The Madman's Library: The Greatest Curiosities of Literature
Product ID: 198923269
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* BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK * 'Anybody who loves the printed word will be bowled over by this amusing, erudite, beautiful book about books. It is in every way a triumph. One of the loveliest books to have been published for many, many years' Alexander McCall Smith 'Quite simply the best gift for any book lover this year, or perhaps ever' Lucy Atkins, Sunday Times Literary Book of the Year 'An utterly joyous journey into the deepest eccentricities of the human mindโฆ The most cheering, fascinating book Iโve read for ages' Guardian From the author of the critically acclaimed and globally successful The Phantom Atlas , The Golden Atlas and The Sky Atlas comes a stunning new work. The Madmanโs Library is a unique, beautifully illustrated journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the fascinating stories behind their creation. This is a madmanโs library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscoveredโฆ and a few others that are just plain weird. From the 605-page Qur'an written in the blood of Saddam Hussein , through the gorgeously decorated 15th-century lawsuit filed by the Devil against Jesus, to the lost art of binding books with human skin, every strand of strangeness imaginable (and many inconceivable) has been unearthed and bound together for a unique and richly illustrated collection ideal for every book-lover . Review: Fantastic read - Wanted this book for a while, some very interesting stories and knowledgeable author Review: A REAL FIND - I read a review of this book in an Oldie Magazine and bought a copy on impulse. It is well written and beatifully illustrated. Obviously the result of years of research and it was well worth it. The facts throughout the book are facinating, I cannot recommend it more highly in fact I have now bought a second copy to give as a Christmas Present to a friend of ours. Best value for money I have ever spent.
| Best Sellers Rank | 169,491 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 3,979 in World History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,045 Reviews |
A**I
Fantastic read
Wanted this book for a while, some very interesting stories and knowledgeable author
M**S
A REAL FIND
I read a review of this book in an Oldie Magazine and bought a copy on impulse. It is well written and beatifully illustrated. Obviously the result of years of research and it was well worth it. The facts throughout the book are facinating, I cannot recommend it more highly in fact I have now bought a second copy to give as a Christmas Present to a friend of ours. Best value for money I have ever spent.
M**A
Enjoyable
Enjoyed book
P**R
Fascinating Read
Just perfect coffee table book full of interesting, fascinating and eccentric material. Would have preferred if it was a bigger.Apart fro that a real gem and great value too.
P**T
My new favourite as a conversation starter.
Brilliant illustrations and fascinating text, well researched. Canโt recommend it enough. It can grace your coffee table or bathroom with equal dignity. Well worth the price.
P**E
Beautifully illustrated and fascinating book..... about books!
The illustrations alone are worth the price of this book and would grace a much more expensive volume. Add to that hundreds of facts and stories about books and its the book lovers dream book. You can dip it anywhere that takes your fancy and keep you absorbed for hours...
T**E
Book lovers: it must be yours!
The book was an instinct buy. Saw few pics and read the back cover. I could not be more enthusiastic about it. It kept me hours glued to my chair just looking at the beautiful pics inside. I have not had the chance to read more than 20pages (randomly) but I found so many interesting facts and stories! A must have for any book lover, not only the quirky/creepy/spooky ones. Definitely a little treasure that will sits just fine in your library.
C**X
Actually quite a fun book
I bought this to use in an essay for my Masters degree, but actually turned out to be a pretty fun book to read through. If you're interested in funky and unusual literature throughout history and different cultures, you'll love this.
M**R
Kitap iyi. Teslimat Hฤฑzlฤฑ. Paketleme ลaลฤฑrttฤฑ.
Hฤฑzlฤฑ geldi. Ancak paketleme รงok รถzensizdi. Bu ลekilde ciltli bir kitap, hava kabarcฤฑklฤฑ naylon ile bir sฤฑra geรงirilerek o ลekilde gรถnderilmeliydi. Doฤrudan zarfฤฑn iรงine koyulmasฤฑnฤฑ anlamak mรผmkรผn deฤil.
T**H
Handy present idea...
Xmas present.....well received
A**T
Really Great Book!
Amazing!! Just the hard work of finding out all the history is exceptional. And the book is printed so clearly and well! Strange and wonderful. Really great book!
A**.
very nice
a must-have for every book-lover. Amazing book
S**.
The Book is awasome. Packaging could have been better.
It's really an interesting book, beautifully illustrated.
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