It is widely, and wrongly, assumed that books are never so valuable as when they lie unopened before us, waiting to be read. Good books bear multiple readings, and not merely because our memories fail us; the desire to repeat a good reading experience can be its own powerful motivation. And for bibliophiles, books can also be works of art, physical objects with an aesthetic value all their own. This guide for the book-loving baseball fan is written by one of the most knowledgeable collectors in the country, author and editor Mike Shannon. Beginning with a history of baseball books and collecting, it also identifies the most sought-after titles and explains how to find them, what to pay, and how to maintain their condition.

Saratoga Springs, New York, is a town famous for its mineral springs, history, high society, and sports. Journey back in time to Saratoga Springs' glory days from the 1900s to the 1950s when this was America's premier resort. Vintage postcards, most of them beautifully hand tinted showcase sites that made the city famous. These images take you on a stroll along Broadway, where high society mingled at the Grand Union Hotel. Take a tour through the gardens at the artists' community at Yaddo. See the famous Island Spouter and Hathorn Springs and wander through the bathouses at Saratoga Spa. Attend a concert at Congress Park and cheer a favorite horse from the grandstands at Saratoga Race Course. Spend a day out on Saratoga Lake or tour through the Saratoga Battlefield, to learn about the Revolutionary battle that changed the course of United States history.

This guide to collecting books on Japan, in English, is organized alphabetically and includes listings of major writers, together with historical and cultural notes. The work provides in an easy-to-use format, a list of obtainable books (both in print and out of print) which form the core of a serious collection. Additionally, the bibliographic listing, the biographic sketches of the more prominent authors, and cultural and historical commentaries should be useful to the researcher.

This guide to collecting books on Japan, in English, is organized alphabetically and includes listings of major writers, together with historical and cultural notes. The work provides in an easy-to-use format, a list of obtainable books (both in print and out of print) which form the core of a serious collection. Additionally, the bibliographic listing, the biographic sketches of the more prominent authors, and cultural and historical commentaries should be useful to the researcher.

Although the connection between the invention of printing and the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century has long been a scholarly commonplace, there is still a great deal of evidence about the relationship to be presented and analysed. This collection of authoritative reviews by distinguished historians deals with the role of the book in the spread of the Reformation all over the continent, identifying common European experiences and local peculiarities. It summarises important recent work on the topic from every major European country, introducing English-speakers to much important and previously inaccessible research.

The eighteenth century has generally been understood as the Age of Print, when the new medium revolutionized the literary world and rendered manuscript culture obsolete. After Print, however, reveals that the story isn't so simple. Manuscript remained a vital, effective, and even preferred forum for professional and amateur authors working across fields such as literature, science, politics, religion, and business through the Romantic period. The contributors to this book offer a survey of the manuscript culture of the time, discussing handwritten culinary recipes, the poetry of John Keats, Benjamin Franklin's letters about his electrical experiments, and more. Collectively, the essays demonstrate that what has often been seen as the amateur, feminine, and aristocratic world of handwritten exchange thrived despite the spread of the printed word. In so doing, they undermine the standard print-manuscript binary and advocate for a critical stance that better understands the important relationship between the media. Bringing together work from literary scholars, librarians, and digital humanists, the diverse essays in After Print offer a new model for archival research, pulling from an exciting variety of fields to demonstrate that manuscript culture did not die out but, rather, may have been revitalized by the advent of printing. Contributors: Leith Davis, Simon Fraser University * Margaret J. M. Ezell, Texas A&M University * Emily C. Friedman, Auburn University * Kathryn R. King, University of Montevallo * Michelle Levy, Simon Fraser University * Marissa Nicosia, Penn State Abington * Philip S. Palmer, Morgan Library and Museum * Colin T. Ramsey, Appalachian State University * Brian Rejak, Illinois State University * Beth Fowkes Tobin, University of Georgia * Andrew O. Winckles, Adrian College

Today's roller derby is a wildly popular woman's contact sport, international in scope. This grass roots sport is built on fun, for the spirited rollerskaters and the fans alike. From Reno to Toronto, roller derby is everywhere. See 250 color images of promotional material, including fliers, handbills, logos, and posters promoting bouts for more than 50 leagues around the world, tht convey the thrill of roller derby's glamour, grit, and glory. See the ladies themselves, as they travel the globe on eight wheels. Collect the artwork and be inspired to join the fun, on either side of the railing.

