An enormous book sale in my town this weekend. Which books should I seek that are peripherally rela

Longacre

There is an enormous book sale in my town this weekend, with an amount of used books in excess of 125,000. Supposedly this is the must-attend sale in all of New England.

I typically have my people attend the sale for me, and pick me up some books. However, I informed my entourage that I will attend in person this weekend, and rub elbows with the locals.

Although I donated a ton of coin auction catalogs, I don't expect to find many books related specifically to numismatics. However, we all know that there are many books out there that are peripherally related to numismatics, that can add some color to our understanding of the hobby. These books include histories of the civil war, biographies of the founding fathers, books on the economics of the early days of our country, etc.

Can anyone recommend some books that fall into this category, and perhaps I can lovingly hand select them when I venture out in public to the book sale?

RichieURich

I know Longacre isn't into the profit motive, but sometimes at sales of used books, early edition Redbooks, 19th century books such as Crosby's "Early Coins of America", etc. show up for very reasonable prices. Even some more modern books such as Breen's Enyclopedia, Early U. S. Dimes, Wiley & Bugert's book on Seated Halves, and certain auction catalogs such as Eliasberg, Garrett, and Norweb can be obtained. Good luck!

Dentuck

It would behoove Longacre to seek out bound compilations of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Weekly, Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, and similar works.

These are the source of many of the period engravings seen in Q. David Bowers's books.



Helpful Hint: Beware deceptive counterfeits such as Leslie Frank's Illustrated Weakly.

Coinosaurus

The Historical Magazine from the mid-19th century has a lot of numismatic content. Same comment on Harper's magazine from the same period. The American State Papers on Finance are also quite good. And lately I've been looking for vintage travel guides from Philadelphia. Happy hunting - almost as much fun as going to a coin show.

ACactions

May I recommend the great writings of Ayn Rand. Her novels and Novellas are truly poignant in a time such as this... then if you are looking for some self-actualization I love Beneath the Wheel by the great Hermann Hesse. Finally, anything by the great writer David McCullough presents history as if you were there... And he is a great orator...

Finally, if you are a foodie- the end of Haute Cuisine will show you the transition from the Supper clubs to the advent of QSR dining and credit cards....

But in the end... Please do not forget the Longacre kids... Nothing like reading to the future longacres of the world...

John

MrHalfDime

One book that you might look for that has an excellent chance of being in a general (non-numismatic) library is Bring Out Your Dead, by J. M. Powell. It is an historic and amazingly detailed account of the 1793 Yellow Fever epidemic in Philadelphia. The horrific details of suffering by individuals and families, as well as officials of the government (including the U. S. Mint), and the seemingly ridiculous 'cures' proffered by health officials seem almost unbelievable today, but one must remember that even today we do not know what causes Yellow Fever. We could be stricken by another such epidemic even today.

Of course, biographies of Thomas Jefferson are always worth buying.

Coinosaurus

MHD makes a good point - there are very good biographies of Benjamin Rush, Elias Boudinot, David Rittenhouse, and others connected with the early mint that are well researched & written. They won't reveal any numismatic bombshells but will give you a much better feel for the period.

firstmint

The general rule at book fairs is to spend a lot of time looking sideways at the spines, buying only the items of interest, and then figuring out where to store them when you get home.

If the event is held indoors (hopefully), you can enjoy the "smell of old dust" as you walk in.

Be sure to check out the biography section (if they are arranged that way) and check for familiar numismatic names.

If you don't find anything numismatic, there's always plenty more to choose from.

RickMilauskas

The Accrugrade System of Grading Morgan and Peace dollars by Alan Hager.

messydesk

I think a leather bound book on overstuffed chairs would be in order.

You may also find a lot of 1890s stuff related to the Columbian Exposition or the 1896 free silver movement.

Coinosaurus

<< <i>The Accrugrade System of Grading Morgan and Peace dollars by Alan Hager. >>



I have never seen this book, but for some reason it is very controversial

Longacre

I am looking forward to it. Yes, it is indoors and the people classify the sections by topics. I typically hit the biography section and the history sections first, although this year I want to get to the world atlases quickly because they sell like hotcakes in the beginning. I buy any Thomas Jefferson biography that I can find, and last year I was able to pick up three volumes of the multi-volume Dumas(?) biographies of him.

kaz

See if you can find a copy of Richard Rhodes' biography of Audubon-- I guarantee you will have a hard time putting it down. A remarkable man, and a great description (through A.'s experiences) of the economy in the first half of the 19th century, the western frontier, travel and communications at the time, and more.

MrHalfDime

The Dumas Malone biography of Thomas Jefferson is generally regarded as the best and most comprehensive biography ever written about him. It is actually a six (6) volume set, and covers his entire life, with significant emphasis on his political career. Author Malone was a history professor at Columbia, Yale, and Jefferson's own University of Virginia, and spent his entire professional life researching and writing about Jefferson. I was fortunate to locate the entire six volume set several years ago, and have read the entire volume several times; I am currently reading Volume 4 (The First Term, 1801-1804) for the third time. It is laborious and detailed reading, not something you can breeze through, but you will come away knowing more about Jefferson than you ever thought possible.

Another good multi-volume biography on Jefferson that you might look for is by Claude Bowers. I have no idea how many volumes comprise the complete set, but I have three volumes (The Young Jefferson 1743-1789, Jefferson & Hamilton, and Jefferson in Power). These are slightly less detailed than the Malone biographies, and accordingly make for more leisurely reading.

The detestable fabrication penned by Fawn Brodie, on the other hand, is best used as a doorstop or to line the birdcage.

shorecoll

Check for Gold Rush histories, civil war finance and any of the first 5-10 editions of Wealth of Nations. Pick up an original Maris Coins of New Jersey (should be easy to spot, aren't many books printed in Elephant Folio size).

Coinosaurus

<< <i>Pick up an original Maris Coins of New Jersey (should be easy to spot, aren't many books printed in Elephant Folio size). >>



That would be quite a find!

firstmint

Hey, I found a Maris on my shelf, no elephant though