"The Romance of Book-Collecting" by J. Herbert Slater. Slater, an avid book collector himself, leads readers on a literary trip that goes deep into the hearts and minds of those who are enthralled by the written word. Slater unravels the enthralling stories of legendary book collectors and their amazing discoveries in this timeless masterpiece, demonstrating the passion and intensity that define their quest. He gives historical context, anecdotes, and insights into why people collect rare and valuable books. Slater's writing not only celebrates the joy of hunting down rare books, but it also creates a clear picture of the bibliophile's real love of literature. He portrays the romance and nostalgia that accompanies the process of obtaining and conserving these treasures, allowing the reader to realize the deep bond that collectors have with their favorite books. "The Romance of Book-Collecting" is more than a guide; it is a sincere ode to books' eternal attraction and allure. It is still treasured by book lovers, providing a glimpse into the realm of bibliophilia that transcends time and connects with anybody who values the written word.

"[...]which could not, by hook or by crook, be dragged, as to its contents, within the circumference of the fashionable craze, was disposed of for a trifling sum. Even in 1682 the learned world, or at least our narrow corner of it, was inhabited almost entirely by crop-eared Puritans, with sugar-loaf hats on their heads and broad buckles to their shoes, and by Philosophers. True! Cromwell had gone to his account, and Charles II. held Court at St. James's and elsewhere, but the King[...]".

Excerpt from The Romance of Book-Collecting There are plenty of people - in fact, they are in the great majority even among bookish men - who regard antiquated sale-catalogues in the light of such much rubbish, and yet, when intelligently consulted, these memorials of a bygone day not only have their uses, but are positively interesting. Truly enough they are not popular, like the last new novel which, for one reason or another, has taken the town by storm, and it would not pay to reprint a single one of them, even the best or most important that has ever held the frequenters of auction-rooms spell-bound. Sometimes a 'parcel' will be sold for what it will fetch, and on investigation may prove to contain a few simple-minded pamphlets on subjects of no importance, 'and others, ' the latter consisting of book-catalogues of the last or the earlier portion of the present century. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Originally published: New York: Hawthorn Books, 1965.