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The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession

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The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

Written by: Allison Hoover Bartlett
Narrated by: Judith Brackley
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About this listen

John Charles Gilkey is an obsessed, unrepentant book thief who has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of rare books from book fairs, stores, and libraries around the country. Ken Sanders is the self-appointed "bibliodick" (book dealer with a penchant for detective work) driven to catch him. Journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett befriended both eccentric characters and found herself caught in the middle of efforts to recover hidden treasure.

With a mixture of suspense, insight, and humor, she not only reveals exactly how Gilkey pulled off his dirtiest crimes and how Sanders ultimately caught him, but also explores the romance of books, the lure to collect them, and the temptation to steal them. Immersing the listener in a rich, wide world of literary obsession, Bartlett looks at the history of book passion, collection, and theft through the ages, to examine the craving that makes some people willing to stop at nothing to possess the books they love.

©2009 Alison Bartlett (P)2010 Tantor True Crime
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What the critics say

"A captivating cat-and-mouse game and a fascinating exploration of why people are so passionate about books." (Julia Flynn Siler, author of the New York Times bestseller The House of Mondavi

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Profile Image for Roberta W

Loved it!

As a fan of both rare books and descriptions of heists, I loved this book. The sheer audacity of the book thief profiled was eye opening… and while I am firmly on the side of the antiquarian book seller, I found hearing both sides of the thefts fascinating. A good listen.

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