Understanding Book Collecting

by Grant Uden

This work makes available a mass of useful information, including details of the technical aspects of book making, the vexed question of first editions and the matters of completeness and condition. Contains an excellent glossary.

279 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1984

Reviews

[Lukerik]

I started by dipping in to this, but seeing it was written with some personality and flair, read it right through. Very interesting. I'd thought I had a number of bound books, but it turns out I have many cased and one bound. A number of my cased books are impersonating bound ones. It might seem a little strange that someone with a reading obsession and a love of books would know so little about the physical nature of books but for me it's always been about the text. I'd rather have a cheap book with a reliable text that a beautifully produced book with a dodgy translation in it. A bit like a heroin addict appreciating a clean needle over a gold one, I suppose.

[Leah Fowler]

If you are wanting to collect books, different first editions and learn about the history of books then this one is for you. It explains just about every different part of the book and where it started.

[Yvette]

Understanding Book-Collecting by Grant Uden (1983)