Bookbinding: The Classic Arts and Crafts Manual (Dover Crafts: Book Binding & Printing)

Some interesting reading - need to get more of it digested, but some new knowledge gaine from this book.

Excellent book with illustrations. By far my best buy

A practical must-read for all bookbinders and bookmakers.

"Bookbinding and the Care of Books: A Handbook for Amateurs, Bookbinders and Librarians" was originally published in the USA in 1901 and this edition is a republication from 2005.If you're interested in the classical techniques of bookbinding as practised in the late 19th century, you are unlikely to find a better book. Even if you have only a passing interest in bookbinding, this book will fill in detail on all sorts of aspects of the subject.It seems to have been written at a time when, at least in the author's view, standards of bookbinding were slipping and he was clearly worried that the contemporary techniques were likely to lead to the production of books with short lives. Whether this has turned out to be true is for the reader to judge.The author's intention is to give the reader a firm grasp of the techniques which will be required to repair and preserve books in libraries, etc., protecting them from the ravages of time and inferior production. The whole range of activities is covered in depth, from entering books in a ledger when received, through the theory of folding and collation, pulling apart, cleaning, sewing, headbanding and casing to finishing, including leatherwork, gilding and tooling. There is also a chapter on the care of books once bound and a specification for the author's ideal forms of binding. A comprehensive glossary completes the volume.The book is copiously illustrated with diagrams and there are a number of black and white pictures of artistic bindings, ancient and modern. The style of writing, as might be expected of an early 20th century handbook, is perhaps, to the modern reader, somewhat archaic, but it is not difficult to grasp the author's meaning.

The synopsis of this book is incorrect...it is nothing to do with jewellery, but is a "must-have" for craftspeople, libraries, and book preservationists, the volume remains one of the most valuable manuals available on the technique of hand binding books.

Since we started bookshandmade.com years back i flipped thru this book but far to much stuff that is NOT needed by the small published such as we are .... we put up a youtube about japanese stab binding which takes time but is easy to learn and apply and basically much of what we at bookshandmade.com require - books that make it too complicated are not for the bold.

This book provides a good historical look at book-binding techniques. It is very informative and very enjoyable to read as well.

I bought this PB edition before I found a collector's hardbound copy on-line. It will be my "working copy" at the book repair desk.

Well written and very informative.

Another wonderful and complete book...

Lots of good info for the novice book repair buff.

A very thorough book, with clear illustrations, instructions and important background information re the beauty and craft of hand made book.

this is good if you already kind of know what you are doing and just want to delve a little deeper into the world of bookbinding.