Rare Books Uncovered: True Stories of Fantastic Finds in Unlikely Places by Rebecca Rego Barry (PDF)

Description

Feed your inner bibliophile with this volume on unearthed rare and antiquarian books.Few collectors are as passionate or as dogged in the pursuit of their quarry as collectors of rare books. In Rare Books Uncovered, expert on rare and antiquarian books Rebecca Rego Barry recounts the stories of remarkable discoveries from the world of book collecting.Read about the family whose discovery in their attic of a copy of Action Comics No. 1–the first appearance of Superman-saved their home from foreclosure. Or the Salt Lake City bookseller who volunteered for a local fundraiser–and came across a 500-year-old copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle. Or the collector who, while browsing his local thrift shop, found a collectible copy of Calvary in China–inscribed by the author to the collector’s grandfather. These tales and many others will entertain and inspire casual collectors and hardcore bibliomaniacs alike.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “…a welcome gift for a passionate reader or collector.” – Washington Post”Rare Books Uncovered celebrates books, collectors, and the thrill of the hunt” – Victoria Magazine”Rebecca Rego Barry’s Rare Books Uncovered: True Stories of Fantastic Finds in Unlikely Places is one of the finest books about books ever written.” – American Book Collecting About the Author Rebecca Rego Barry is the editor of Fine Books & Collections magazine. She has written about books for Preservation, the Barnes & Noble Review, The Awl, the Daily News/Page Views, American Libraries, Publishers Weekly, and many other periodicals, as well as WAMC Northeast Public Radio. She is Victoria magazine’s 2014 Writer-in-Residence.Rebecca has been in the book business for over 15 years. After graduating from Syracuse University with degrees in English and Journalism, she joined the venerable publishing house of Simon & Schuster in New York. She moved on to Drew University, completing a masters degree in book history and serving as the preservation and archives associate in charge of the university’s archives. She later completed postgraduate courses in archives and special collections at Drew University, the American Antiquarian Society, and the University of Virginia’s Rare Book School. After relocating to the Hudson Valley, she spent a year as a reference librarian at Marist College before joining Fine Books & Collections.Nicholas A. Basbanes is an author and America’s foremost historian of books and book culture. Among his nine published books are the acclaimed A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books and On Paper: The Everything of Its Two Thousand Year History. In addition to his books, Mr. Basbanes has written for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Smithsonian, and many other periodicals. He and his wife Constance live in Massachusetts.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐”Rare Books Uncovered” is a book that bibliophiles will enjoy time and again as it collects stories of rare finds in the world of book collecting. It contains a foreword by eminent bibliophile, Nicholas A. Basbanes (whose books on book-collecting are a must-read), followed by chapter after delightful chapter on the most amazing finds and acquisitions of rare books and manuscripts, not only by chance, but also by book collectors’ penchant for sniffing out a rare gem. As an amateur collector myself (though I have yet to unearth a truly rare find, I consider some of my acquisitions to be well-worth the effort), I found these stories entertaining and inspiring.The chapters can be read in order or selected at will – with intriguing chapter titles like “A Textbook Turned Lipstick Blotter”, “Mark Twain Stashed in a Barrel”, “Mendelssohn, for a Song” and more, this is a book that will warm any bibliophile’s heart and continue to entertain for ages.

⭐Headlines featuring someone coming across a rare and valuable book in an unlikely place spur our interest and excite our greed. For some, who seek out rare books in unlikely places, this is a business. Ms. Barry, knowledgable and realistic, repeatedly warns that the success rate is very low and most successes are measured in hundreds not hundreds of thousands of dollars. Still, the thought of finding an unappreciated gem in an attic, barn, or derelict house is exciting. The author has collected interesting stories often featuring interesting people. Your personal favorites will likely turn on how much the book found appeals to you. Has or will the internet change all of this? The experiences here suggest only methods will be changed. It is important to remember that luck will carry the collector only so far: knowledge is crucial for success.

⭐Those who know the pleasure of book-hunting (a.k.a. “skulking”) for first editions in used book stores, yard sales, estate sales, thrift stores, garage sales, public library basements, church “jumble” sales, and other such venues always seek–and surprisingly often find–some unexpected rarity, some unrecognized first edition, or some long-out-of-print “I’ve-always-wanted-that” volume. As Nicholas Basbanes has so aptly described this bibliomania, it is truly “A Fine Madness”–and Rebecca Rego Barry’s collection of amazing book finds provides “strength for the journey” for those engaged in such “rescue missions.” The cardinal rule is that “Anything Can Turn Up Anywhere” and fortunes can of course be made with a lucky find or two, but the real fun is in the pursuit (and the education gained thereby) as much as in the acquisition. This is a fine testimonial to both of such pleasures.

⭐The stories are of spectacular interest. It gets three stars for that. The remaining two stars are not awarded for the distracting elements in the writing and printing.1) The script (font, Garamond) chosen is distracting. Yes, its stylish, but in this font the digit 1 (one) is rendered like the upper case I. Dates look like eye-925 (1925), and eye-nineteen-twenty-eye (1921), and eye-nineteen-eye-eye (1911). Not the best choice of font if an author will be frequently quoting dates.2) The author refers to “old and rare bookshops” when you know she must mean old and rare book shops. The books are what’s old and rare. The shops are neither.3) Parenthetical insertions (too many, too often). They’re not necessary (and distracting!) They go beyond style to annoyance (not cute when there’s one in nearly every paragraph!)The author is an editor at Fine Books & Collections magazine. Surely she must know a good proof reader and book designer. ‘Should have used ’em.

⭐What a “rare” treat to read this collection of stories of rare book finds. Not being a collector of books myself, I appreciated the brief description and/or definition of common words or phrases that us common folk wouldn’t know. I found the stories very interesting, anxiously anticipating what would be discovered and what the estimated worth was. It also reminded me how precious classic literature is in preserving those significant eras in history. I’ll tell you one thing…I will forever be inclined to open up that “old” book and check the edition or whether it is inscribed inside!

⭐An amazing collection of biblio-finds, also called “sleepers” and “brags,” stories of amazing books found in the oddest of places or gotten for the cheapest of prices. The author, Rebecca Rego Barry, has done yeoman service in collecting these yarns for those of us who thrive on such tales. My only regret is that I didn’t wait till Christmas to open the package, but I guess I could rewrap the book, open it on Christmas morning, and delight in this fabulous book all over again.

⭐I like garage sales and estate sales, because people in general, underrate books. Actually, I found a cookbook by Vincent Price in a resale shop in Montana. Turned out to be worth $300.00.

⭐Not up to the other recent books on book hunting…

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