Disclosure : This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Guarded by Dragons: Encounters with Rare Books and Rare People

`Rick Gekoski`s encyclopaedic knowledge of rare books is matched only by the enthusiasm and brio with which he writes about them` Ian RankinRick Gekoski has been traversing the rocky terrain of the rare book trade for over fifty years. The treasure he seeks is scarce, carefully buried and often jealously guarded, knowledge of its hiding place shared through word of mouth like the myths of old.In Guarded by Dragons, Gekoski invites readers into this enchanted world as he reflects on the gems he has unearthed throughout his career. He takes us back to where his love of collecting began – perusing D.H. Lawrence first editions in a slightly suspect Birmingham carpark. What follows are dizzying encounters with literary giants as Gekoski publishes William Golding, plays ping-pong with Salman Rushdie and lunches with Graham Greene. A brilliant stroke of luck sees Sylvia Plath`s personal copy of The Great Gatsby fall into Gekoski`s lap, only for him to discover the perils of upsetting a Poet Laureate when Ted Hughes demands its return.Hunting for literary treasure is not without its battles and Gekoski boldly breaks the cardinal rule never to engage in a lawsuit with someone much richer than yourself, while also guarding his bookshop from the most unlikely of thieves. The result is an unparalleled insight into an almost mythical world where priceless first editions of Ulysses can vanish, and billionaires will spend as much gold as it takes to own the manuscript of J.K. Rowling`s Tales of Beedle the Bard.Engaging, funny and shrewd, Guarded by Dragons is a fascinating discussion on value and worth. At the same time, Gekoski artfully reveals how a manuscript can tell a thousand stories.

Related Products:

Dragons Sticker Book Books! Books! Books!: Explore Inside the Greatest Library on Earth Dragons: Sticker Activity Book 100 Paper Dragons to Fold and Fly On Rare Birds If I Could Tell You Just One Thing…: Encounters with Remarkable People and Their Most Valuable Advice A Darkness of Dragons Incomplete Book of Dragons Extraordinary Birds: Essays and Plates of Rare Book Selections from the American Museum of Natural History Library The Boy Who Lived with Dragons Peppa Pig: Mermaids, Unicorns and Dragons Sticker Activity Book Know Your Rare Breeds Let Sleeping Dragons Lie: Have Sword, Will Travel 2 Have Sword, Will Travel: Magic, Dragons and Knights The Unseen Lusitania: The Ship in Rare Illustrations English History: People, places and events that built a country (Collins Little Books) Rare, Wild and Free Killing Dragons Natural Histories: Postcards of 60 Rare Book Illustrations The First World War in Focus: Rare and Unseen Photographs Atlas of World War II: History`s Greatest Conflict Revealed Through Rare Wartime Maps and New Cartography Writers` London: A Guide to Literary People and Places Rare Earth Here be Dragons A Hero`s Guide to Deadly Dragons Irish History: People, places and events that built Ireland (Collins Little Books) Route 66 Treasures: Featuring Rare Facsimile Memorabilia from America`s Mother Road Collins BTO Guide to Rare British Birds Dragons at Crumbling Castle: And Other Stories The All True Adventures (and Rare Education) of the Daredevil Daniel Bones Uncommon Knowledge: Extraordinary Things That Few People Know Encounters Signed Copy Strategic Talent Development: Develop and Engage All Your People for Business Success Much Ado About Mothing: A year intoxicated by Britain`s rare and remarkable moths Books That Changed History Girl With Dove: A Life Built By Books The Hod King: Book Three of the Books of Babel Boundless Books: 50 Literary Classics Transformed into Works of Art Encounters and Destinies: A Farewell to Europe In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction