Book Review: Post Dates: A Chronology of Intriguing Event in the Mails and Philately

by Kenneth A. Wood, Van Dahl Publications, Albany, OR, 1985.
This is a book of much more history about post and stamps than you would ever want to know.  It starts from 4000 BC where some type of post is known among the Chinese people.  There were forms of message delivery in India as well.  Most early message delivery involved rulers.  It wasn't until much later that message delivery was offered to the general public.
The Penney Black was issued in 1840.  Before this time there were stamps used to verify the payment of postage.  The first of these were in England, 1680.  The first American stamps were issued in 1847. This book also contains tidbits on specific mail routes.  The includes overland stage routes and the Pony Express, where light weighted men were recruited to fun the mail on horseback.  It also includes many international routes.