Cover Image: Bookbinding and How to Bring Old Books Back to Life

Bookbinding and How to Bring Old Books Back to Life

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Member Reviews

I appreciate receiving an ARC of this how-to book from Netgalley. As a creator and bookbinder, I was interested in Intermediate techniques as well as repairing damaged books. I received a lot of instruction about both and I appreciated the chapter on upcycling books as well.

The instructions were pretty clear and detailed. There were a lot of photos to clarify the written instructions, I appreciated the history of bookbinding, paper types and preservation, though that wasn’t necessarily what I was expecting.

All in all, I really liked this and I’m glad I have it for future reference,

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I was very interested in finding out what is book binding and stumble upon this book. It was so informative. The steps were straight forward and easy. I enjoy reading the book and it felt like it was a craft that is important but forgotten. Now when I am reading a book or so I take the time and look through the book binding of the books because sometimes the publishers add little details to have the book stand out.

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I adore books and most of my favourites definitely need a fresh cover. That is why I requested this book from Netgalley and was delighted to have my request granted. This book by Ainmee Spillman is everything you could want for the apprentice bookbinder. The narrative is clear and concise and the pictures are of excellent quality, she makes the process easy to follow and contains lovely ideas for making your own notebooks, cards and even Xmas decorations. Stillman writes with a light touch and a tutor instinct. I would be delighted to buy this book for a friend and fellow bibliophile. My grateful thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for the gift that is Bookbinding and how to bring old books to life. I can't wait to gather together the tools and some beautiful paper to work with.

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A fantastic guide to book binding, and the various styles that can be used and adaptive. Beginner friendly. It is not made for anyone passed the beginner level to be honest. That being said it is still a marvellous little book.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC.

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I love this book and will definitely be making my own books now. I also loved the mending books section because I have a lot of old books that need repairs.

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While I've only bound one little booklet before and haven't spent time trying the projects out from the book, it seems to be a very comprehensive guide to both binding books as well as repairing books! I will definitely be exploring binding my own journals or art books in the future.

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I've always been a crafter, and a reader, so finding a book that promises to teach me bookbinding just naturally draws my interest. We start off with a brief but informative history of both books and the words used by book aficionados. From there, we are given a glossary of bookbinder's industry terms (including my favorite, the bone folder) and a list of tools and materials suppliers. Armed with this valuable information, you'll find yourself eager and ready to become a bookbinding student.

The first project is creating a hardcover book. The author walks us slowly and patiently through the entire process. Lots of advice and encouragement is offered along the way, and pictures are included so you won't have to guess at what's being described. If you pay attention, work carefully, and follow the instructions to the letter, you will produce a lovely book that's all your own, and you will have gained a good understanding of the process.

Further in, you'll learn variations in page stitching and book cover design, You'll create thicker books with more elaborate covers and decorative bookmark ribbons. Finally, you'll learn how to bring new life to old books by repairing, cleaning, and reattaching pages. You can even replace a worn-out cover with a handcrafted new one. I can't wait to give some of my own tattered books a facelift! I highly recommend this inspiring, practical book.

My thanks to author Aimee Spillman, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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This book is really cool! I got it not because I have immediate plans on book restoration or binding but because I find the whole process fascinating (I was thoroughly dazzled by Inkheart's Mo as a child). I have only read the first couple chapters but they have helpful diagrams and clear instructions. I will say however that this really isn't a book to just read for fun (not that it claims to be!) as some things require multiple reads to fully understand what the instructions are requiring. This is something that I may pursue learning how to do but at minimum it is fascinating-- I am entranced by how book covers and endpapers are chosen and the different types of book bindings!

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This is a beatifullylaid out book, introducing people to the art of book binding. It starts with a little history, a very useful glossary and some sources of the materials you will require, then quickly moves to lots of projects for the reader to try book binding themselves.

The projects have lovely clear photos and take you from pamphlet binding through to upcyling and repairing your own books to related projects such as cards and christmas decorations.

