subject: Warmly Inscribed: A Review [print this page] Warmly Inscribed: The New England Forger and Other Book Tales, by Lawrence Goldstone and Nancy Bazelon Goldstone. (Thomas Dunne Books, 2001). Softcover, 215 p. ISBN 9780312304287
Warmly Inscribed is the third in a series of books by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone about book collecting, following Used and Rare (1997) and Slightly Chipped (1999). The Goldstones have written engaging and well-received accounts of the world of antiquarian books, the people who sell them, the people who buy them, and the book fairs and book stores where buyers and sellers meet.
Wherever there is money to be made, someone will try to cheat to get it. The title chapter tells about John Anderson, a Connecticut dealer who forged signatures on rare books. The story of his career and eventual exposure also illuminates the politics within the Antiquarian Bookseller's Association of America.
The opening chapter describes the Goldstones' visit to the Library of Congress. They had previously taken their seven-year-old daughter to Washington to do all the touristy things. This time they wanted to go alone, stay in a nice hotel, and eat in fancy restaurants, and spend the whole trip either at LC or the many antiquarian bookshops nearby. The daughter talked them into taking her along.
On another occasion, they were invited to speak at BookMania!, a large book fair held in Florida the week before the Super Bowl. Unlike most invitations to authors, this one promised a large audience of book lovers and all expenses paid. The chapter describes the books they saw, the conversations they had, and how Lawrence broke a front tooth the day before they were supposed to speak.
Warmly Inscribed looks at the often complicated world of book collecting with both good humor and passion. The Goldstones make this world as easy as possible for outsiders to understand and appreciate. They also point to major issues in the antiquarian book business, including not only fraud and forgery, but also impact of the Internet, both positive and negative. Where there is controversy, they do not take sides. Instead they simply invite readers to observe and reach their own conclusions.
Warmly Inscribed: A Review
By: All-Purpose Guru
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