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The E-Sylum: Volume 02, Number 30, July 25, 1999, Article 4BOOK RECOMMENDATIONSLarry Mitchell writes: "Numislit collectors seem to fall into two camps: (1) those who collect numislit for its INFORMATIONal value (in my experience, the great majority of NBS members), for whom the softcover edition is adequate; (2) those who collect numislit for its value as an exemplar of the book arts (typography, paper, illustrations, binding, etc.), who much prefer the full-leather edition to the softcover edition. For those in group 1 (just the information, ma'am!), I strongly recommend Anne Fadiman's gorgeous little book of essays, EX LIBRIS, published last year. For those in group 2 ("I love the smell of full leather in the morning!"), shelf space must absolutely be made available for Nicholas Basbanes' 1995 book, A GENTLE MADNESS: BIBLIOPHILES, BIBLIOMANES AND THE ETERNAL PASSION FOR BOOKS. Two truly wonderful books by two truly wonderful authors, both of whom "have your number!" As one who's read the Basbanes book, I heartily concur with with Larry's recommendation. But I would add a third category of numismatic bibliophile: those who collect literature as tangible connections to our hobby's history. One of my recent acquisitions is M. L. Beistle's personal copy of the Haseltine Type Table Catalog, which Beistle used as the basis for his landmark work on United States Half Dollars. Shopworn as it is, I wouldn't trade it for three copies of the deluxe leatherbound version of Beistle's book. Wayne Homren, EditorContent presented in The E-Sylum is not necessarily researched or independently fact-checked, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/ There is a membership application available on the web site. To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Visit the Membership page. Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: E-Sylum Editor Copyright © 1998 - 2020 The Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS) |
