To give a book a worthy binding is one of the most satisfying of crafts. Beyond the utility of a good binding, there is a great deal of aesthetic pleasure to be gained from a book that opens easily and flatly, and from the decoration, the harmony of colors, and the brilliance of gold. Arthur Johnson, one of Britain's foremost designer-bookbinders, has written a manual of the craft whose clarity and comprehensiveness make it invaluable to the student and the professional. It covers equipment, tools, and materials; all stages of preparation (end papers, sewing, rounding and backing, edge-gilding, etc.); different binding styles; and the finer points of finishing. The illustrations show not only tools, materials, and processes, but also a selection of striking and beautiful examples of the binder's art, both historic and modern.
