Reading Recommendations

Navigating the world of rare book or autograph collecting calls for some background reading to get your adventure off to a good start!

Here you will find a selection of books to prioritise in order to learn the basics in the collecting field of your choice. Further articles will follow later on more specific subjects.

Selection of books to start a book collection

LAMORT Anne, OUVRARD Hugues. Tout ce que vous avez toujours voulu savoir sur La Bibliophilie… et encore plus

I mentioned this book in my petit guide de survie du bibliophile débutant, so it could hardly be left out of these reading recommendations! Intended to be simple and general in scope, this work will guide you perfectly through your first steps. How to read a catalogue entry, how to understand book formats, how to recognise the main types of bindings – none of this will hold any secrets for you after reading this book. A must for the young bibliophile.

DEVAUX Yves. L'Univers de la Bibliophilie

It is through the pages of this book that you can begin to grasp the full scope of knowledge required of a bibliophile. You will then understand that it will take years to fully come to grips with this fascinating world. But do not despair, it is an adventure rich in knowledge and encounters!

You will find a good deal of information that is particularly useful for learning to recognise the rarity of your books as well as their various editions, since Yves Devaux provides a bibliographical list that is more than sufficient for those starting out in bibliophily.

DEVAUX Yves. Dix siècles de Reliure

Yves Devaux, as you will have noticed, is a prolific author on bibliophily. For anyone who loves bindings and wishes to collect them, this book makes an excellent introduction, covering the major areas of bookbinding: the main styles and armorial devices, binding techniques, gilding… all illustrated with numerous images and binder's tools!

MELOT Michel, ZALI Anne. L'Art du livre

With this very recent book (published in 2023), you will learn more about the book through its history and its continents. The authors guide you through this adventure and present the great milestones of the book, through superb images that will delight many readers.

SORDET Yann. Histoire du livre et de l'édition : Production et circulation, formes et mutations

For the last book in our selection - a work I am particularly fond of, as it takes you through the winding paths of the History of the Book. The scope of research is vast and will allow anyone to find fascinating and useful information on what the book once was - from its earliest volumina to today, in our digitalised society.

Selection of books to start an autograph collection

NICOLAS Alain. Les Autographes

Alain Nicolas, a great expert in autographs and former president of the SLAM and of the ILAB, gives us real, practical grounding in how to recognise autographs. If there is one book to buy to learn the basics in this field, it is this one.

CASTAING Frédéric. Signatures : Isographie des Hommes et des Femmes qui ont fait Notre Histoire

If there is a general reference work for finding the signatures of the great authors and famous individuals who have marked the course of history, it is this book. An essential.