Dukedom Large Enough

After nearly a decade of apprenticeship with various bookmen and in his own shop, David Randall was appointed head of Scribner's Rare Book Department, a position he held for 21 years before becoming, in 1956, Librarian of the famous Lilly Collection at Indiana University. From the great wealth of those 30 years of experience, which brought him to the top of his profession, Mr. Randall has chosen some of his most exciting and amusing adventures for presentation in this highly entertaining memoir.During his career, not only Gutenberg Bibles (of which he handled the last two copies sold, one of the twice) but the high priced manuscripts and first editions of great writers and prominent political figures passed through his hands. Usually, though not always, there was a profit; a dealer in rarities, even when he knows values and the potential market, is still required to take changes and make quick decisions; many transactions do not turn out exactly as planned.Though this is not a book on how to become a rare book dealer or collector, Mr. Randall provides an intimate and instructive picture of this fascinating occupation.