The printed book is the only technology where the first version still remains the best,” says Nick Basbanes, widely regarded as the greatest living book scholar. He was referring to the 42-line Gutenberg Bible, which he had the rare opportunity to feel and touch – the only privately-held copy, owned by William H Scheide.
At 81, Nick is still deeply immersed in his work, currently writing his 11th book. His first book, A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books, will soon celebrate its 30th anniversary. The Wall Street Journal hailed it as the most influential book on book collecting in the 20th century.
Despite writing nine more books since then, A Gentle Madness remains his masterpiece, fundamentally altering book collecting in the US. Nick originally signed a contract with Random House in 1988 to write a 90,000-word book in 18 months. However, it took him seven years and expand to 2,20,000 words! After corporate downsizing led to his editor being fired, and his book, shelved, it was finally released in 1995 by Henry Holt and Company. The initial 5,800 copies sold out in three days. Since then, there have been 10 editions, with the ‘definitive edition’ published in print and digital formats in 2012. Currently, the book is out of print.
I have 100 books from Nick’s library, all signed, and my most prized possession is his personal copy of A Gentle Madness, inscribed to me. Nick is particularly proud that A Gentle Madness is in more than 1,400 libraries. When I asked him to sign a withdrawn library copy of A Splendor of Books, he was saddened to see a book borrowed over a dozen times discarded. To ensure its safety, he inscribed, “And now part of the VR Ferose library.”
When I was opening my antiquarian bookstore in Bengaluru, I spent months collecting first editions of all Nick’s books and getting them signed with a green pen. My friend and partner, Pradeep Sebastian, was thrilled about a special signed copy of A Gentle Madness, calling it a talisman for our new bookshop adventure. The title is one of my favourites, inspiring the tagline of my column, ‘Gently Mad about Books’, and a tote bag sold at The Antiquarian Bookworm. The inspiration came from Benjamin Thomas, who said at his grandfather Isaiah Thomas’s funeral, “Grandfather was afflicted from the earliest of ages, with the gentlest of infirmities. He was a bibliomaniac.”
Nick’s latest book, Before Paper: A 3,000-Year History, is set for release in 2025. Throughout his bibliophile journey, his wife of 50 years, Constance (Connie), has been his best friend and critic. All his books are dedicated to her. Nick is a broker for book lovers, generously sharing his network. He connected me to Arion Press in San Francisco, where I am now a board member. His next venture with Arion Press will be a sought-after edition of The Epic of Gilgamesh with wood engravings by Barry Moser. He also recommended me to the Grolier Club and the American Antiquarian Society, and connected me with Michael Suarez, the director of the Rare Book School in Virginia.
Nick retains the old-world charm of an investigative journalist with his notebooks and pocket tape recorder. While he adapts to new technologies like Zoom, he views AI chatbots using content without authors’ consent as unethical. During a talk at the SAP Academy for Engineering, we discussed AI’s impact on books and his ongoing litigation with Microsoft and OpenAI over the unauthorised use of his material. This ‘David vs. Goliath’ showdown has garnered significant media attention. Nick’s writing has only improved with age. He told me, “I can spend hours writing a paragraph until it is just right.”
(The writer’s views are personal)