Warmly Inscribed: The New England Forger and Other Book Tales

by Lawrence Goldstone, Nancy Goldstone

The authors of two previous well-received volumes on book collecting now regale their many fans with fascinating facts and fables about famous libraries and infamous forgers. "The Goldstones, a husband-and-wife book book collecting/writing team, follow two previous memoirs about their occupational adventures with this entertaining offering . . . The Goldstones writes with flair and humor . . . an undemanding and fun read for bibliophiles, whether antiquarian collectors or not."- Publishers Weekly on Warmly Inscribed .

Genres: Books About Books, Nonfiction, Memoir, History, True Crime

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Lawrence Goldstone is the author of fourteen books of both fiction and non-fiction. Six of those books were co-authored with his wife, Nancy, but they now write separately to save what is left of their dishes.
Goldstone's articles, reviews, and opinion pieces have appeared in, among other publications, the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Hartford Courant, and Berkshire Eagle. He has also written for a number of magazines that have gone bust, although he denies any cause and effect.
His first novel, Rights, won a New American Writing Award but he now cringes at its awkward prose. (Anatomy of Deception and The Astronomer are much better.)
Despite a seemingly incurable tendency to say what's on his mind (thus mortifying Nancy), Goldstone has been widely interviewed on both radio and television, with appearances on, among others, "Fresh Air" (NPR), "To the Best of Our Knowledge" (NPR), "The Faith Middleton Show" (NPR), "Tavis Smiley" (PBS), and Leonard Lopate (WNYC). His work has also been profiled in The New York Times, The Toronto Star, numerous regional newspapers, Salon, and Slate.
Goldstone holds a PhD in American Constitutional Studies from the New School. His friends thus call him DrG, although he can barely touch the rim. (Sigh. Can't make a layup anymore either.) He and his beloved bride founded and ran an innovative series of parent-child book groups, which they documented in Deconstructing Penguins. He has also been a teacher, lecturer, senior member of a Wall Street trading firm, taxi driver, actor, quiz show contestant, and policy analyst at the Hudson Institute.
He is a unerring stock picker. Everything he buys instantly goes down.

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Goldstones, a book collecting husband and wife team wrote two previous books about their love of books and book collecting that I've read. I loved the premise of these books. Their visit to the Library of Congress made for an interesting chapter.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warmly Inscribed is the third and last of Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone’s books about books and book collecting. This book finds them visiting the Library of Congress and book fairs in Chicago and in Stuart, Florida. There is a chapter devoted to the New England Forger, Kenneth Anderson, with the details of his forgery of signatures on books and the difficulty in getting law enforcement to prosecute him. There is also a great deal of information about how computers are changing how people buy and sell books and the effect this has had on bookstores. This book was written in 2001 and online sales of books were still a relatively new thing. I’ve enjoyed traveling along with Lawrence and Nancy as they visited bookstores and book fairs and added to their own book collection. Although my taste in books is quite a bit different from theirs, I enjoyed reading about their passion for reading and collecting.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in this delightful series (Used and Rare, and Slightly Chipped) for bibliophiles, Warmly Inscribed has the Goldstones becoming more sophisticated as they delve into the world of used and rare books. If you haven' discovered the Goldstones -- for you really seem to get to know them well reading these books -- you are in for a treat. Each of the books has a different " signing from Hell" story, and this one is no exception. They tell of George Green, author of the excellently reviewed Caveman' Valentine, who was excited to be invited to a signing in Boston by his publisher during the middle of the winter. Please remember that publishers rarely pay for travel or lodging at these signings, so Mr. Green, thrilled at being asked, hopped in his car, only to have the heater break shortly after he left. Not wanting to miss the big event, he continued on, freezing in the horrible weather. He arrived after the four-hour drive at a large, very empty hall, with only one attendee, who proceeded to announce that she was only there because her buildings furnace across the street had quit working, but she loved his talk and would be sure to purchase his book when it came out in paperback. Then he had to return to New York, the heater still unrepaired.

The Goldstones themselves were invited to speak in Florida at a library (great news, their way was paid) only to have Larry break off a tooth shortly before they were to speak. Unable to find a dentist on a Saturday, they called their own dentist back home (who did work on the weekend) and he recommended Superglue. It worked. The Goldstones treat us to a great tour of the Library of Congress Rare Book Section. They arrange a tour from one of the library' rare book specialists (for LC "" means before 1800 unless it' Americana and then the date is circa 1826. The library' collection was purchased — not without some controversy because Jefferson was such a universalist — from Thomas Jefferson following the destruction by fire of the original collection in the War of 1812. The library was almost destroyed by fire again in 1851 when two-thirds of Jefferson' collection was lost. The library has embarked on the difficult task of recreating those lost books. That means if Jefferson owned the fourth edition of a particular book, that' the one they try to locate and purchase. A daunting task.

