| | Acknowledgments | p. viii |
| | Preface | p. ix |
| | In the Cradle of Libraries | p. 1 |
| | The Papyrus Region | p. 6 |
| | Islam of the First Days | p. 42 |
| | People of the Book | p. 73 |
| | Asia before the Twentieth Century | p. 80 |
| | The Christian West | p. 112 |
| | The New Biblioclasts | p. 169 |
| | Peace Damages | p. 238 |
| | An Embarrassment of Modernity | p. 267 |
| | Flameproof Knowledge | p. 282 |
| | Epilogue: Return to Alexandria | p. 292 |
| | The Great Writers Are Unanimous: Delenda est bibliotheca! | p. 300 |
| | A Short History of the Census of Lost Books with a Legend to Bring It to a Close-The Hidden Library | p. 316 |
| | A Selective Chronology | p. 322 |
| | Notes | p. 328 |
| | Bibliography | p. 343 |
| | Index | p. 363 |