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The Enemies of Books
First published in 1881, this popular and entertaining work by the printer and bibliographer William Blades (1824–90) examines the numerous threats that books have faced throughout their existence. Based on the author's experience of collecting printed works, the book explores such destructive forces as fire, water, disgruntled pirates, ignorance, and vermin. Even bookbinders and collectors are accused of causing mischief. In 1886, Blades was cruelly tormented by one of his enemies when his printing works burned down. A founder of the Library Association, he most notably investigated the work of his two-volume Life and Typography of William Caxton (1861–3) is also reissued in this series. After his death, his extensive collection of books formed the basis of the St Bride Printing Library. Six editions of The Enemies of Books emerged between 1881 and 1886. Reissued here is the revised, enlarged and illustrated version that appeared in 1888.
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1880
About the author
William Blades
135 booksWilliam Blades was an English printer and bibliographer. He was born in Clapham, London.
"In 1840 he was apprenticed to his father's printing business in London, being subsequently taken into partnership. The firm was afterwards known as Blades, East & Blades. His interest in printing led him to make a study of the volumes produced by Caxton's press, and of the early history of printing in England.
His Life and Typography of William Caxton, England's First Printer, was published in 1861-1863, and the conclusions which he set forth were arrived at by a careful examination of types in the early books, each class of type being traced from its first use to the time when, spoilt by wear, it passed out of Caxton's hands. Some 450 volumes from the Caxton Press were thus carefully compared and classified in chronological order.
In 1877 Blades took an active part in organizing the Caxton celebration, and strongly supported the foundation of the Library Association. He was a keen collector of old books, prints and medals. His publications relate chiefly to the early history of printing, the Enemies of Books, his most popular work, being produced in 1880."
On his death at Sutton in Surrey on 27 April 1890, his library was acquired by the St Bride Foundation as the initial collection of the library. The architect of the St Bride's Foundation building created a room to house the collection that was a replica of Blade's original library.
- Wikipedia, quoting http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_En...
"In 1840 he was apprenticed to his father's printing business in London, being subsequently taken into partnership. The firm was afterwards known as Blades, East & Blades. His interest in printing led him to make a study of the volumes produced by Caxton's press, and of the early history of printing in England.
His Life and Typography of William Caxton, England's First Printer, was published in 1861-1863, and the conclusions which he set forth were arrived at by a careful examination of types in the early books, each class of type being traced from its first use to the time when, spoilt by wear, it passed out of Caxton's hands. Some 450 volumes from the Caxton Press were thus carefully compared and classified in chronological order.
In 1877 Blades took an active part in organizing the Caxton celebration, and strongly supported the foundation of the Library Association. He was a keen collector of old books, prints and medals. His publications relate chiefly to the early history of printing, the Enemies of Books, his most popular work, being produced in 1880."
On his death at Sutton in Surrey on 27 April 1890, his library was acquired by the St Bride Foundation as the initial collection of the library. The architect of the St Bride's Foundation building created a room to house the collection that was a replica of Blade's original library.
- Wikipedia, quoting http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_En...
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 27, 2017
Una breve obra para leer en poco más de una hora del sábado por la mañana tumbado en la cama, aprovechando que no se oye un ruido en tu comunidad de vecinos, ¡qué felicidad!
Esta traducción de un autor de finales del XIX, amante y traficante de libros, muestra su interés por el bienestar de las colecciones de estos objetos que raya en el fetiche de Karl Marx. Desde los cuatro elementos clásicos hasta otras fuerzas de la naturaleza como gusanos, insectos y ratas, pasando por los cuatro tipos de humanos que más denosta (encuadernadores, coleccionistas, niños y mujeres), el autor explica todas las maneras que sus conocidos y él han experimentado para evitar el deterioro de los volúmenes de la época, carentes de los avances actuales.
Entre los episodios más curiosos, destaco su afición por intentar que los gusanos del papel prosperen devorando otros tipos de celulosa sin conseguirlo, según él, por razones mecánicas; también el capítulo central, dedicado a la ignorancia y el fanatismo, donde expresa con acierto cómo religiosos y políticos (que no las religiones o la política) han sido las mayores lacras para la conservación de mucha información que, por desgracia, nunca volverá.
Aparte de la obra principal, de bello diseño y con acertadas imágenes ilustrativas del discurso del autor (¡aunque una está pixelada!), destaco el epílogo del editor, cuya postura hago mía aunque me debata la mitad del tiempo, cual gato de Schrödinger, sobre si seguir favoreciendo a la industria del libro en papel o centrarme en la digital. ¿Soy un connoiseur? ¿Soy un simple consumidor de letras y no quiero admitirlo? ¿Un gran libro en digital es menos grande? ¡Solo esta dialéctica ya es alimento para el cerebro!
Esta traducción de un autor de finales del XIX, amante y traficante de libros, muestra su interés por el bienestar de las colecciones de estos objetos que raya en el fetiche de Karl Marx. Desde los cuatro elementos clásicos hasta otras fuerzas de la naturaleza como gusanos, insectos y ratas, pasando por los cuatro tipos de humanos que más denosta (encuadernadores, coleccionistas, niños y mujeres), el autor explica todas las maneras que sus conocidos y él han experimentado para evitar el deterioro de los volúmenes de la época, carentes de los avances actuales.