This beautifully illustrated book of more than 1,100 Victorian era cigar bands comes cased in a handsome presentation cigar box. The collection spans the time period from about 1880 to 1910, which was the "Golden Age" of German lithography and American and Cuban cigar band printing. These gilded and highly detailed bands illustrate U.S Presidents, European royalty, noted world personalities, and much more. This cigar band collection is shown exactly as it was displayed in the ledger of a young man born in Philadelphia in the late 1800's. This rare time capsule is a visual delight for anyone leafing through its pages.

Over 490 nostalgic color and black and white picture postcards and vintage photographs from the 1890s to the 1980s present the history of Long Beach Island, New Jersey. The past comes alive as you stroll the Beach Haven boardwalk, watch the Pound Fishermen hauling in their nets, cross the wood-planked causeway, and walk the streets of Barnegat City. With its vast collection of vintage images, this book is the next best thing to time travel; yet it can be easily enjoyed from the comfort of a beach chair.Here is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history of a popular and wonderful old island. Current values of the postcards will help guide those interested in building a collection of their own. Enjoy the history and beauty of Long Beach Island, a place that so many have loved for so long.

Salem, Massachusetts, location of the infamous Salem Witch Trials, is the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and has many historical sites. Vintage postcards from the 1900s to the 1950s take readers back in time. Learn about the Salem Witch Trials, and see courthouse where the accused were tried and the summit of Gallows Hill where the guilty were hanged. See the house on Mall Street where Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter, and the House of Seven Gables. Along the waterfront, see the Custom House and Derby Wharf where privateers moored during the Revolutionary War. Tour Salem's famous seventeenth and eighteenth century houses including the Peabody Essex Museum, walk through the Gardner-Pingree House, the Peirce-Nichols House, the John Ward House, and the Pickering House. Get caught up in the spell of the Witch City.

Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33, also known as the Tower Fechtbuch or the Walpurgis Manuscript, is the oldest-known manual of swordsmanship in the western canon. Dated to c.1310, it is a stunning work of late medieval art and the Armouries' most treasured manuscript, one so famous it has become known simply by its shelf number: I.33. This new edition includes a critical introduction, transcription and translation by Jeffrey L. Forgeng, the foremost authority on I.33.

The Battle Road in Massachusetts is perhaps the most historic few miles in early American history. At Lexington, soon after Paul Revere and his cohorts roused the village from sleep, a trigger was pulled on the Lexington Common and that shot was heard round the world. The American War for Independence had begun. Eight dead Americans were left on the green as the British marched on to Concord and the battle at the bridge. These events and many others are retraced in this wonderful new book. Using antique postcards, the authors tell the Revolutionary War story and the rest of the history of the Lexington-Concord region. This was a center of intellectual and social activity in the 19th century and home to distinguished thinkers and writers, including Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott, and Hawthorne. Over the years millions of people have visited the region commemorating their visit with postcard images of the places and events they saw. Perserved in scrapbooks and memory boxes, they now offer a visual history of special place.

The 2017 winner of the Robert and Vineta Colby Scholarly Book Prize Providing a comprehensive, interdisciplinary examination of scholarship on nineteenth-century British periodicals, this volume surveys the current state of research and offers researchers an in-depth examination of contemporary methodologies. The impact of digital media and archives on the field informs all discussions of the print archive. Contributors illustrate their arguments with examples and contextualize their topics within broader areas of study, while also reflecting on how the study of periodicals may evolve in the future. The Handbook will serve as a valuable resource for scholars and students of nineteenth-century culture who are interested in issues of cultural formation, transformation, and transmission in a developing industrial and globalizing age, as well as those whose research focuses on the bibliographical and the micro case study. In addition to rendering a comprehensive review and critique of current research on nineteenth-century British periodicals, the Handbook suggests new avenues for research in the twenty-first century. "This volume's 30 chapters deal with practically every aspect of periodical research and with the specific topics and audiences the 19th-century periodical press addressed. It also covers matters such as digitization that did not exist or were in early development a generation ago. In addition to the essays, readers will find 50 illustrations, 54 pages of bibliography, and a chronology of the periodical press. This book gives seemingly endless insights into the ways periodicals and newspapers influenced and reflected 19th-century culture. It not only makes readers aware of problems involved in interpreting the history of the press but also offers suggestions for ways of untangling them and points the direction for future research. It will be a valuable resource for readers with interests in almost any aspect of 19th-century Britain. Summing Up: Highly recommended" - J. D. Vann, University of North Texas in CHOICE

