ABC for Book Collectors

by John Carter, Nicolas Barker

Eighth edition, completely revised and re-set, with additional information and an Introduction by Nicolas Barker. Shaken, Unsophisticated, Harleian Style, Fingerprint, E-book, Dentelle. Can you define these terms? If not, this is the book for you! John Carter's ABC For Book Collectors has long been established as the most enjoyable as well as the most informative reference book on the subject. Here, in over 490 alphabetical entries, ranging in length from a single line to several pages, may be found definition and analysis of the technical terms used in book collecting and bibliography, interspersed with salutary comments on such subjects as auctions, condition, facsimiles and fakes, 'points', rarity, etc. This eighth edition has been revised by Nicolas Barker, editor of The Book Collector and incorporates additional words created by the introduction of web-based collecting. The ABC For Book Collectors retains its humorous character as the one indispensable guide to book collecting while also keeping us up-to-date with modern terminology.

Genres: Books About Books, Nonfiction, Reference, Library Science, Textbooks, History, School

234 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1952

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned I do not really want to be a book collector. I like reading books to much. Rare books often can't be read since that could damage them. I would rather read a reprint. But it was still really interesting reading about old, rare, expensive books and the people who collect them.

[Sarah Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, it's basically a dictionary for rare books and the antiquarian book trade. But don't expect scholarly non-biased descriptions. They are scholarly. But the author has a slight air of snobbery which is thoroughly entertaining. He knows his stuff and isn't afraid to talk snootily of the book trade and its less savory aspects. Seriously, read a dictionary shouldn't be this enjoyable. Also, these "biased" descriptions offer lots of subtle insight into the book trade for newbies.

[Frankie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Containing a wealth of trivial-for-some-but-not-for-me information and terminology on book collecting, ABC... proved itself readable per sitting as well as a reference. I thought it (in 8th ed.) a bit expensive for its size (or format, ibid.), but it paid for itself when I saved $65 on a recent purchase of a translator-signed rarity. Descriptions of terms of condition, format (I always wondered what "8vo" meant), bindings, auction and cataloguers' lingo were succinct and easy to comprehend.

Carter showed a good bit of wit as well, especially when referring to the "chronological obsession" (the need to obtain the earliest if not the best copy), which invariably lead to "issue-mongers" and "point-maniacs" (bibliographers and collectors who use printers' errors to argue degrees of rarity). The highlight of this delightful eccentricity culminates (for me) in the entry for "misprints," in which the word "misprint" appears 12 times with various errant spellings, as Carter expounds on the unimportance of the same.

Overall, it's a comprehensive and amateur-friendly manual. The anatomy of a book itself is illustrated in spots on the margins, headers and inside cover. If you're curious about books pre-dating mass market and movie posters on the cover, you should start here.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've no doubt that this is an indispensable reference book, but it is far less witty than the collector's accounts of it I've heard led me to believe. The most whimsical element is how it labels the material elements of the book itself (endpapers, verso, recto, etc.) in order to provide real evidence of definitions.

[Elizabeth McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really useful and more entertaining than I expected of an index.

[Ashley Bhasin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for book collectors. Reads similar to a dictionary with an alphabetized listing of terms. Very useful.

[phil breidenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to read but mostly because I enjoy collecting books. It was rather like reading a dictionary, which in fact, it is!

[Raven]

"(If covers and contents alike are in unsightly condition, the usual, slightly desperate, description, is reading copy.)"

"Mere readers will prefer to remember the note printed, in Greek and Latin, on the otherwise blank leaf A9 of the Aldine Isocrates of 1513, which, freely translated, reads: ‘This leaf is an integral part of the book, but cut it out if it bothers your reading, for it is nothing’."

"Worming, provided it is not in battalion strength, is considered by many collectors a less offensive blemish than dirt or browning. And since the worm normally ate steadily through the leaves, his track is occasionally useful in detecting made-up copies."

"SAMMELBAND: A German word for books in which two or more bibliographically distinct works are bound together within the same covers."

[Natalie Kling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a required textbook for one of my library school classes. I still use it today. It explains parts of a book and is so helpful in understanding the book printing process of the past and present.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for a summer class on the history of the book. Written dictionary style it was a bit of a slog to get through, but it also had some dry British humor mixed in. The entry for "misprints" was actually hilarious. Useful if you plan on collecting old books.

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The standard work in the field for a reason. But what surprised me most was how funny it was. To help keep the terms fresh in my mind, I took the definitions I didn't know and turned them into an Anki deck, which I will continue to use.

[Jess Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some entries were pretty useless without illustrations, and given that the entries are ordered alphabetically rather than thematically this is maybe not the best introduction to bibliography, but still a very informative book and written in a friendly and amusing tone.

[Sheryl]

Extraordinary helpful mass of info for any lover of books, collector or not.

[Ted Gurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reference

[Jay French · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a hobby now of flipping modern classic books found at estate sales. I always check the prices from various amateur and professional booksellers online, and I kept finding that the professionals have their own patois. Wanting to know more, and to make my own ads with some knowing verbiage, I took a chance on this classic glossary of book related terms. So this is a British book, written with that low-key British wit throughout. I actually enjoyed reading this, and I went through it alphabetically. However, the focus here was more on books over 150 years old than on those more modern. I ended up skimming about half of the entries because they were about books I doubt I will ever see, or bindings, or research sources. What I read was interesting and entertaining, and I know more than I did, so the book did its job well.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem of a book. If you have ever wanted to know what a particular part of the book are such as:
deckle Edges, pointille, catchword, skiver, point maniacs, cathedral binding - this is were you find out. There is a specialized vocabulary for almost everything, and books are no different in that regard. I bought this - and in Book format which is getting more rare for me - so I can enjoy playing with my books.

[Alexander Jolley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite aspect of this book was that every time the author talks about a concept, they include an example within the book where it is possible. For example, every time the word "Misprint" comes up in that section, the word itself is misprinted. It could have used some more photos for concepts where they try to describe what something looks like. Otherwise, it is very well done, and it probably requires multiple reads throughout a lifetime; there is just too much to remember.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating a reference manual is tricky, especially a reference manual for a trade/interest that you do not participate in. For me, this gets 5 stars because it does exactly what I need it to, as an author and a player of RPGs. It gives me terminology and reference to present a reasonable facsimile of a Bibliophile in a narrative.

[Betsy]

I'm saying "I'm finished!" because it turns out that this is more of a reference work than an "sit down and read it" type of book. But, it's a helpful guide for both the novice and serious collector, and I'm going to keep on hand to peruse as needed.

[Jacob Bornheimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Use this everyday at my job and it's excellent.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A bibliomaniac is a book-collector with a slightly wild look in his eye.”

[Aubrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative but also very pretentious at parts.

[andrew y · Rating 5 out of 5]

They say if you collect books, this is a necessary read. I decided they were wrong for many years and now have to correct as many incorrect understandings. Don’t be me.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

nonfiction,history,bibliography

[brian tanabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of a handful of invaluable primers for book collectors.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ham-fisted layman" beware! An essential primer put together in dictionary-style which is often surprisingly amusing to read.

[Odile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super handy, if slightly outdated by all the information available on the interwebz.

[Meen]

Since I love collecting them so much, I guess I should learn what the hell I'm doing... :)

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Key book for anyone interested in book collecting. A great glossary with a sense of humor.

[Keith Miller]

ABC for Book Collectors by John Carter (2004)