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Unrepentant book thief John Charles Gilkey has stolen a fortune in rare books from around the county. Yet unlike most thieves, who steal for profit, Gilkey steals for the love of the books. Perhaps equally obsessive, though, is Ken Sanders, the self-appointed "bibliodick" driven to catch him. Sanders, a lifelong rare book collector and dealer turned amateur detective, will stop at nothing to catch the thief plaguing his trade.
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Previews available in: English
Subjects
Biography, Book collecting, Thieves, Bibliomania, Book collectors, Book thefts, Biography & Autobiography, Nonfiction, Kriminalfall, Buch, Bibliofili, Bokstölder, Diebstahl, Bibliomanie, Bibliofiler, Antiquar, Large type books, Criminals, biography, Criminals, united statesPlaces
United States, New York, San Francisco, BerkeleyShowing 2 featured editions. View all 11 editions?
Edition | Availability |
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1
The man who loved books too much: the true story of a thief, a detective, and a world of literary obsession
2009, Riverhead Books
in English
1594488916 9781594488917
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Libraries near you:
WorldCat
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2
The man who loved books too much: the true story of a thief, a detective, and a world of literary obsession
2009, Riverhead Books
in English
1594488916 9781594488917
|
aaaa
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
Book Details
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references.
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The Physical Object
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Library of Congress MARC recordLibrary of Congress MARC record
marc_openlibraries_phillipsacademy MARC record
marc_openlibraries_sanfranciscopubliclibrary MARC record
Better World Books record
Better World Books record
Internet Archive item record
Library of Congress MARC record
amazon.com record
amazon.com record
Promise Item
marc_columbia MARC record
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Work Description
In the tradition of The Orchid Thief, a compelling narrative set within the strange and genteel world of rare-book collecting: the true story of an infamous book thief, his victims, and the man determined to catch him. Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit.
John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of books. In an attempt to understand him better, journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett plunged herself into the world of book lust and discovered just how dangerous it can be. Gilkey is an obsessed, unrepentant book thief who has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of rare books from book fairs, stores, and libraries around the country. Ken Sanders is the self-appointed "bibliodick" (book dealer with a penchant for detective work) driven to catch him.
Bartlett befriended both outlandish characters and found herself caught in the middle of efforts to recover hidden treasure. With a mixture of suspense, insight, and humor, she has woven this entertaining cat-and-mouse chase into a narrative that not only reveals exactly how Gilkey pulled off his dirtiest crimes, where he stashed the loot, and how Sanders ultimately caught him but also explores the romance of books, the lure to collect them, and the temptation to steal them. Immersing the reader in a rich, wide world of literary obsession, Bartlett looks at the history of book passion, collection, and theft through the ages, to examine the craving that makes some people willing to stop at nothing to possess the books they love.
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Feedback?August 15, 2020 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
July 4, 2020 | Edited by Drini | Merge works |
July 22, 2019 | Edited by MARC Bot | remove fake subjects |
May 15, 2019 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
December 11, 2009 | Created by WorkBot | add works page |