Sunday, January 7, 2018

Finding a book again

Last night at Half Price Books I came across one that I've been trying to find for years, An American Primer, edited by Daniel J. Boorstin. It's a collection of foundational documents in United States history, starting with the 1620 Mayflower Compact and ending with Lyndon Johnson's 1965 "Address on Voting Rights." I had a copy of this in college, and somewhere along the way I got rid of it. The problem in trying to find it again was that I couldn't remember the title or the author/editor. Describing it as "a book of historical documents" didn't get me anywhere. These days I keep track of the books I dispose of, as well as books I read but don't own, because I'm constantly forgetting titles and authors.

Looking at this again after thirty years, I was surprised at what isn't included, until I realized it was published in 1966. A modern edition would hopefully be more inclusive. There is nothing from Frederick Douglass or Martin Luther King, Jr. There is only one document from a Native American, and that in 1774. It does have the 1848 "Seneca Falls Declaration" on women's rights, as well as Elizabeth Cady Stanton's "Address on the Divorce Bill" from 1861. Still, with its limitations, I think it's worth having. I can and have looked up some of these documents on-line, like the Constitution, but it's nice having so many in one place. I've just realized though that this edition doesn't include the 25th amendment, passed in 1967, so I shall print out a copy to add in. We're certainly hearing a lot about that particular amendment these days.

I was also looking last night in the British history section. I was sick over Christmas and New Year's. I didn't get a lot of reading done, but I did watch some TV and movies. I happened on "The Young Victoria" on Netflix, the film with Emily Blunt. I'd seen it before, and I was drawn in again by the gorgeous costumes and settings. I was struck though by the scenes of the coronation, with Prince Albert supporting the new Queen from the audience. That didn't seem right to me, so I went to check. I could have sworn that I had a biography or two of Queen Victoria on the shelves, but I don't. (I have Gillian Gill's We Two, which confirmed that Albert was not at the coronation.) I don't know what happened to my copy of Christopher Hibbert's biography. I see I gave Elizabeth Longford's to the library sale several years ago. Now, I guess if I haven't even needed to consult them in that time, I haven't really needed them on my shelves, and I didn't buy a replacement last night. But it has made me wonder if maybe I have been a bit too quick to discard books, to make shelf space or to cull the TBR stacks, especially when faced with packing books to move. I'm trying to be more deliberate about acquiring books, and now I'm thinking about that when it comes to getting rid of books as well.

I also found a few Patricia Wentworth books on the shelves. I was dithering over Pilgrim's Rest, before I remembered to check Library Thing and confirm I already have that one. I've sent more than one duplicate copy to the library sale, but those at least I'm not likely to regret.

12 comments:

  1. What a strange mistake to make. If anyone had been supporting Victoria at the coronation it would surely have been Lord Melbourne.

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    1. They did have Lord Melbourne, literally standing next to the throne, but also Albert in the audience, to dramatize Victoria torn between them.

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  2. It's amazing how fascinating old legal documents can be, as they often include things you would not expect. I have a similar book, 'Documents of Liberty', which goes back to Saxon times. Few people know the Magna Carta of 1215, for example, gives a great deal of space to items such as bridge building responsibilities, widow's rights and woodland enclosures, with items such as trial by jury slipped in!

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    1. How fascinating! I don't think I've ever read the Magna Carta, and now I need to find the text. I'm always happy to see widows' rights guaranteed.

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  3. I've gotten rid of a few books over the years that I have deeply regretted. It is hard to balance the need to be able to walk through my house without tripping over piles of books and my need to keep all the books I ever encounter.

    I have Library Thing but I haven't gotten around to adding all my books. I should. I would prevent me from dithering over whether I do or do not own a book.

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    1. Yes, there is that balance, when I've run out of shelf space, and I can't seem to stop myself from buying still more books.

      I have most of my books on LT now, and I add new ones as they come in - but I still find some that I haven't put in (We Two, most recently). I need to remember to check it, especially for books in series.

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  4. I put books into a bag in the garage if I'm thinking about getting rid of them, give them a cooling period of six months and then look at them again. Quite often they end up back in the house.

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    1. I had a box going for a while, but I kept falling over it, so I ended up taking those to the library sale to get them out of the way. Maybe I need to put the box somewhere out of sight.

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  5. Talk about bookish serendipity! I love when that happens. :)

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    1. And I wasn't even looking for it! I love that kind of serendipity :)

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  6. Oh man, it's amaaaaazing to happen upon a book that you've been hunting for a long time. This is why I love the "Wish List" function in PaperbackSwap -- it's not the same, but there's a similar thrill of coincidence when one of my wish list books gets listed. They send you an email that says "Wish Granted." It's the best.

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  7. Oh, it would be lovely to get that email! ABE is more prosaic, something along the lines of "We've found a match for your want" - but it's still exciting to see which one.

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Thank you for taking the time to read, and to comment. I always enjoy hearing different points of view about the books I am reading, even if we disagree!