Fine Books

Pollard, Alfred W. (Alfred William), 1859-1944Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 52K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Fine Books by Alfred W. PollardAuthor: Pollard, Alfred W. (Alfred William), 1859-1944,Language: English, Class: Z: Bibliography, Library science, Release Date: Mar 6, 2011

Editor's review

Alfred W. Pollard's Fine Books is a classic work on the history of the Western book and bibliography, drawn from a public-domain Project Gutenberg e-text. Writing as a bibliographer, the author discusses the identification, collecting, and valuation of fine books, touching on early printing, binding, paper, and the transmission of books. Its strength lies in treating books as objects of material culture, helping readers understand why a book becomes a "fine book" and the scholarly standards behind collecting and identification. It suits quiet reading in a study or use as a reference work, especially for those interested in Western printing history and book-collecting culture. Because it was written long ago, some terminology and examples bear the marks of their time, and readers should weigh them against modern bibliographical knowledge. Overall it is more a scholarly essay that serves as an introduction than a practical manual, suited to readers willing to read slowly and take notes.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Western book history, printing history, and bibliography
Students of bibliography or library science who need to understand the concept of fine books
Collectors with an interest in books who want to understand standards of identifying fine books
Readers who enjoy scholarly essays and are willing to read slowly and take notes

Not a good fit for

Practical-minded readers seeking only modern book-investment and market information
General fiction readers with no interest in the physical form and historical background of books
Beginners in the trade expecting a systematic manual or identification guide

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and introduction first to grasp the author's core criteria for fine books, then read selected chapters closely.
While reading, compare with actual books or facsimiles to deepen understanding of concepts such as binding and paper.
Annotate terminology and examples that bear the marks of an earlier era, and weigh them against modern bibliographical knowledge.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is Fine Books mainly about?

The book centers on the identification, collecting, and valuation of Western fine books, discussing early printing, binding, paper, and the transmission of books. It treats books as objects of material culture and helps readers understand why a fine book is deemed fine and the scholarly standards behind that judgment.

Is this book suitable for beginners in book collecting?

It is suitable as a conceptual introduction. It helps readers build an understanding of standards for identifying fine books rather than offering modern market information or a practical guide. Beginners should read it slowly as a scholarly essay and supplement it with modern bibliographical resources for practical knowledge.

Is the content of the book outdated?

The book was written long ago, and some terminology and examples bear the marks of their time, but its core discussion of identifying fine books and the material culture of books remains valuable for reference. Readers should weigh it against modern bibliographical knowledge and need not take its specific judgments as current standards.

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About the author

Pollard, Alfred W. (Alfred William), 1859-1944 Author

Alfred W. Pollard (1859–1944) was a British bibliographer and historian of the book. Public information about him is limited, and details of his life appear mainly in specialist accounts; the following sketch is based only on the works recorded here. Four of his books are included: Fine Books, Early Illustrated Books, Old Picture Books, With Other Essays on Bookish Subjects, and An Essay on Colophons, with Specimens and Translations. These works deal with early printed books, illustrated editions, colophons, and book-collecting culture, combining bibliographical scholarship with essayistic prose and addressing both book lovers and researchers. Pollard's writing attends closely to physical copies and concrete examples; it is clear and readable, turning specialized knowledge into accessible chapters, and remains of value for later work in book history and textual bibliography.