White Star Line was originally founded in Liverpool in 1845 for travel to Australia but was eventually purchased by Thomas Ismay and transformed into the successful Oceanic Steam Navigation Co. Cleverly merging with Harland & Wolff, the line focussed on luxury over speed, developing many of the world's favourite vessels. Finally merging with its great rival Cunard in the 1930s depression, the companies continued to operate separately while flying one another's flags. This evocative book explores the colourful history of White Star Line, from personal postcards with messages from passengers, crew and troops, to the careers of her vessels in peacetime and at war, all from Patrick Mylon's impressive collection. It includes ships with alternative identities, unusual stories like the planned escape of Dr Crippen, and showcases a wide variety of interior views, adverts and 'proof', silk and Company Issue cards, conveying the glamour, drama and history of this world-renowned line.

From humble beginnings in the late 1800s, the popularity of cigarettes grew into the twentieth century, until they became far and away the favorite way to enjoy the pleasures of tobacco. To capitalize on the rising demand, new brands were introduced around the world, and every one had a distinctive, attractive pack. Most were executed in rich colors and with graphics designed to catch the eye and capture the imagination of the potential consumer. Today these miniature works of advertising art have attracted a large, international audience of admirers and collectors. This new book presents hundreds of cigarette packs from every corner of the globe, in full color, with vital information about manufacture and price that will be invaluable to the collector. The images themselves represent a fascinating visual history of more than one hundred years of cigarette manufacture.

Visit Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, showcased by 160 beautiful historic postcards, memorializing important and noteworthy scenes as though browsing a family picture album. The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, with over 51,000 American casualties make this battle the single-most costly conflict fought within the United States. This book, however, is as much about the visitors to Gettysburg as it is about the soldiers and the battle struggles. See battlefields, monuments, statues, soldiers, town citizens, and beautiful landscape scenes and relive history via quotes from the writing that grace some of the greetings. Those who have been to the battlefield will recognize familiar places. For others, who have never spent time in this busy, yet tranquil, place, it will be like receiving postcards from a friend saying "wish you were here" or "Greetings from Gettysburg."

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David was originally founded in 1822 as St David's College, Lampeter. It is now the oldest higher education collegiate institution in Wales, and in its two hundred years of history has been the recipient of many fascinating and rare manuscripts, early printed books, beautifully illustrated volumes, and rare publications from broadsheets to journals. These were largely received through the generous donations of many benefactors, including the institution's founder Bishop Thomas Burgess of St Davids, with the collection housed today in the Roderic Bowen Library on the Lampeter campus. This fully illustrated volume contains a selection from the many thousands of works spanning more than seven hundred years, with short essays by scholars whose knowledge and appreciation of the works are unrivalled, revealing the riches of what was once known as 'the greatest little library in Wales'.

There's far more to vintage football programmes than optimistic manager's notes, unreliable teamsheets and grudging opposition 'pen pictures'. Before the era of the standardised corporate brochure, every club's programme had a different, unique personality, and played its part in the precious ritual of going to the match. Last weekend's action shots provided a foretaste of the excitement; the A-Z scoresheet provided a live lookout on the rest of the League, while 'At Home With - ' provided a peephole into a star's domestic life. Remember the allure of the Souvenir Shop ads? Football League Review centrespreads? 'Girl of the Match'? From the 'ground picture' cover era through the 'groovy' and 'colour action' phases to the dawn of clipart, programmes from our nostalgic 60s-90s Golden Age amount to a (slightly crumpled) pocket history of graphic design. Packed with pictures and memories, Fully Programmed offers an irresistible window back into more innocent times.

