ISBN: 9781805337768 - the madman's guide to stamp collecting (7 Ergebnisse)

PAP. Zustand: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

Zustand: New.

Paperback. Zustand: Brand New. 192 pages. 7.81x5.06x7.72 inches. In Stock.

Zustand: New. 2026. paperback. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Paperback. Zustand: Brand New. 192 pages. 7.81x5.06x7.72 inches. In Stock.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - A fascinating, one-of-a-kind journey through the obsessive world of collecting (and stamps) by maverick historian and cult writer Robert Irwin. '[A] delightful mishmash of quotations, digressions, obscure facts, arcane anecdotes and playful romps.' -- Literary Review Why do we collect Is it to rescue objects from oblivion Is it a kind of desire--or even a kind of madness Robert Irwin--novelist, historian, translator, collector--was a true original; a virtuoso thinker who combined encyclopaedic knowledge with boundless curiosity. In this 'mosaic of fiction, philosophy, sociology, biography and autobiography' he takes us on a wayward journey through the art of collecting, and his own intellectual passions. Drawing on a treasure-trove of literary references from writers including Susan Sontag, Walter Benjamin, Iris Murdoch and Georges Perec, as well as a host of lesser-known geniuses, flaneurs, obsessives and eccentrics, Irwin explores everything from mysticism to nostalgia, psychology to propaganda, classical antiquity to surrealism, dreams to death. We join Thomas De Quincey on a night mail coach, encounter the man who set out to acquire every stamp ever issued, enter the shadowlands of long-vanished kingdoms and the badlands of fakes and forgeries, all in the company of a uniquely brilliant mind. This is a one-of-a-kind book of wonders; of labyrinthine digressions, good humour and a 'delight in small things'. It is a satisfying and unforgettable meditation on the stuff of life.…

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