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The Madman's Guide to Stamp Collecting

By Robert Irwin
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Brief Description
Why do we collect? Is it to rescue objects from oblivion? Is it a kind of desire—or even a kind of madness? In this mosaic of fiction, philosophy, sociology, biography, and autobiography, virtuoso thinker Robert Irwin takes us on a wayward journey through the art of... Read More
Format: Hardback
$3999
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Why do we collect? Is it to rescue objects from oblivion? Is it a kind of desire—or even a kind of madness? In this mosaic of fiction, philosophy, sociology, biography, and autobiography, virtuoso thinker Robert Irwin takes us on a wayward journey through the art of collecting, and his own intellectual passions.

Drawing on the works of writers including Susan Sontag, Walter Benjamin, Iris Murdoch, and Georges Perec, as well as a host of lesser-known geniuses, flâneurs, obsessives, and eccentrics, Irwin explores everything from mysticism to nostalgia, classical antiquity to surrealism, dreams to death. We join Thomas De Quincey on a night mail coach, encounter the man who set out to acquire every stamp ever issued, and enter the badlands of fakes and forgeries, all in the company of a uniquely brilliant mind.

The Madman's Guide to Stamp Collecting is a book of wonders; of labyrinthine digressions, good humour, and a delight in small things. It is a meditation on the stuff of life.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781805337744

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 10 April 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: ONE

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 240

Collections

Arts & Culture Biography & Memoir Home & Garden Non-Fiction Robert Irwin

About the Author

Robert Irwin (1946-2024) was a novelist, publisher, reviewer, Arabist and historian. He was a fellow of The Royal Society of Literature and the author of ten novels, including The Arabian Nightmare, Satan Wants Me and Tom's Version, as well as many works of non-fiction including The Arabian Nights: A Companion and Memoirs of a Dervish.

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