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The Man Who Loved Books Too Much The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession Hardcover - 2009
by Bartlett, Allison Hoover
- Used
- Hardcover
In the tradition of The Orchid Thief,a compelling narrative set within thestrange and genteel world of rare-bookcollecting: the true story of an infamousbook thief, his victims, and the mandetermined to catch him.
Rare-book theft is even more widespreadthan fine-art theft. Most thieves,of course, steal for profit. John CharlesGilkey steals purely for the love of books.In an attempt to understand him better,journalist Allison Hoover Bartlettplunged herself into the world of booklust and discovered just how dangerousit can be.
Gilkey is an obsessed, unrepentantbook thief who has stolen hundreds ofthousands of dollars' worth of rare booksfrom book fairs, stores, and librariesaround the country. Ken Sanders is theself-appointed "bibliodick" (book dealerwith a penchant for detective work)driven to catch him. Bartlett befriendedboth outlandish characters and foundherself caught in the middle of efforts torecover hidden treasure. With a mixtureof suspense, insight, and humor, she haswoven this entertaining cat-and-mousechase into a narrative that not onlyreveals exactly how Gilkey pulled off hisdirtiest crimes, where he stashed theloot, and how Sanders ultimately caughthim but also explores the romance ofbooks, the lure to collect them, and thetemptation to steal them. Immersing thereader in a rich, wide world of literaryobsession, Bartlett looks at the historyof book passion, collection, and theftthrough the ages, to examine the cravingthat makes some people willing to stopat nothing to possess the books they love.
Description
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Details
- Title The Man Who Loved Books Too Much The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession
- Author Bartlett, Allison Hoover
- Binding Hardcover
- Edition 1st/1st
- Condition Used - Very Good in Very Good dust jacket
- Pages 288
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Riverhead Books, New York, NY
- Date 2009
- Bookseller's Inventory # W7621
- ISBN 9781594488917 / 1594488916
- Weight 0.88 lbs (0.40 kg)
- Dimensions 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.01 in (21.59 x 14.73 x 2.57 cm)
- Ages 18 to UP years
- Grade levels 13 - UP
- Library of Congress subjects Book collecting, Thieves - United States
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 2009021324
- Dewey Decimal Code B
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Summary
Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit. John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of books. 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. Ken Sanders is the self-appointed ?bibliodick? (book dealer with a penchant for detective work) driven to catch him. Bartlett befriended both outlandish characters and found herself caught in the middle of efforts to recover hidden treasure. 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. 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.