To celebrate the acquisition of the archive of distinguished artist Tom Phillips, the Bodleian Library asked the artist to assemble and design a series of books drawing on his themed collection of over 50,000 photographic postcards. These encompass the first half of the twentieth century, a period in which, thanks to the ever cheaper medium of photography, ordinary people could afford to purchase their own portraits. These portraits allowed individuals to create and embellish their own self images, presenting themselves as they wished to be seen within the trends and social mores of their time. Each book in the series contains two hundred images chosen from a visually rich vein of social history. Their back covers also feature thematically linked paintings, specially created for each title, from Phillips's signature work, " A Humument." "Weddings" captures all the excitement and drama of the stages of the ceremony from preparations to wedding vehicles to family and friends in lively scenes in churches and homes. These unique and visually stunning books offer a rich glimpse of forgotten times and will be greatly valued by art and history lovers alike. "These images are captivating visual vignettes. We may not know who the subjects are, but the postcards offer us a glimpse of their interests, their time, and their world. Tom Phillips's exceptional collection gives us a fascinating chance to retrieve something of these lives."--Sandy Nairne, Director, National Portrait Gallery, London "Picture postcards from a century ago capture unique moments in time and place and are a wonderful social history record. Tom Phillips is adept at seeking out and choosing amazingly evocative postcard images."--Brian Lund, editor, "Picture Postcard Monthly"

The city of Brooklyn became home for generations of immigrants during the massive influx of overseas settlers in the latter 19th and early 20th centuries. They formed neighborhoods that became celebrated for their tight-knit ethnicity. Relive the early days of Brooklyn through 329 postcard and contemporary images. See where popular seashore recreation began at Coney Island, stroll through Prospect Park, cross the Brooklyn Bridge, and tour the smaller residential neighborhoods like Flatbush. With an informative and engaging text to accompany the images, trace the major demographic shifts and commercial change of Brooklyn. A great keepsake for residents past and present and a wonderful resource for historians and educators.

Edgar Rice Burroughs, science fiction author and creator of Tarzan (R), also wrote many novels featuring tales of other worlds, other cultures, other times. From pulp magazines to movie memorabilia, ERB collectibles can now be found at garage sales and upscale auction houses. Whether it's a movie poster worth thousands of dollars, first edition books worth a few hundred, or the current crop of comics and toys, the range of collectibles grows weekly. With over 255 full color photos, this book provides fans of ERB with an essential guide to the prolific works of this imaginative and popular author. Individual chapters highlight Burroughs' popular series on Mars, Venus, and Pellucidar, western and historical tales, and many more. Featured are pulp fiction magazines, hardcover and softcover books, comics, foreign editions, fanzines, trading cards, even toys and movie posters. Values are included for all items. ERB fans have a treat in store!

Editor's Choice, The Bookseller A mix of memoir and narrative non-fiction, White Spines is a book about Nicholas Royle's passion for Picador's fiction and non-fiction publishing from the 1970s to the end of the 1990s. It explores the bookshops and charity shops, the books themselves, and the way a unique collection grew and became a literary obsession. Above all a love song to books, writers and writing.

Thomas Anthony Birrell (1924-2011) was a man of many parts. For most of his working life he was Professor of English Literature in the University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands, where he was famous for his lively, humoristic and thought-provoking lectures. He was the author of some very popular literary surveys in Dutch, one of which - a history of English literature - has had seven editions so far. However, first and foremost he was a bibliographer and a book historian. The present collection contains fifteen of his book-historical articles, two reviews and one published version of a lecture for the illustrious 'Association Internationale de Bibliophilie'. The lecture - with a wealth of illustrations - about the British Library as the 'Custodian of the Unique' gives one a sense of Birrell's ability to present an audience with a complicated topic in comprehensible, but not simplified, terms. The reviews serve as a statement of principle of how to tackle the subject of 'English readers and books' and the standards that ought to apply. The articles demonstrate Tom Birrell's in-depth knowledge, dedication and scholarship. He once said that he felt that he could have talked to the 17th-century London booksellers on an equal footing and his work convinces one that they would have enjoyed these conversations. Aspects of Book Culture was edited by Birrell's former pupil, colleague, friend and fellow-bibliographer Jos Blom.