There's definitely lots of ideas here and I particularly like the instructions on repairing books and making your own multisection notebook. I definitely reccomend this book as a good introduction to a craft we sadly don't hear much about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the ARC copy in return for an unbiased review.

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An interesting guide to bookbinding, though it assumes the reader both knows more and has more equipment than most casually interested readers might have. Long on inspiration and advanced ideas, short on good advice for beginners.

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This is a quick read, providing easy-to-follow instructions on how to bind pamphlets and books. Ample, lovely illustrations add a visual element. It's hard to read a guidebook, but the instructions are clear and well-written. As an archivist of 30 years, I'm not sure I would recommend this as DIY conservation treatment, but it's definitely a great resource for someone seeking to broaden their craft repertoire. Off to order supplies now. #BookbindingandHowtoBringOldBooksBacktoLife #NetGalley

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This book is a great intro to book binding techniques. It outlines tools needed, and has detailed instructions for various bookbinding techniques of different skill levels. Photos are included to help with instructions.

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I’ve always wondered how books were made. Bookbinding and How to Bring Old Books Back to Life explains it as a straightforward step-by-step process with both words and photographs. I prefer this clear and concise written explanation rather than watching an online video over and over. What amazed me most was how detailed the process is. It really is an art.

I haven’t made my own book yet. However, Bookbinding and How to Bring Old Books Back to Life makes me more confident about the possibility. I’ve already seen bookbinding kits sold on a massive online shopping website for less than $20. Even with papers, endpapers, covering material, and boards, the start-up cost is relatively low. It looks like it would be a creative hobby. It could produce holiday gifts for my friends, family and co-workers who journal too. Overall, 5 stars for anyone curious about bookbinding.

Thanks to White Owl Book and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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4 stars - It was really good

This book was a wonderful introduction to bookbinding and repairing old books. I did a workshop on bookbinding a few years ago so this book was a refresher for me for the basic binding. I thought the instructions were great and they seemed easy to follow. I do wish there had been more photographs of the steps, but this was an ARC so maybe the final will have more photos.

If you are interested in bookbinding I think this book is a great start. This hobby does require buying quite a few tools and materials though so it could get pricey depending on where you live and the quality of the materials you are buying.

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I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Bookbinding and How to Bring Old Books Back to Life is an amazing book with equally amazing photos and instructions on how to make your own book through book binding it and how to use different methods to do so. It also shows you how to repair old paperback copies you own that are dropping to bits with age.
This would be an amazing skill to have and try. I am going to give this a go at some point as it looks so amazing and so useful!

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A practical how-to guide for those of us who need to repair books, which is rapidly becoming a lost art.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love making my notebooks with a vintage style but sometimes it gets messy but thanks to this book I got some tips to do things better, also I loved the sections about upcycling old books and paper repairs., it's really helpful to know how to do this if you have books either new or old because we never know when an accident might occur. I loved the idea of decorations with a small made notebooks, I will make some for my room.

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Ich konnte es mir nicht anschauen oder lesen da es im Netgalley Reader nicht zu sehen ist und wahrscheinlich archiviert wurde

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This is a very helpful book on how to make your own books or repair ones you have. It has very detailed instructions and lots of photos to really teach you. There's even instructions on how to make an old paperback book into a hardcover. A great guide.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

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This is a wonderful little book, chock full of tips and instructions on how to bind your own books. Easily understood, with great instructions that are easy to follow, and also lavishly photographed.
Where I thought the book really shined, however, was in the section on paper repairs and cleaning. We all have those favorite books that, through many readings, have become soiled or damaged. Spillman gives some great instructions on how to repair and refresh them. I can foresee myself spending several evenings working on my old, favorite books!
I received a copy of this e-book from NetGalley, but upon it's release date I will be ordering several hard copies. One for myself, and several more for my reading friends for Christmas!

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