The Bookseller's Tale

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The Bookseller's Tale

By: Martin Latham

Narrated by: Roy McMillan

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

'The right book has a neverendingness, and so does the right bookshop.'

This is the story of our love affair with books, whether we arrange them on our shelves, inhale their smell, scrawl in their margins or just curl up with them in bed. Taking us on a journey through comfort reads, street book stalls, mythical libraries, itinerant pedlars, radical pamphleteers, extraordinary bookshop customers and fanatical collectors, Canterbury bookseller Martin Latham uncovers the curious history of our book obsession - and his own.

Part cultural history, part literary love letter and part reluctant memoir, this is the tale of one bookseller and many, many books.

© Martin Latham 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Martin LathamRoy McMillanPenguin Audio

Literary History & Criticism

Words, Language & Grammar

Writing & Publishing

Literary History & Criticism Words, Language & Grammar Writing & Publishing

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Critic reviews

The Bookseller's Tale is a joy. I read the first chapters in a single binge-read, and each chapter instantly became my favourite ... Individually, the paragraphs are threads of the very best trivia: collectively, they become a cultural history of the book. Memoir-flecked, magpie-minded, relentlessly engaging ... I loved this gnarly old bookshop in nifty book form. (David Mitchell, author of CLOUD ATLAS)

Martin Latham, who has sold [books] for more than 30 years, has done the tradition proud. His exploration of the history of books, and why we love them so much, is packed with touching stories and fascinating facts ... Underpinning the whole narrative is that simple pleasure, the love of a good book. (Mark Mason)

Latham thinks bookshops should have an "Aladdin's cave feeling" and the same is true of this book, which combines
anecdotes about his career (guest author Spike Milligan was a liability) with a cultural history of reading, printing, bookselling, libraries and anything bookish you care to think of (there's even a digression on the 5,500 different species of booklice). If ferreting through bookshops is your idea of heaven, you'll get the same pleasure from this treasure trove of a book.

(Jake Kerridge)

I loved this book, and I don't think I've read a book which is more crammed full of fantastic stories, interesting ideas, great quotes, great insights. It's not just on every page, it's in every paragraph. (Simon Mayo, Scala Radio)

Garrulous, wide-ranging and humane ... The Bookseller's Tale has the teetering, ramshackle feeling of a reliably eclectic bookstore. (Denis Duncan)

Roaming across topics from legendary libraries to humble book pedlars, as well as historically overlooked literary forms like chapbooks and comfort reads, its appeal is vivid enough that even the electronic edition seems to exude the tantalising aroma of a used bookstore. (Hephzibah Anderson)

A history and celebration of all things bookish ... This is a book that celebrates stories, scribbling in margins and the collecting, cherishing and even kissing of books - something done with surprising frequency, apparently ... ... Those who enjoy browsing in paper-scented bookshops, run by eccentric old storytellers with yarns to spare, will come away with something unexpected, reassuring and possibly worth a kiss. (Katy Guest)

For sheer enthusiasm, it will be hard to beat Martin Latham, bookseller at Waterstones Canterbury for three decades. His The Bookseller's Tale is a collection of tales about famous writers and bibliophiles, but above all a love letter to pages between covers. (Paul Laity and Justine Jordan)

A celebration of reading and readers and all things bookish. Entertaining, erudite, eccentric - The Bookseller's Tale is a delight. (Alison Light, author of COMMON PEOPLE: THE HISTORY OF AN ENGLISH FAMILY)

Most relevant

Had no idea that this would be such a brilliant and fascinating book. I rushed through it in my enthusiasm so will certainly go back and listen again to many chapters which will probably be the whole book . It’s a fabulous treasure trove of information and a great treat for any book lover. Thank you Mr Latham.