While cheap, soft-covered books had existed for centuries (like the 'penny dreadfuls'), the modern paperback revolution began in 1935 with Allen Lane, the founder of Penguin Books. Lane’s goal was to provide high-quality literature at the price of a pack of cigarettes (sixpence). He color-coded the covers so readers knew exactly what they were getting: orange for fiction, blue for biography, and green for crime. The success of the paperback democratized reading, moving books from exclusive libraries to railway stations and drugstores. This shift forced the publishing industry to focus on mass-market appeal and led to the creation of the 'bestseller' list as we know it today. During WWII, the popularity of paperbacks surged as 'Armed Services Editions' were printed in small, pocket-sized formats to be easily carried by soldiers on the front lines.