursting with the thirst for news. It does full justice to the technological advances that made this possible, while introducing a gaggle of little-known personalities—brave, imaginative, and sometimes unscrupulous. A wonderful read.”
―Andrew Pettegree, author of The Invention of News

“As printed newspapers have lost their dominance to digital media platforms and corporations, Alex Wright’s history is a sobering reminder of the incredible power of America’s free press, and of those who continue to soil our hands with the ink of informed commentary and reported facts.”
―Steven Heller, former senior art director, New York Times Book Review

“Empire of Ink makes clear why newspapers deserve a prime seat at the table of American history. Alex Wright deftly captures the freewheeling cast of characters, the experimentation in style and form, and the partisan fighting that shaped the spirit of nineteenth-century journalism.”
―Joseph M. Adelman, author of Revolutionary Networks