BIBLIO is the largest independent book marketplace in the world, with over 100 million books.

Skip to content

The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World Hardback - 2009 - 1st Edition

by Paul Collins

Add to wish list

Reader reviews for The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

From the publisher

The first popular narrative history of Shakespeare's First Folio, the world's most obsessively pursued book.

One book above all others has transfixed connoisseurs for four centuries--a book sold for shillings in the streets of London, whisked to Manhattan for millions, and stored deep within the vaults of Tokyo. The book: William Shakespeare's First Folio of 1623. Paul Collins, lover of odd books and author of the national bestseller Sixpence House, takes up the strange quest for this white whale of precious books.

Broken down into five acts, each tied to a different location and century, The Book of William's travelogue follows the trail of the Folio's curious rise: a dizzying S otheby's auction on a pristine copy preserved since the seventeenth century, the Fleet Street machinations of the eighteenth century, the nineteenth century quests for lost Folios, obsessive acquisitions by twentieth century oilmen, and the high-tech hoards of twenty-first century Japan. Finally, Collins speculates on Shakespeare's cross-cultural future as Asian buyers enter their Folios into the electronic ether, and recounts the book's remarkable journey as it is found in attics, gets lost in oceans and fires, is bought and sold, and ultimately becomes immortal.

Details

  • Title The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World
  • Author Paul Collins
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition number 1st
  • Edition 1
  • Pages 246
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, NY
  • Publication date 2009-07
  • ISBN 9781596911956 / 1596911956
  • Weight 0.85 lbs (0.39 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 in (21.08 x 14.73 x 2.29 cm)
  • Category Reference
  • Library of Congress subjects Books - History, Shakespeare, William - Folios. 1623
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2009006722
  • Dewey Decimal Code 016.822

About the author

Paul Collins is an assistant professor of English at Portland State University and the author of Sixpence House, The Trouble with Tom, Not Even Wrong, and Banvard's Folly. His work has appeared in Smithsonian, the New York Times, and Slate. He edits the Collins Library imprint of McSweeney's Books and appears regularly on NPR's Weekend Edition as the show's resident literary detective.

More Copies for Sale

The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

by Paul Collins

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Hardback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781596911956 / 1596911956
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$9.69
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2009. Hardcover. Very Good. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.69
Free Delivery to USA
The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

by Collins, Paul

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781596911956 / 1596911956
Quantity available
2
Seller
Item price
A$9.69
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2009. Hardcover. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.69
Free Delivery to USA
The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

by Paul Collins

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Hardback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781596911956 / 1596911956
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$9.69
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2009. Hardcover. Very Good. Disclaimer:May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.69
Free Delivery to USA
The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

by Paul Collins

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781596911956 / 1596911956
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$9.69
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2009. Hardcover. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.69
Free Delivery to USA
The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

by Collins, Paul

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781596911956 / 1596911956
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$10.64
A$5.76 Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Bloomsbury USA. Used - Good. Good condition. Like New dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$10.64
A$5.76 Delivery to USA
The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

by Collins, Paul

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781596911956 / 1596911956
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$10.64
A$5.76 Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Bloomsbury USA. Used - Very Good. Very Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner’s name, short gifter’s inscription or light stamp.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$10.64
A$5.76 Delivery to USA
The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

by Collins, Paul

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781596911956 / 1596911956
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$11.29
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Bloomsbury Publishing USA. Used - Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$11.29
Free Delivery to USA
The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

by Collins, Paul

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781596911956 / 1596911956
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$11.29
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Bloomsbury Publishing USA. Used - Very Good. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$11.29
Free Delivery to USA
The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Book of William : How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

by Collins, Paul

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781596911956 / 1596911956
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$11.29
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Bloomsbury Publishing USA. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$11.29
Free Delivery to USA
The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World

by Collins, Paul

  • Used
  • Hardback
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
1
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781596911956 / 1596911956
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$12.30
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Bloomsbury, 2009-07-07. 1. hardcover. Used: Good. 5.80x0.94x8.51. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$12.30
Free Delivery to USA