A Good Book

People reading in a variety of circumstances, through a variety of decades.

© IWM (D 2943)

Men read books from street-side shelves, London, 1941. Source

Thomas McAvoy, LIFE © Time Inc.

A sailor reading a comic book in a gun-lined room aboard the USS Doran, 1942. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

A woman reading on a ouch with a Coke, 1952. Source

US National Archives

Men reading aboard the USS Lexington, 1943. Source

Frank Schershel, LIFE © Time Inc.

A little boy reading at school, 1945. Source

Peter Stackpole, LIFE © Time Inc.

Joan Bennett reading to her daughter, 1940. Source

LIFE © Time Inc.

Actor Leslie Howard reading in his home library, England, 1941. Source

© IWM (A 1059)

The captain and officers reading aboard the HMS Westminister, 1940. Source

© IWM (D 18773)

A RAF padre reading aboard a train, UK, 1944. Source

Ralph Morse, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actor Ben Gazzara reading in cardboard furniture designed by Frank Gehry, 1972. Source

Bernard Hoffman, LIFE © Time Inc.

A soldier reading in bed, Fort Bragg, US, 1942. Source

Lisa Larsen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Soviet athlete Vladimir Kue reading in bed, Russia, 1956. Source

LIFE archives © Time Inc.

A young Kaiser Wilhelm II posed with a book and his mother, 1876. Source

State Library of Queensland

A woman reading on a boat on a Queensland beach, Australia, ca. 1925. Source

© IWM (H 1314)

Soldiers reading books and newspapers in a dugout, 1940. Source

State Library of Queensland

A teenage boy reading outside, 1910-1920, Queensland, Australia. Source

Dmitri Kessel, LIFE © Time Inc.

A sailor reading in the ship's library, USS Wisconsin, 1944. Source

Gjon Mili, LIFE © Time Inc.

A man browsing a book stall in Dublin, 1953. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

A model (posed) reading while getting her shoes shined, NYC, 1942. Source

© IWM (E 18028)

Tank crews reading books newly acquired from the library truck, North Africa, 1942. Source

© IWM (D 6590)

A woman reading a book in the book section of Selfridge's, London, 1942. Source

LIFE archives © Time Inc.

People reading in TIME's reading room at the Chicago World's Fair, 1933. Source

George Eastman House

Professor Dunn posed reading, ca. 1860. Source

Frank Scherschel, LIFE © Time Inc.

An American solider reading a book inside his makeshift billet, Normandy, France, 1944. Source

George Strock, LIFE © Time Inc.

A soldier reading in his barracks at Fort Dix, New Jersey, 1940. Source

Ralph Morse, LIFE © Time Inc.

A man leaning against a lamppost reading, NYC, 1943. Source

© IWM (TR 1125)

Guy Gibson, wing commander of the Dambusters raid (which just had its 70th anniversary a few days ago), reading amongst the flowers in Lincolnshire, 1943. Source