One interesting note. There is gilding all through the Great Hall except in the highest areas where it looks to be silver. It turns out the metal used was aluminum, at the time, 1897, when the building was restored, much more precious and rare than gold. Their style is witty, self-deprecating and informative. It' just great to watch their love of books grow and have them learn more about the intricacies and peccadilloes of the rare book business. You' have to discover for yourself what signatures may or may not be authentic and how many dealers were rather gullible in the story of the New England forger.

[Nancy Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to these authors after having read Lawrence Goldstone's recent book Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies. "Warmly Inscribed" is a collection of first-person essays having to do with book collecting and the bookselling industry.

I enjoyed some essays more than others; but I suspect that if I had read other books from this writing couple, I would have enjoyed more of them. The first essay follows their travels through the hallowed halls of The Library of Congress and other illustrious book havens. Their personal tour gives us an insider's look that most people cannot experience. That they took their young daughter with them adds a totally delightful dimension.

The other essay I particularly enjoyed was "The New England Forger" chapter. Just as I am fascinated by art forgery (Caveat Emptor: The Secret Life of an American Art Forger and The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren), I enjoy stories of literary forgery such as this one about Kenneth Russell Anderson.

All in all, this is a good read for book lovers. Next up: the couple's Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World and Slightly Chipped: Footnotes in Booklore.

[Brian Quast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished rereading the 'Holy Trinity' of books on books by the Goldstones & I still love all three titles, but I'll likely only be buried with a nice first edition copy of USED & RARE (because I must carry an actual book everywhere I go & that's still my top choice for reading pleasure in the eternal afterlife). WARMLY INSCRIBED was a wonderful way to wrap up this trilogy; although it did leave me with 3 burning questions: What is the tree-falling-on-house story that originally propelled Nancy & Larry into the wonderful world of book collecting? What does the last line of the book mean? (Who's Wilkins? What run-off?) And finally, as we approach the 20th Anniversary of USED & RARE, I must persist in asking: Is a fourth book on the subject matter in the works???

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book from the Goldstone's. Love the history and mystery of books. Have just finished the first part where there's great description of touring the Library of Congress. Sigh....you can smell the glue and paper.....

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read about the world of bibliophiles, book collectors and dealers, and thieves and bad guys. Written so charmingly.

[Lea · Rating 1 out of 5]

A total loss. There's nothing of the things I liked about "Used and Rare" here. It's like a bunch of reject magazine articles passing themselves as chapters.

[Sonny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about collecting books. This one deals quite a bit with the New England forger and the difficulty of determining the authenticity of signatures in signed books.

[Keith Bowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warmly Inscribed is their third book (now I want to read the first two and anything they've written since!). It's all about books. Book collecting, book buying, book browsing, book preservation in repositories, book values and yes, book (autograph) forgeries.

A few years ago I bought a copy of my friend's favorite Arthur C Clarke novel, a book club edition but we both actually like them (we're readers over collectors) which was near mint (I actually couldn't see a flaw in it) that had Sir Arthur's signature. It was not advertised as signed, I didn't pay an exhorbitant amount for it and it had no provenance. The signature looks good, though. I have no idea if it's genuine (under the circumstances I tend to think not), but it made a nice gift and my friend chooses to believe it's genuine. He'd never part with it, so it's a moot point on whether it is from a resale vantage.

Sometimes I kick myself that not all of my Neil Gaiman books are firsts. Good Omens is BCE, though I found a STACK of firsts remaindered back in '96 in San Francisco. (I was going to buy a bunch of them as gifts - and a prospective group read - for the active members of The Fellowship of the Speckled Axe at the time, but didn't get around to it. The Speckled Axe was a book club of friends.) Neverwhere, though ordered well in advance of publication, was a second edition when received (Westfield underordered and had to fill orders with 2nd printings) and I didn't buy a second copy - a first - from A Clean Well-Lighted Place For Books when I had a chance.

Everything else I have of Neil's is a first, though.

I do collect an awful lot (an understatement, I know), but most is based on what I want to read rather than what's an investment.

[Sue Online · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these two authors but I hate reading their books because I want to become a book seller and that ain't ever gonna happen. Actually, after reading about the New England Forger, and not knowing anything about rare books, editions and DJs (which stands for dust jackets and not disc jockeys) I would like to become a book store owner. One that doesn't actually sell books but the kind of place for me to hang out and read books. Maybe with a fireplace because this is a fantasy anyway, right?

As always, the writing is easy, personable and inviting. The stories are engaging, the gossip is juicy. Great book to read a few chapters at a time while cuddled up in bed on a cold winter night.

[Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is far more pedestrian than the description indicates. While there were a few pages here and there that brought some suspense and intrigue, the majority focused on the relationships within the rare book community; book sellers talking to book buyers interwoven with tales of how the authors' fit into this world. It's not a bad thing. The story simply doesn't match the dust jacket, so I had to adjust my expectations.

[Shiela · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unpretentious, short, fun book about book hunting by a couple who write well together and love their job/hobby. I appreciate that they make no attempt to make this a scholarly thesis but still is informative and factual.
A nice guide for traveling to Washington D.C., Florida, or Chicago with books in mind. Well done.

[Gary Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating (5 stars), may be biased, I have a very deep fondness for any books about books. And Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone have found a perfect niche telling stories about books, book dealers, book fairs, book frauds, and book thieves. This, their third book colaberation, discusses a serious crime perpetrated in my area (New England). The infamous work of Kenneth R. Anderson DBA Old Nail Books in Stafford Springs.

[Tuscany Bernier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant for the ones who are familiar with antiquarian or rare book culture. Otherwise I fear it might be quite boring for the reader. It also is very much of the era it was written in, which is neither bad nor good - just interesting to read over twenty years later.

It doesn't mean to comment on early 2000's internet culture, but it does entirely by just mentioning what would have been modern information in passing.

[Jane Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

A third great memoir about book collecting from Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone. This was on a par with Used & Rare, their first memoir about books. Great conversational style with interesting focuses on book-related matters such as someone forging autographs in books and selling them as authentic for considerably more than was paid for the books.

[Virginia Peters-Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty pretentious and boring in places, but I am not a sophisticated reader so I didn't know half the names they dropped. Book collecting is an insular world, one for which I'd be I'll suited. Ah well.

[Mgb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I started thinking of this book as a series of related essays on rare book collecting, I found it more cohesive and enjoyable. The chapter on the Library of Congress is fabulous! I still don’t understand collecting rare books that you have no intention of reading.

[SheMac · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about books = automatic three stars. This book also helped me create a long list of other books I now want to rip. Bonus, too, for benign mention of Orange Man. Of course, the book was published in 2001.😁

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second one of their books about book collecting that I have read and really enjoyed.

[Juneau Public Library]

Authors (and avid book collectors) Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone take readers along on their various bibliophile travels, including tours of the Beinecke (Yale University's rare book library) and the Folger Shakespeare Library, among others. The essays I particularly enjoyed include the authors' tour of the Library of Congress (they brought their three-year-old daughter along), an appreciation of the English writer Max Beerbohm, and the story of the New England Forger (who was caught selling books with counterfeit author inscriptions). This book is light, wonderful, easy to read, and will appeal to all book lovers.

Recommended by Barbara

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the “New England Forger” story as told by the Goldstones, but I’m just not that into reading about higher-end book collecting. While I do understand the thrill of touching an object that a historic figure has touched, I’m content to see these things in museums, and feel no desire to own them. Because of that, I also really liked the parts of this volume where the Goldstones describe visits to the Library of Congress and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. The last part of the book focuses on the changes in the bookselling world brought about by the internet – I wonder what the Goldstones have to say about the rise of e-reading!

[Margi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read. The tales about the Library of Congress and the New England Forger are the best. This husband and wife team of book collectors and authors of books about books have such interesting tales to tell. The people they've met and the books they've encountered make for such great stories. I look forward to reading other books by this team. Some of the parts are funny, all are informative, and all are a must read for any bibliophile. I am not an antiquarian book collector, but I can appreciate the tales nonetheless.

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and cosy read about life in the book collecting world. It was funny and informative and I'll read more by these authors. However, I am no more inclined to become a book collector--it seems like age and state of binding is more important than whether a book is even remotely GOOD. I'll stick with cheap 4th reprints for $.25 at the local used book places, thanks!

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friendly fireside chat sort of book, about books and book business. It also covered some book related crimes that made some news. I wish my kid could have read this, but there were a few references I decided not to expose her to. But I do look forward to reading son e of the other books by this husband and wife team.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these guys! The husband and wife writing team of Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone capture the quirky excitement that bibliophiles experience in an honest, engaging and often funny way that makes for a great read. I read Used and Rare and Slightly Chipped during a hiatus from posting ratings and reviews but they were both equally good as well. I hope they keep writing about their adventures!

[CeAire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behind the scenes with used booksellers who deal with mysteries, forgeries, and identity theft in their transactions. And those may not even the subjects of the books they are handling! I read this a couple of years ago and it was worth the re-read.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a compulsive book collector, I couldn't help but like a book about book collecting. It's a very friendly book, written by a husband and wife team. The chapter on "The New England Forger" is worth it all by itself. But, this is not for everyone.

[JulieK · Rating 1 out of 5]

One cool essay about visiting awesome special collections libraries in Washington DC, but the rest of the book didn't interest me at all.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my blog post on it:

http://gypsylibrarian.blogspot.com/20...