Customer Reviews

Thames & Hudson Manual of Bookbinding (Thames and Hudson Manuals)

5 star:		(3)
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This book describes in clear detail how to properly bind a book for maximum durability. It includes details on case bindings (the easiest and weakest), library bindings (one of the strongest), flexible and sunk-cord bindings (traditional), and limp bindings. Although the author makes much about having the right tools, his descriptions are clear enough that one can improvise. With this book, I was able to make a book from paper, boards, and leather that came out quite well on my first try.

Of the many popular books in print today on bookbinding, this one is by far the most comprehensive. It reads like a graduate level textbook and must be studied carefully; it isn't conducive to casual reading. Many of the sentences are difficult to understand and must be thought about for awhile to figure out. Nevertheless, I wouldn't want to undertake a new step in the binding process without first reading what this book has to say. I strongly recommend it for the serious student of bookbinding.

I bought this among others for my daughter. She decided that she wanted to get into bookbinding. During the summer, she worked at one of the big libraries in Philadelphis, PA doing for some hands-on learning. Now she is at the MIT library in Cambridge, MA doing the same thing. Nothing like the good old books.