The pen is apparently mightier than the sword - and sometimes the authorities have been so fearful of the written word that they've banned it altogether.

This fantastic infographic, created by printerinks.com, details the stories behind 24 titles that have been banned at one time or another, by the state, in schools, or by other organisations.

Some were always going to be inflammatory - George Orwell's searing critique of the failures of communism in Animal Farm was never likely to find favour in the USSR or Cuba - while others are altogether more surprising: Charlotte's Web and The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz don't immediately spring to mind as controversial, subversive texts.

Take a look below at the whole list and discover the history of the world's most famous banned books.

(Images: printerinks.com)

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