Bowers books...any opinion?

RYK

I am considering buying one (or more) Bowers books to read and for my library. If you have read any of these, please comment on the following:

More Adventures with Rare Coins

The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Museum Sylloge

A California Gold Rush History

American Coin Treasures and Hoards

Please feel free to recommend any others that are available and not listed. Thanks!

Mark

RYK:

The Harry Bass book is fascinating for the first 40 or so pages as it talks about Harry Bass. Then it starts to list the coins that were kept in his collection, one-by-one. Detiasls are given about the mintages, the surface features of the coins, etc. While I am glad I have this book, it's definitely not as fascinating a read as Bower's More Adventures or American Coin Treasures. I also have the Gold Rush book, but the thing weighs a ton and so far I haven't had the ambition to start. But that book will last a good long while...

Mark

RYK

Thanks, Mark.

Any others???

Barry

Robert,
I read "More Adventures with Rare Coins" a few years ago. Some of it was very interesting, but there's a lot of repetition and auto-biographical rambling from chapter to chapter. Perhaps part of my lack of enthusiam comes from the fact I'm not enamored by coins that were created as rarities by subterfuge or for political favor. I'd recommend getting it from the library, or buying used, for reading, but it's not a book I'd want for my permanent library.

DaveG

The California Gold Rush History is HUGE!

Literally, it must weigh ten pounds or more.

If you'd like a taste, there are (or at least were) substantial excerpts (mostly from the diaries of '49ers) on the Numismatic Bibliomania Society's website (www.coinbooks.org).

RYK

Literally, it must weigh ten pounds or more.

In fact, it weighs twelve pounds!

stujoe

American Coin Treasures and Hoards is a good bathroom book. Not a long rambling history book but more devoted to short snippets about various finds. Fun to read in short doses (like when you are on the throne )

ConstellatioCollector

I have the California Gold Rush book and yes it is very heavy. It's decent reading. A bit pricey!

JoyofCollecting

I enjoyed American Coin Treasures and Hoards.

The stories are a lot of fun....and it's an easy book to put down and pick back up again much later as you have time.

Coinosaurus

Buy 'em all. They're great

Actually, the Bowers works I consult the most are the two Eliasberg catalogs. Those are basically Dave's version of the Breen Encyclopedia. Yup, there are mistakes in both, but the chances of building such massive works without a number of errors is zero.

RYK

I purchased a used copy of Adventures with Rare Coins for $14 delivered. It was just what I had hoped for. Great pictures, cool history, lots of coin stories. I will buy some more soon.

Stuart

I recently was given the Bowers Morgan Dollar Red Book as a gift, and I've really enjoyed reading it. Dave combines history and current events for each year in addition to the coin specific information & statistics.

They are full of interesting information, and Dave Bowers is an extraordinary author. I highly recommend this new Red Book set!

boz

I've read the California Gold Rush. Very interesting, but a very looong read also.

nankraut

I've never met Mr. Bowers, but I like every book he ever authored.

K6AZ

I just listed "Commemorative Coins of the United States" written by him for the defense auctions. This book is large, and from glancing at it, looks like a well written book.

foodude

Like some others, I have most of the books Mr. Bowers has authored. They typically make great reading.

northcoin

The Gold Rush book is one of my favorites. I like the way David Bowers combines history with numismatics.

lonecoingeek

Transline coin supply bought the entire remaining books of Bowers catalogue. Give them a call at 800-575-4007.

DDR

I've read a number of books by Bowers. One of the most enjoyable to read is American Coin Treasures and Hoards. It's very broad, well researched and easy to read. I recommend it.

Kriek

Bowers is exceptional; I would recommend any of his books.

LAWMAN

I've read many, many books by QDB and every one was a pleasure. His writing style is simple and genuine. He tells great stories and retains an enthusiasm for all of this hobby that many of us remember from our youth. You can't go wrong.

paigowjohnny

I've thoroughly enjoyed his Morgan Dollar Red Book as well as "Louis Eliasberg, King of Coins". The latter book is kinda tough to find, but last I looked david lawrence had them...

RYK

Just received The History of United States Coinage (As Illustrated by the Garrett Collection). Another excellent book. I am having about as much fun getting and reading the books as I am getting the coins!

Blade

Louis Eliasberg, King of Coins, is great as it tells the whole story and you get to see it unfold. There are press clippings, the old catalogs he purchased from, the notebooks from the Clapp collection (that contributed to about half of his holdings). After reading that book, I went back and bought the 3 Eliasberg auction catalogs so that I would have his full catalog of coins from the 1982 Gold and 1996-97 CNS & pattern auctions. It was a fun few months to read through it all.

RYK

I just received American Coin Treasures and Hoards (from board member allegri). It is also excellent. I am going to try to get them all.

RYK

I recently received the California Gold Rush book as a gift (signed to me by Mr. Bowers). Wow! What a book! The problem is that it is so heavy, that I cannot read it in bed. I am afraid I will doze off and the book will break my nose. Great reading, interesting history, and excellent contemporary photos. It is not the type of book that one would typically read cover to cover, but I will enjoy small sections of it as time permits.

astrorat

You cannot go wrong with a book written by Bowers, period. I have yet to come across a book (or even booklet) written by him from which I did not learn something.

Can't afford all those books?

Join the ANA and check them out of the library via the mail . . . best value in numismatic literature.

Lane