The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.11 (756 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B0037B35QA |
| Format Type | : | |
| Number of Pages | : | 318 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-01-09 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
(Sept. 17)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Bartlett's journalistic position is enviable: both men provided her almost unfettered access to their respective worlds. A lifelong book lover, Gilkey's passion for rare texts always exceeded his income, and he began using stolen credit card numbers to purchase, among others, first editions of Beatrix Potter and Mark Twain from reputable dealers. From Publishers Weekly Bartlett delves into the world of rare books and those who collect—and steal—them with mixed results. On the other end is John Gilkey, who has stolen over $100,000 worth of rare volumes, mostly in California. . Gilkey recounted his past triumphs in great detail, while Bartlett's interactions with
With a mixture of suspense, insight, and humor, she has woven this entertaining cat-and-mouse chase into a narrative that not only reveals exactly how Gilkey pulled off his dirtiest crimes, where he stashed the loot, and how Sanders ultimately caught him but also explores the romance of books, the lure to collect them, and the temptation to steal them. In an attempt to understand him better, journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett plunged herself into the world of book lust and discovered just how dangerous it can be. Gilkey is an obsessed, unrepentant book thief who has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars? worth of rare books from book fairs, stores, and libraries around the country. John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of books. In the tradition of The Orchid Thief, a compelling narrative set within the strange and genteel world of rare-book collecting: the true story of an infamous book thief, his victims, and the man determined to catch him. Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. Immersing the reader in a rich, wide world of literary obsession, Bartlett looks at the history of book passion, collection, and theft through the ages, to examine the craving that makes some people willing to stop at nothing to possess the books they love.. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit. Bartlett b
The story of a book thief, the man who brought about his arrest, and the journalist who wrote about it John Gilkey is a book thief. He loves antiquarian books and feels that he is entitled to them regardless of his ability to pay for them. His best scam was using credit card receipts acquired in his job at a high end department store to finance his book buying habit. Ken Sanderson was the person in charge of documenting thefts of books for the Antiquarian Booksellers Association. It was through the work of Sanderson that Gilkey was charged, jailed, and some of the stolen books recovered. Allison Hoover Bartlett was the journalist who tried to determine what made both men tick.This was not a bad read but it was not a great read. I felt t. Reads like a detective story! Lisa Dunckley This book is partially about the notorious book thief John Gilkey, and the bookseller who became obsessed with catching him, Ken Sanders, and partially about the rare book industry in general. Author Allison Bartlett manages to contact John and repeatedly interview him, exploring the mindset of someone who feels it's really not wrong to “acquire” books without paying for them, since he deserves them. Ken Sanders has spent years trying to defeat book thieves in general, and John in particular. He has become an amateur detective and is able to implement safeguards industry wide to prevent theft, as well as alert booksellers a. thief who steals anything that looks like it will be impressive As a book-lover, I thought I was going to read a work about a clever bibliophile who lost himself in an obsession. Instead, this is a book about a cheap, petty, thief who steals anything that looks like it will be impressive. His method of theft is clumsy (using stolen credit card numbers), and his knowledge of books is minimal. He victimizes small bookstores for rather modest loot. There is nothing to interest an informed reader. A much better book is The Map Thief, whose protagonist knows the world of maps, printing, book selling and history as well as anyone in the field, and whose author demonstrates a substantial knowledge and int