The Complete Book of Bookbinding (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Students, teachers, fine arts professionals, crafts aficionados, art historians, restorers, and bibliophiles: the list of people who will appreciate the beauty of this extraordinary summary of bookbinding techniques is endless. Written by a professor of bookbinding at the Escola d'Arts i Oficis in Barcelona, it provides a precise, systematic, and fully illustrated approach to the craft. Everything is covered in marvelous detail: tools and materials, the parts of the book and the binding, and protective features. Handsome ideas for decorating the cover (stamping, gilding, engraving) abound, as do suggestions for restoration. Eight specific and extremely detailed projects for binding form the heart of the volume, including binding in fabric, making a jacket with flaps for graphic works, and constructing a leather-trimmed slipcase.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157990646X
• ISBN-13: 978-1579906467
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #517,422 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Book Making & Binding

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Complete? It would be better if it was called "Advanced", April 4, 2006

By	A. Magalhes "little hotel" (Brazil) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I saw the title "Complete Book of bookbinding", I was hoping a huge book, with every detail about this craftwork. When the package arrived here at my house, I got surprised, not to say disapointed: it's a 160 pages book, trying to embrace EVERY aspect of bookbinding: history, materials, a few binding tecniques, restoration tips and how-to make boxes.

Of course, this great amount of subjects written on few pages is boarded on a superficial form. The history chapter is very short, and the contemporary paragraph is questionable, once that only Josep Cambra's style is pointed as an example.

"Tools and materials" and "Chemises and boxes" are the best part of this title, occupying the major part of the pages.

Some explanations are simply skipped. I felt difficult to reproduce the "One-piece drop-spine box" covered with fabric, once that little details weren't written, and the images weren't big enough to solve my problem.

I'm not going to lie: it's a good book for advanced bookbinders. But the author fails while trying to write about EVERY aspect of the craft. And the title is too strong for the few binding tecniques shown here.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Advanced Bookbinding Techniques, January 31, 2005

By	a bookbinder (Mass.) - See all my reviews

Many of the books currently available on bookbinding only offer a glimpse into the possibilities of fine binding -- this volume, recently published from a Spanish edition, not only offers traditional bookbinding techniques, in full and partial leather, vellum, and cloth, but also offers detailed guidelines for more de luxe treatments, such as leather and fabric doublures and edge decorations. If you are an advanced or advancing bookbinder, the images and techniques discussed in this volume will add greatly to your repertoire of skills.

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to the world of Bookbinding., May 18, 2008

By	J. Guild (Toronto,Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent book in all respects.The whole field of Bookbinding,if one would try to cover all the history,all the methods,all the tools,all the skills,all the tricks of thet rade,all the materials,all the sources of supplies,all the types of bindings,covers,enclosures,etc.;would require a small library. However;to cover the subject in one book;it would be hard to believe it could be better done than this.
I have always been fascinated by the binding and construction of books.This fascination is with the run-of the-mill, mass produced books that fill the bookstores as well as the exquisite ,rare as well as the expertly designed and crafted such as we see in this book. I have often admired the work of artists and bookbinders who have demonstrated as well as offering some of their works for sale. Once you read a book such as this it is easy to comprehend what goes into fine Bookbinding and the reason for their expense. As expensive as they are,they are only priced at a level where the binder gets very little return on their years of experience and effort.
Although I am not likely to pursue this art and craft;I found this book very,very informative;and gives me a much better idea of what is involved in this craft.
Like anyone who has a fair sized personal libraty;I have come across a book that is damaged and in need of repair. Although repairing of inexpensive books was certainly not the reason for the author's writing this book;I will find it extremely helpful to me when I decide to complete a basic repair.While this book is written from a very expert point of view,many of the methods can be followed at an amateur level with a few basic tools and materials;with much better results once you see how the experts go about it.
I guess this book is like a lot of things in the Art and Craft world, where knowing how the expert does their work is fascinating;even if one does not try to accomplish the same thing.
Just a quick comment on the construction of this book itself.Everything about it is excellent.It has a dust jacket as well as the covers of the same material. The printing,color rendition,binding,paper quality,photographs,layout,size and overall durability and strong construction are excellent;particularly for the price being asked.
This fine book will certainly be at home with my many "Books About Books" and I am sure I will return to it often.