This is an updated version of the first volume of a seven volume, comprehensive examination of the history of advertising that covers its early origins through until the 21st century. Books on the history of advertising are few and far between, and none encompass a global view. More critically, few look closely at the advertising industry's product: its creative work and how this has evolved - particularly over the last 150 years or so. Add to this that the author worked in the business around the world, on some of the biggest advertisers and at the pinnacle of creative excellence, and this too defines the uniqueness of this series.

There has been a deliberate attempt to capture what it was truly like to work in the business beyond just the anecdote laden, rose-tinted memories that abound. Volume One looks at the early origins of advertising, its genesis in the 18th century, and how it flourished in the 20th century.

Much of what is covered has not been looked at before in any depth, and certainly not by creating a coherent picture of the business and the reality lying behind the way the advertising was both influential and influenced.