$24.99

Your selected delivery location is beyond seller's shipping coverage for this item. Please choose a different delivery location or purchase from another seller.

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See this image

Follow the Author

Annie Tremmel Wilcox

A Degree of Mastery Paperback – July 1, 2000

by Annie Tremmel Wilcox (Author)

14 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$25.00

$2.92

Paperback

"Please retry"

$24.99

$2.12

In this extraordinary memoir, certain to captivate anyone who's ever appreciated the feel of a good book, Annie Tremmel Wilcox deftly explores the artistry, traditions, and precise techniques of book making and restoration. Using excerpts from her diaries, newspaper articles, exhibit notices, and correspondence, Wilcox passionately recounts her experiences learning the art of making and preserving books as the first female apprentice to the renowned book binder and conservator William Anthony. At once rendering a gorgeous, moving scrapbook of her tutelage under this consummate craftsman, and expertly demystifing the fascinating technical processes of this centuries-old art form, A Degree of Mastery is a singular achievement certain to enchant book lovers and crafts- people alike.

"Wilcox describes the restoration processes . . . with such detail that one is left with the impression that he or she is actually learning the craft rather than merely reading about another's experience."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"True bibliophiles will find it hard to suppress a frisson of excitement as Wilcox recounts the techniques she and her colleagues used to bring crumbling manuscripts . . . back to life."--Publishers Weekly

Print length

224 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Penguin Group USA
Publication date

July 1, 2000
Dimensions

5 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches
ISBN-10

0140291938
ISBN-13

978-0140291933
See all details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

David M. Levy
19
Paperback
17 offers from $2.00

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Aldren A. Watson
337
Paperback
$10.99
+ $35.48 shipping
In Stock.
David M. Levy
19
Paperback
17 offers from $2.00
Arthur Johnson
58
Paperback
$22.95
+ $35.48 shipping
In Stock.

Special offers and product promotions

Amazon Business: Make the most of your Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings. Login now

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Annie Tremmel Wilcox earned her Ph.D. in English at the University of Iowa in 1994. She has taught writing for more than fifteen years and also works privately as a rare- book and paper conservator and teacher of book arts.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Group USA; 1st edition (July 1, 2000)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140291938
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140291933
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,301,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,331 in Antique & Collectible Books (Books)
- #3,140 in General Books & Reading

Customer Reviews:
14 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload video

Customer reviews

5 star		69%
4 star 0% (0%)		0%
3 star		17%
2 star		14%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Sparkle

Literal or spiritual - take your pick

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2001

Verified Purchase

A practical person can read this book as an extended essay on how to approach an apprenticeship, and how to bind conservation texts. A spiritual person can add layers to the stories and extrapolate life lessons. Either way, the main character/author is extremely sympathetic character. Her teacher had amazing gifts, both as a conservator and as a teacher.
The book is deceptively short. Looks like a quick read, but was so meaty and detailed, I found myself reading it for several weeks in order to digest all the material carefully.
If your taste runs to the obscure, the "sleeper," I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

swschenk

Acceptable Book

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2016

Verified Purchase

Coffee Table Book

Helpful

GBN

An obscure journey

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2020

Her "journey" dealing with those who taught he the trade is quite enjoyable. Her description of the process of and craft of bookbinding is of value and interest only to those in the trade. There are no photos or drawings or other illustrations of any kind, so the reader is left in the dark as to what she is doing or using. Not really a worthwhile use of ones time to read this book.

Helpful

Katherine Neis

A wonderful autobiography!

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2001

A Degree of Mastery tells the story of one woman's journey through the education and apprenticeship necessary to become a book preservationist. Annie Wilcox, a bright woman with an impressive past in the field of English and writing, begins to take an evening class in bookbinding at the University of Iowa taught by a world-reknowned preservationist, William Anthony. Little does she know that not more than two years later she will become the first female apprentice ever to study under the direct supervision and teaching of Bill Anthony, an honored position granted only to six others before her. Through her apprenticeship, Wilcox learns the art of preservation and the dire need for conservation in every library, but especially those libraries that house an archives, manuscript or rare books collection. Through Wilcox's autobiography, the reader learns the basic process and means by which book preservation becomes possible as well as the importance and value of conservation in today's libraries. It is a wonderful piece of literature well-worth your time.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

David Manthey

Pleasant, but very light

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2005

This was a strange read, because the author continually expresses her surprise for certain techniques and methods of the book conservators craft as she discovers them during her early learning and apprenticeship. I find this odd, as I've done a bit of self-taught bookbinding, and have encountered most of this knowledge through reading, and that the author purports to be a reader and decent student.

An element I found annoying was the typesetting of the book. In general, I'm tolerant of these things, but, as this is a book on book arts and the author worked as a typesetter for some time, one would think that more attention would be paid to this. Specifically, there is only a word space (1/5 em) between sentences, not the age-old standard of 1/3 em (or even the 2 spaces that is acceptable giving 2/5 em). Also, the excerpts are set in too small a font, which contrasts poorly with the main text face. This detracts from the pleasure of reading a book, and should have been more carefully considered. I suspect the publisher is to blame, not the author.

The book also seems to lack a broadness to the characters; their personalities, life, and interests are confined to the conservation department. Although the book is clearly a loving tribute to a master book conservator, one doesn't really learn about the man (nor much about the author).

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

H. Cross

accessible, delicate, honest

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2003

Wilcox artfully narrates her experience as an apprentice for Bill Anthony, a famous book binder and conservator. She artfully interspeses observations about books she is restoring with phases of her life as an apprentice and other texts. She evokes the spirit of craftmanship, of taking many years, much time, and much patience to develop mastery of her craft. Great for book art students, art students, or those considering an apprenticeship of any kind. Of particular interest to those who've made books before, because they will understand vividly the technical descriptions of her project (thought these are accessible to the lay person as well).

Helpful

Lawrence E. Wilson

Illuminations

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2002

Someone who knew that I was in the Interdisciplinary Book and Paper MFA program at Columbia College Chicago gave this memoir to me. It's a really nice read---especially since the bookbinding world is a small one, and everyone in it knows everyone else, as people travel around the country giving workshops. Always interesting to read about people who you've had as teachers. I found it very well written, an evocative and accurate depiction of an obscure art/craft/lifestyle choice, an illuminated window into a small, specialized world.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

David Ozonoff

A Genuine Pleasure

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2000

I loved this book. At once a touching tribute to the renowned conservator and binder to whom the author was apprenticed, a look into apprenticeship, and an insight into the ethos of book conservation, the book is a delight to read. If you know even a little about how books are constructed (and even if you don't) you will learn a lot about the physical objects that obsess so many of us. After reading the paperback I went out and bought the hardcover. Destined to be a classic among bibliophiles.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

A Degree of Mastery Paperback – July 1, 2000

Customers who bought this item also bought

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Special offers and product promotions

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Product details

Videos

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.