"No longer will the innocent book collector need to puzzle over the finer meaning of ‘old half roan’, ‘good working copy’, ‘blind tooled’ or ‘tail-edged shaved’. The unvarnished truth is here exposed at last, both in the shockingly explicit drawings and in the devastatingly frank glossary whose revelations will startle even the most battle-scarred of bibliophiles.

The result is one of the funniest, most entertaining books to have emerged from the brilliantly perceptive pen of the master. No book collector, and certainly no bookseller, can afford to be without it – even the wicked ones.

Ronald Searle is the most acclaimed satirical graphic artist of the twentieth century. He delighted millions with his creation of St Trinians and has published numerous books of caricatures of humans and animals, as well as being a leading contributor to Le Monde’ and ‘Life’ magazine."