William Blades (1824-1890) was a printer and bibliographer. His Life of Caxton revolutionised our understanding of the first English printer.
There's also an introduction (signed by a row of irreproducible hieroglyphics) commenting on 21st century enemies, like the very mixed blessing of online bookselling, and the destruction of public transport as a safe haven for quiet readers. MP3 players and mobile phones are largely responsible for the latter. And Ken Livingstone, it was your fault for encouraging them. All in all, much of what the author wrote well over a century ago still holds good. I suspect that some of it was written somewhat tongue-in-cheek, though much was in deadly earnest. At the very least, it is an entertaining read to see how the custodians of our heritage safeguarded books and other treasures in their day. -- John Van der Kiste For the full review, see www.thebookbag.co.uk
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