Books & Bookmen marks the distinction between the true book hunter and the mere literary person. It reveals Lang’s poetic enthusiasm for the great book chase among the bookstalls of Victorian London, as he hopes to discover an old French play by Moliere, a first edition of Shelley or perhaps an early English printing of Edgar Poe’s poetry. For the most part, the discussions contained in Books & Bookmen deal with ephemeral material published during Gutenberg’s lifetime or European first editions that once filled the shelves of imminent bibliophiles associated with the French aristocracy in the days of Louis XIV. A simple yet compelling collection of eight essays, it presents famous bibliophiles, rare editions, old bindings, literary forgeries, and the craft of bookmaking.