A Gentle Madness. Inscribed by Nicholas A. Basbanes. First Edition, First Printing. Henry Holt & Co. New York, 1995.

Nicholas Basbanes is an American author whose works on book collecting and book culture have become iconic examples in the last several decades. Among them, none was more impactful than A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books. It is a sprawling work on bibliophilia. It contains chapters focused on historical figures in the book collecting world, chapters always underscoring their obsessive behaviors and incredible drive to acquire more books. The bibliophiles highlighted run the gamut of famous, ancient, and modern. Some examples include Petrarch, Christina, Queen of Sweden, A. S. W. Rosenbach, Ian Fleming, Cicero, Charles L. Blockson, and the infamous book thief, Stephen Blumberg. Upon its publication, A Gentle Madness became a surprise bestseller. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. The work remains one of the most beloved books on books of the period. For any book collector, its wry humor and meticulous research will come as a welcome acknowledgement of one’s own gentle madness.

This first edition, first printing is warmly inscribed by Basbanes on the half-title page. It is in near-fine condition. In the original quarter cloth, near-fine with only bumping and rubbing to spine ends. Text block near-fine, only minor soiling to bottom edge. In the original dust jacket, near-fine with only bumping and rubbing to edges. Laid in is a postcard signed by Basbanes as well.

A near-fine inscribed first edition of A Gentle Madness.