This text consists of articles on the history of bookbinding and related subjects, most of which have been published previously in a wide variety of places. Several articles have been updated and two have been substantially rewritten. They have been grouped under seven headings and range from general topics such as bookbinding as a subject for study and the need to preserve the book in all its aspects, to more detailed descriptions of binders, the binding trade, collectors and collections.

This is an expanded version of Andrea Krupp's article & includes a full catalogue of bookcloth grains with illustrations in a large format & in colour. The essay covers the introduction of bookcloth & the early decades of its use, discusses bookcloth grain nomenclature & concludes with detailed observations on several cloth grain patterns.