This page is usually the first printed page in a book which displays the title of the book, usually in smaller typeface than the true title page, and nothing else. Many modern books use the reverse side of the half-title to list the author's previous works. It is also useful to note that if the title of the book appears in the list of the author's previous works, it is unlikely to be a first printing. The next turnable leaf is either the frontis or the title page. Why do printers use a half-title page anyway? Prior to the development of the "modern" bookshop and mass publishing methods, printers sold books directly to the public. Rows of unbound books would be displayed upon tables, both inside and outside the shops. Patrons would peruse these text-blocks, select one for purchase and then choose the type of binding they wanted. The half-title page was created as a kind of protective cover placed over the title page to keep it clean from the hands of browsing patrons, from inclement weather, and at the same time, be able to easily identify the contents.
