AN EXHIBITION of some of the books and publications that shaped the outlook of boys and young men in the run up to the First World War will open at the weekend.

Books for Boys at Durham University’s Palace Green Library explores the cultural landscape in the decades leading up to the conflict and in particular, the influences on the young men who so readily volunteered in 1914.

While the exhibition's focus is on publications aimed at young male readers, these books were not read exclusively by boys. Many texts represented were widely enjoyed by women and men of all ages.

Exploring stories of adventure, real-life heroes and patriotism, the exhibition compares the reading material enjoyed by boys and young men in both Britain and Germany during this period.

The rise in literacy after the 1870 Education Act led to an explosion of reading opportunities. Concentrating on the decades leading up to the War, Books for Boys explores popular trends that were articulated in books and magazines of the time, helping to form Britain and Germany’s understanding of their place in the wider world.

The exhibition celebrates a Golden Age of books for children and many of the authors whose work is displayed remain popular today. The late Victorian and Edwardian era introduced readers to classics such as The Jungle Book, as well as new genres, such as the spy novel.

The surviving parts of the original manuscript for Robert Baden-Powell’s Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship (1908) is being loaned from The Scout Archive. The manuscript will be open on a page of Baden-Powell’s original notes, outlining his vision for scouting through the formation of patrols of young people.

Books for Boys is on display January 11 2015.

Opening hours are from noon to 5pm on Monday and 10am to 5pm from Tuesday to Sunday.

Admission charges apply. Full details are available online at www.durham.ac.uk/palace.green.