Entre los episodios más curiosos, destaco su afición por intentar que los gusanos del papel prosperen devorando otros tipos de celulosa sin conseguirlo, según él, por razones mecánicas; también el capítulo central, dedicado a la ignorancia y el fanatismo, donde expresa con acierto cómo religiosos y políticos (que no las religiones o la política) han sido las mayores lacras para la conservación de mucha información que, por desgracia, nunca volverá.
Aparte de la obra principal, de bello diseño y con acertadas imágenes ilustrativas del discurso del autor (¡aunque una está pixelada!), destaco el epílogo del editor, cuya postura hago mía aunque me debata la mitad del tiempo, cual gato de Schrödinger, sobre si seguir favoreciendo a la industria del libro en papel o centrarme en la digital. ¿Soy un connoiseur? ¿Soy un simple consumidor de letras y no quiero admitirlo? ¿Un gran libro en digital es menos grande? ¡Solo esta dialéctica ya es alimento para el cerebro!
January 26, 2021
Este libro, pese a su brevedad, me ha hecho reflexionar sobre el importantísimo trabajo de los impresores que hicieron posible la reproducción y conservación de escritos antiguos (políticos, literarios, costumbristas o de cualquier índole) ya que, por los numerosos "enemigos" que tienen los libros han facilitado que lleguen a nuestros y días y a mucha más gente,
March 5, 2019
Che dolore leggere che pagine di antichi manoscritti sono stati usati per spolverare o per portare in tavola le torte!
Libro colto e spiritoso.
Libro colto e spiritoso.
February 8, 2021
撇開政治或人為疏失
早期書的大敵應該都來自裝禎的手法
蟲都吃裝禎上的膠
早期書的大敵應該都來自裝禎的手法
蟲都吃裝禎上的膠
May 4, 2023
之前看阿德勒時，放在前面的推薦序也是強調了成書的時代背景裡，可能會有些和現代不一樣的價值觀念。這本的推薦序裡也出現了預防針，實際看到最後一章還是過敏。這本書的作者也是滿值得關進藍鬍子的秘密房間裡，哇監禁普累。
另外看了一下譯者的資料，疑惑書裡面的句子為何不那麼像中文。
另外看了一下譯者的資料，疑惑書裡面的句子為何不那麼像中文。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2025
🖋️ Dullsville.
📕Published — 1880. In the public domain.
જ⁀🟢Read on ρ𝕣ꪮ𝕛ꫀᥴ𝕥 ᧁꪊ𝕥ꫀꪀ᥇ꫀ𝕣ᧁ.
જ⁀🟣 Kindle.
༺༻༺༻✬༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻✬༺༻༺༻
35%
📕Published — 1880. In the public domain.
જ⁀🟢Read on ρ𝕣ꪮ𝕛ꫀᥴ𝕥 ᧁꪊ𝕥ꫀꪀ᥇ꫀ𝕣ᧁ.
જ⁀🟣 Kindle.
༺༻༺༻✬༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻✬༺༻༺༻
35%
August 3, 2009
The Enemies of Books is a book on biblioclasts and book preservation by nineteenth century bibliophile and book collector William Blades. The book was first published in 1880 and has been republished in different editions in 1881, 1888, 1896, and 1902 and reproduced widely in electronic format in the twenty-first century. In the book, Blades, a well known collector and preserver of the works of British printer William Caxton, documented his outrage at any mistreatment of books in what became a passionate litany against biblioclasts, human and non-human, wherever he found them.
The book includes chapters on the following enemies of books: fire, water, gas and heat, dust and neglect, ignorance and bigotry, the bookworm, bookbinders, book collectors, and servants and children. The book ends with a passionate call for reverence for old books -- something he felt was lacking during his life.
The book includes chapters on the following enemies of books: fire, water, gas and heat, dust and neglect, ignorance and bigotry, the bookworm, bookbinders, book collectors, and servants and children. The book ends with a passionate call for reverence for old books -- something he felt was lacking during his life.
February 12, 2013
This books was delightful. A Nineteenth Century treatise on the enemies of books. One of the most amusing aspects to me was the rather dated advice on the deleterious effects of gas lamps on books. The author also extolls to the reader the virtues of an asbestos stove for keeping books arm and dry.
Beyond the advice, is a series of amusing and horrifying anecdotes, both personal and collected, about the various enemies. Fire, Water and Bookworms were horrifying; while bookbinders, collectors, and servants and children were humorous.
A very dated, but at the same time insightful, look at book collecting a few centuries ago.
Beyond the advice, is a series of amusing and horrifying anecdotes, both personal and collected, about the various enemies. Fire, Water and Bookworms were horrifying; while bookbinders, collectors, and servants and children were humorous.
A very dated, but at the same time insightful, look at book collecting a few centuries ago.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews