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A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes and the Eternal Passion for Books
 
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A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes and the Eternal Passion for Books (Paperback)

by Nicholas A. Basbanes (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 668 pages
  • Publisher: Saint Martin's Press Inc.; New edition edition (19 Aug 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0805061762
  • ISBN-13: 978-0805061765
  • Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.2 x 4.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 369,466 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #34 in  Books > Home & Garden > Antiques & Collectables > Antiques & Collectables by Subject > Books, Magazines & Printed Matter > Books

Product Description

Review
"A massive, comprehensive, and wonderfully readable history of book collecting and collectors." --David Walton, "The Philadelphia Inquirer"
"Nicholas A. Basbanes has compiled a wonderful gallery of eccentrics, isolatos, charmers and visionaries . . . an ingratiating and altogether enjoyable book." --Michael Dirda, T"he Washington Post Book World"
"A Gentle Madness is an impressive achievement in its compilation of vast information, as well as being instructive and interesting. It is compulsory for anyone seriously interested in books or curious about the manic nature of collecting." --Philip Kopper, "The New York Times Book Review"


Product Description
Richly anecdotal and fully documented, this history of book-collecting is a celebration of books and the people who have revered, gathered and preserved them over the centuries.

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bibliophile
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on a divine madness, 16 Dec 1998
By A Customer
Having my own small collection of 800 books, a few first editions, several autographed editions I can relate. I loved this book. It was given to me last year by my best friend, another book lover, and I have enjoyed it so much. I am not a great, gifted collector, but still a collector and I can tell you where each book was purchased, the date, and sometimes even my mood. Some of the books I will not let anyone borrow they are too precious to me. Yes, I too suffer from this divine madness as my two children also. It is a great hobby, madness whatever..."So many books so little time."
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4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars started out interesting.. bogged down somewhere, 5 Jan 1999
By A Customer
This started out as an interesting look at books and the passions that surround them. When he got into the 20th century and started detailing the obsessive behaviours of certain more contemporary collectors at excessive length, I lost interest. I've been working on it gradually for several months because I'm no longer able to read more than a few pages at a time, and still haven't finished.
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2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!! Like reading a AA Handbook and seeing yourself, 25 Oct 1998
By A Customer
Just finished. Five stars. I am trying to email the author to thank him. Anyone interested in books (which includes you) deserves to read this book. The chapter on Blumberg is especially illuminating.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining look at book-collecting.
That this could have been a subject rendered dryly which would only hold interest to specialists in the field of book-collecting would have been a positively likely scenario... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Paul Macdonald

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