February Book Reviews

Basbanes, Nicholas A. Patience & Fortitude: A Roving Chronicle of Book People, Book Places, and Book Culture. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 2001. 636p. $35.00 [ISBN 0-06-019695-5] LC 2001016935.

Nicholas Basbanes states the themes for Patience & Fortitude in his Prologue; "The transmission and preservation of knowledge, sweeping changes in the way information is amassed and stored, and, above all, an abiding reverence for reading and the printed word." The author approaches these themes in three sections that explore "book people, book places, and book culture."

Basbanes begins by discussing the creation, use, and demise of the library in ancient Alexandria. Using photographs and drawings to illustrate his text, the author then examines the progression of libraries from ancient times to the monastic centers of Europe and the eventual creation of private secular libraries. The inclusion of nominal figures, such as Ferdinand Columbus, illegitimate son of Christopher Columbus, allows Basbanes to reveal the depth of his interest and research in this area.

The second section is an investigation of modern book collectors and sellers. Making a case that both the collector and the seller are necessary for the survival of books, manuscripts, and related ephemera, Basbanes interviews his subjects with the intent of exploring the business and the motivation to care for rare and sometimes forgotten tomes. The history of booksellers and their European roots are well covered in this section. Basbanes also considers the continuing importance of booksellers and collections based in Europe. The modern creation of books is briefly explored through the works of Barry Moser and Maurice Sendak.

The final section of this book deals with modern private collections and libraries. Included is the examination of such libraries as the Boston Public Library, the Library Company of Philadelphia founded by Benjamin Franklin, the Library of Congress, and the British Library. Basbanes references the Cotsen Children's Library at Princeton, among others, to illustrate the complexities of accepting the donation of a private collection. The issues of modern libraries and the architecture that they inhabit is approached through a discussion of the San Fransisco Public Library and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France. This section ends with a look at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, an attempt to create another great library in the famed city of Alexandria.

While the length of the book is initially daunting, the author's engaging style, numerous interviews, and thorough research keep the reader interested. Basbanes' background as an investigative reporter and a literary editor are apparent in the depth and breadth of the covered material. Basbanes states in the Prologue that the original manuscript for this book was divided to complete the last two books of a trilogy, which began with A Gentle Madness (Henry Holt & Company, 1995). Patience & Fortitude could have easily been divided into two books, each with a narrower focus. In contrast, other authors tend to examine a more specific theme, such as Thomas Cahill (How the Irish Saved Civilization. Doubleday, 1995) and P. R. Harris (A History of the British Museum Library, 1753-1973. The British Library, 1998), resulting in more specialized texts.

The inclusion of a detailed index allows the reader to quickly find interviews and subject matter with ease. The lengthy Notes section provides sources, as well as interviews, relating to the content each chapter. The photographs illustrate various people, places and things that make the text easy to comprehend. This book will certainly appeal to someone involved in librarianship, book collecting, or bookselling. However, because of Basbanes' narrative style, it will also be of interest to the general non-fiction reader in a public library.

Reviewed by Katherine Seeburger, LIS student, Wayne State University, KES1917@aol.com

Stites, Susan & Sterling, Lea Ann. Historic Cottages of Mackinac Island. Photographs by Lanny and Lea Ann Sterling. Mayfield, MI: Arbutus Press. 2001. 143p. $40.00 [ISBN 0966531612]

Mackinac Island and its place in Michigan history are seen from a unique perspective in this well-researched book. Historic Cottages is a pictorial record and detailed history of 73 cottages built on the Island between 1870 and 1910, all of which still stand today.

A short introduction traces the early origins of the resort community, beginning with the first two hotels located at the idled Fort in the 1850s, through the first few homes built, and then the increasing real estate development inspired by the designation of the island as a National Park in 1875. The Queen Anne, Shingle Style, Gothic Revival, and myriad other period architectural styles of the sprawling, multi-storied, meant-to-impress summer homes are amply documented in photographs, past and present. But, as the intriguing stories which accompany the photos reveal, the lumber barons, bankers, meatpacking executives, and industrial entrepreneurs, who came from Detroit, Chicago, and as far away as New Orleans to create a community of showplace "cottages" in the pristine setting, represent a significant development in American history: the emergence of a new economic class, and the transition from the Gilded Age to a new Industrial Age.

Archival and private collection photographs, as well as current color photographs, of each of the homes, and, where possible, the first-hand accounts and recollections of the families who built them and named them, the architects who designed them, and those who have owned them since, provide an outstanding historical record of a significant part of Michigan history. Running quotes from The Daily Reporter, the Petoskey newspaper that served as the social news reporter for Mackinac Island at the time, add especially relevant--and often amusing--primary source material to the text. Accompanying maps show each section of the Island--East Bluff, West Bluff, Howard's Annex, and Lake Shore--and the exact location of each home. Combined, these elements make this book useful for researchers, history buffs, and tourists alike. Librarians and researchers will especially like the bibliography and complete index included.

Authors Susan Sites and Lea Ann Sterling, and Photographer Lanny Sterling (who along with Lea Ann Sterling provided the current color photographs of the 73 homes), each have a proven record of dedication to historic preservation awareness projects: Susan Sites' The Road Guide: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was published in 1998. Lea Ann Sterling's Historic Homes of Olde Town, Columbus, Ohio, with photographs by Lanny Sterling, recently received the Ohio Historical Society Office of Historic Preservation Education and Awareness Award.

Reviewed by Jean Spang, Library Board Member, City of Ferndale, http://www.ferndale.lib.mi.us

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