Published by the British Library and Oak Knoll Press.

Edited by Giles Mandlelbrote.

ISBN 0 7123 4920 0

This rather grandiose title reveals that the book was commissioned by and published for The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association to celebrate its centenary. This quite easily could have been a standard, slightly stuffy and perhaps boring account of the last 100 years since the ABA's inception. But it is not, it is brave, entertaining, informative and a compelling account.

The book, complete with notes and an index, superbly edited, and illustrated runs to 414 pages and is made up of a series of essays by twenty members of the ABA divided into four sections:

Frank Herrmann's essay, 'The Role of the Auction Houses', the first in section one, is revealing and well written. The history and development of the leading auction houses and the description of many famous sales is fascinating. He is also not afraid to delve into the shadows and deals with the matter of 'rings' clearly and impartially whilst painting a picture of an age still remembered by some.

The second section is highlighted by two brilliant essays: Michael Harris's 'The London Street Trade' and H. R. Woudhuysen's 'Catalogues'. This was the era of selling books from a barrow

and the plethora of tables and shelves on the street outside bookshops. Harris invokes wonderful memories of bargain books and the sheer quantity available - indeed he states that "as late as the 1960s it was said to be possible to maintain a business at no cost, simply by removing the piles of discards lying outside auction houses". I can remember, only 10 years ago the auctioneer at an Oxford auction house announcing - "Gentleman, I apologise in advance but the skip is not available today". The essay 'Catalogues' describes the whole process, including discussions on single author catalogues, personal notes, printing and who actually did the cataloguing! This informative and often amusing account perfectly describes the essence of catalogues: "The excitement of receiving new catalogues is perhaps matched only by the peculiar heartache of reading or rereading old ones, which has all the pain and some of the pleasure of revisiting old love letters...".

In section three I particularly admired 'Patterns of Collecting and Trading in 'Modern' Literature' by Angus O'Neill. The subject is explored by looking at the increase in specialisation, the influence and impact of bibliographical scholarship and the renewed interest in condition, binding and provenance.

In the last section 'Booksellers' Memoirs: The Truth about the Trade' by Marc Vaulbert de Chantilly and 'Defending and Regulating the Trade: A Hundred Years of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association' by Anthony Rota are two essays that stood out. Anthony Rota's account - a history of the ABA as an organisation is clearly and honestly written dealing with Constitutional change, the Ring, representing the trade's interests and educating the public and training booksellers. 'Booksellers' Memoirs' makes a commendable effort to relate the history of the trade through written accounts by bookdealers, but as most bookdealers have always liked a story nearly all accounts are full of tales - most apocryphal.

Also it must be noted that Richard Ford has assembled a wealth of knowledge in Appendix 4 Twentieth-Century Rare and Secondhand Book Trade Archives: A Survey.

This volume consists of some great essays and a few weaker ones but it is an honest and fitting tribute to our trade and the many photographs reveal a recent past that is quickly being forgotten in this "modern" age.

I have heard from a reliable source that the book has sold quickly and supplies may well soon be exhausted - so go and buy a copy, settle down in a comfortable chair and read about the history of our book trade and the people who made it possible. But be aware this book will take time to read.

Victoria Hyde-Greene