Pages & Proofs

Phyllis Dorothy James, better known as P.D. James, died this morning. The crime writer wrote over 20 books in total throughout her career, most of them novels. She is perhaps best-known for the creation of recurring character Adam Dalgliesh. The much-beloved Scotland Yard Inspector featured in 14 of James’ novels, including her first book, Cover […]

Every single year around this time, I find myself reflecting back on the books I’ve read since January 1st, and feeling: 1) mad at myself for not reading more; 2) mad at myself for wasting my life finishing that one really dreadful book; 3) delighted that I kept going through the hard bits of that […]

An academic journal from 1950 containing a seminal essay on computer intelligence by British codebreaker Alan Turing has sold for £1,250 (approx $1,970) on AbeBooks.co.uk. Turing, who cracked the German secret code in World War II, is currently being played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the movie, The Imitation Game. Turing wrote a paper titled ‘Computer […]

Yesterday, the robot probe Philae landed on a comet after travelling for four billion miles and 10 years to reach it. The comet, named 67P, is more than four billion years old and is hurtling through space at 40,000 mph. It’s no wonder that authors – including those masters of fiction, Jules Verne and H.G. […]

This beautiful map of America is offered for sale by Peter Harrington for £1,500. It was printed in 1746 in Nuremberg and caught my eye because so much of North America is simply missing. The west coast is simply California – no Washington State or Oregon. And as for Canada – no British Columbia or […]

The New York Times recently asked American rock star Bruce Springsteen about favourite books. The Boss admitted that he did not begin reading seriously until he was 28 or 29 because he spent so much time on the road. It sounds like he’s been an avid reader ever since. His taste varies from the classics […]

Considered the greatest writer in the English language, William Shakespeare’s works are among the world’s most widely read, most intensely studied, and most passionately collected. From 17th-century first editions of the Second Folio to beautifully bound and illustrated 20th-century limited editions, we’ve hand-picked a selection that has something for everyone. And remember – neither a […]