Excerpt

The paper is thick, with a texture almost of cloth, as it radiates the sense of a high quality object. The illustrations are color photos, black and white photos, and black and white prints of old manuscripts, copperplates, woodcuts and engravings. The book covers are rich burgundy cloth. On the front cover is one of the inside illustrations. The title on the spine is in gold. The book is 9.5 by 11 inches and has 264 pages. The dust jacket is in perfect condition, as is the book. The front of the dust jacket has a color picture and the back has a black and white picture. The title is in Latin, Ecclesia Militans. The authors are from Czechoslovakia, Dr. Anna Skybova and Dr. Miroslav Hroch. The book was originally written in German and printed in Leipzig in the German Democratic Republic, in 1988. The book is also in a slipcase, which helps to keep the book protected and in good condition. This book makes me a proud owner, and I haven't read the first word.

If you read Latin, then you already know the title, The Inquisition. The contents are more fascinating than the things described above. The sum total of the whole book is a magnificent reading experience in every way. The pages and illustrations exude richness, and as the reader touches the cloth cover simultaneously, the aura of the book contents and touch give the reader an overwhelming experience of total immersion and satisfaction.

Several days later I made my way over to Madison. The store interior was probably the oldest thing in it. Ninety percent of the main floor space was one large room, open up to the second floor ceiling. The creaky wooden stairs started from the middle of the room and ended at the left side. The second floor on three sides was about 5 feet wide, as there were bookshelves on both sides and made it difficult for 2 people to pass without 1 of them turning sideways. The back part of both floors was loosely partitioned or semi-open rooms.

The stores printed receipt states, Antiques Books Clocks Quilts Prints Baskets Paintings Collectibles and much more. That might be an understatement for the accumulation of good junk in there. As I was only interested in books I moved toward the first bookshelf I saw, but there were several books casually sitting around just about everywhere I looked. I systematically started to look at books wherever my eye wandered. I soon lost track of where my wandering body followed my wandering eye. In addition, the owners had placed antique tables and chairs, etc. in front of bookcases, making them hard to get close enough to read the generally dark lettering on the books. It was tough going in this obstacle course.

I got down on my hands and knees to read the bottom shelf, which is not all that bad, because that position places your eyes closer and more parallel to the lettering on the vertical spines. I happily found what I did not know what I was looking for, The English Philosophers from Bacon to Mill. This would be just the heavy reading that I think I might get around to, but realistically wont.

London has many bookstores, and one of the most prestigious is Maggs Brothers, 50 Berkeley Square, about half way between Hyde Park and Piccadilly Circus. In preparation for my wife's and my trip to London in June 2002, I purchased The Bookshops of London, by Matt Jackson and focused on the chapter, Antiquarian, which contained forty-three listings. I read through the descriptions and organized the possible stops by areas to ensure I did not walk by a good one.

Maggs Brothers was not open on Saturday and Sunday, but I hoped to go by and take a picture of the outside, to say I'd been there. I did not get there. But all is not lost, because you and I are going there now.

In today's world of computers and the Internet, it is possible to take a virtual tour of Maggs Brothers, so let's go. Log on to . Click on the Virtual Tour box, and that will put you on the ground floor at the entrance. Select one of the rooms available: Lobby, Military Room, Natural History Room, or the Autograph Nook. Hold the computer mouse clicker down and move it right or left. A download applet screen will come on to show the progress of the download, which is necessary to scan around the room. When it is complete, be patient, scan by holding the clicker down while moving right or left. Hold the Shift key down and move the arrow to zoom in. Hold the Ctrl and Alt keys down to zoom out.

You can now go to the first floor for the Landing, Travel Room, Modern Room, and the Stables Storeroom. In the Stables Storeroom note the bookcase at left center. The books are stacked vertically, horizontally, leaning, and crammed. Such beauty, as I wish it was in my house.
Move on to the second floor to visit the Continental Room, Early British Room, and the Books and Bindings Room. The basement has the Former Military Room and the Storeroom. The Storeroom is an absolute disappointment because it has ordinary metal stack-bookshelves. The ambiance of the shop was degraded by showing those shelves. That photo should be deleted from the website.

As many of the old businesses in London, it has an Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen [Victoria], who came to the throne in 1837. I am convinced that Maggs Brothers could hold my attention for a week. I dream of handling the leather covers and feeling their richness. There would be the wonderful musty smell pervading the rooms. Each book must be carefully opened to discover the publisher and date of publication. Tables of content need to be studied for overall perspective of the subject. The preface is absolutely critical to understanding the author's motivation to write the book. The introduction will provide an overview of the details within the book.