Jonathan Wantrup has written what will undoubtedly prove to be for many years to come the definitive work on collecting Australian rare books. He introduces the subject with an examination of the nature and methods of book collecting and an explanation of the essential technical aspects. In the six succeeding chapters he provides a wide-ranging survey of the major Australian books that chronicle our past, relating each to the historical context in which it was produced. The rarity and market value of each of these milestones is fully examined. The long awaited standard reference work on the subject, Australian Rare Books 1788-1900 also offers a unique perspective on Australian history. Every chapter of Jonathan Wantrup’s very readable volume testifies to the depth of his research and the breadth of his scholarship”. pp. 468