{"product_id":"william-goodhugh-the-english-gentlemans-library-manual-first-edition-1827","title":"William Goodhugh, The English Gentleman's Library Manual, First Edition, 1827","description":"\u003ch2 dir=\"auto\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eOverview:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eTitle: The English Gentleman's Library Manual; or, A Guide to the Formation of a Library of Select Literature\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: William Goodhugh\u003cbr\u003ePublished: London, William Goodhugh, 1827\u003cbr\u003eEdition: First Edition\u003cbr\u003eFormat: 8vo\u003cbr\u003eLeaf Size: Approx. 22.3 × 14.2 cm\u003cbr\u003ePagination: x, 392 pp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"auto\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eA fascinating 1827 guide to the formation of a gentleman's private library, written by bibliographer, linguist and bookseller William Goodhugh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003ePublished during the great 19th-century enthusiasm for book collecting and \"bibliomania\", Goodhugh's English Gentleman's Library Manual was intended to guide the educated reader in selecting the books considered worthy of a well-appointed library.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eFar more than a simple list of titles, Goodhugh provides recommendations for particular authors and editions alongside biographical, bibliographical and critical commentary. Subjects range across theology, history, voyages and travel, English literature, poetry, drama, science, philosophy and bibliography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eAmong the numerous authors discussed are Shakespeare, Spenser, Ben Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher, James Thomson and many others. The theological section includes discussion of important editions of the Bible, including Benjamin Blayney's influential edition of the King James Bible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eOf particular interest to modern book collectors is Goodhugh's discussion of bibliography itself, describing the study of books and the importance of catalogues in tracing the history of literature. Contemporary editions and prices are frequently recorded, providing an unusual window into what an English collector might have been advised to purchase almost 200 years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"auto\"\u003eAn Early Guide to Book Collecting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003ePublished at a time when the collecting of rare and early books was becoming increasingly fashionable in Britain, Goodhugh's manual belongs to the developing literature of bibliography and private library formation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe result is essentially an antiquarian book about collecting antiquarian books. It provides a fascinating snapshot of the literary canon of Georgian Britain and of the books considered essential to an educated gentleman's library in the 1820s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eBibliographical sources also record that a separate large-paper issue of the work was produced. The present copy has not been identified as that issue, but is notably wide-margined and substantially untrimmed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"auto\"\u003eBinding \u0026amp; Condition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eSympathetically rebound in a later quarter leather binding over grey paper-covered boards, with raised bands and a paper spine label reading An English Gentleman's Library 1827.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eAn especially attractive feature of this copy is the preservation of its wide, substantially untrimmed leaves, measuring approximately 223 × 142 mm, with a typical printed area of only approximately 150 × 82 mm. Irregular deckled edges remain visible throughout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eInternally generally well preserved for a book approaching two centuries old. Some expected age toning, scattered foxing and occasional marks are present. The untrimmed edges show some irregularity and wear consistent with age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"auto\"\u003eWhy Buy This Copy?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eAn unusual and highly appropriate book for the modern bibliophile: a nearly 200-year-old guide explaining which books a collector should own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eIts combination of literary history, bibliography, book collecting, recommended editions and contemporary prices makes it particularly appealing to collectors interested in the history of books and private libraries. The unusually generous surviving margins and sympathetic later binding further enhance the character of this copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"auto\"\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli dir=\"auto\"\u003eWeight - 540g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli dir=\"auto\"\u003eHeight - 23.3cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli dir=\"auto\"\u003eWidth - 15.5cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli dir=\"auto\"\u003eThickness - 2.8cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Momo Rare Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54952080015699,"sku":null,"price":200.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/9187\/5411\/files\/IMG_9152_1.jpg?v=1789490121","url":"https:\/\/www.momorarebooks.co.uk\/products\/william-goodhugh-the-english-gentlemans-library-manual-first-edition-1827","provider":"Momo Rare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}