About this title: The arcanum--the recipe to make gold--was mankind's legendary quest since the Age of Reason. By the early 18th century, however, porcelain began to rival gold in value. Gleeson recounts the true story of Johann Friedrich Bottger, an alchemist, who, at the cost of his own life, discovered how to make porcelain and changed the course of history.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Warner Books
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780446524995ISBN:0446524999
Description: A wonderful copy with some minor edgewear to the cover. Dust Jacket has some edgewear present. A former library book with the usual identifiers in a protective glossy dust jacket covering. -, Hard Cover, Very Good / Very Good. read more
Description: Fine. 0446524999 This is a beautiful, like-new hardback book! FIRST PRINTING! ! ! FULL NUMBER LINE is 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Crisp, clean pages and a super tight spine! ! The dust jacket is in excellent condition, too--a little wrinkling of inside cover flap--nothing major! No writing, highlighting, nothing! ! ! Close to looking like it could be on the shelf of a new bookstore! SMOKE FREE HOME! Do not settle for worn, torn, throwaways. Pay a few pennies more for a beautiful near new copy! ! ! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Date Published: 2000-01-15
ISBN-13:9780446674843ISBN:0446674842
Description: Good. Cover shows some wear or creases. Pages yellowed/tanned. No highlighting or underlining. Remainder mark on bottom page edge. Unforgettable and true! read more
Edition: First edition.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Warner Books
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780446524995ISBN:0446524999
Description: Fine in fine dust jacket. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 324 p. Audience: General/trade. Book is in excellent condition. Cover and pages are clean, binding is tight. We ship daily, Satisfaction Guaranteed. read more
Edition: First US Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Warner Books
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780446524995ISBN:0446524999
Description: Very Good in Very Good dust jacket. Owner name. Cover has very minor edge wear especially to spine ends. Back flap of dustjacket lightly creased.; Small 8vo 7½"-8" tall; 324 pages. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: New York, NY, U.S.A. : Warner Books, Incorporated, 1999
Description: ISBN: 0446524999, Hardback, 1st edition, Near Fine in a Near Fine DJ; remainder mark to bottom edge of page block, trace of shelfwear to bottom edge of book spine, the true story of a young alchemist who was imprisoned while he was to find the Arcanum or formula for turning base metals into gold and who instead found the secret of making translucent porcelains and ceramics which rivaled those made in China, 8vo., 324 pages., read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Warner Books
Date Published: 1999-02
ISBN-13:9780446524995ISBN:0446524999
Description: Very Good. Very Good/Good + Condition. Binding tight, pages clean. Small closed tear to upper right corner of Dust Jacket. Remainder mark on bottom of pages. Lovely copy, all told! read more
"This book had received rave reviews on a blog site discussing top non-fiction reads. Sadly, I can't return the favor. I found myself skimming too often to retain the events/facts of the story. Although touted by the blogger "reads like a novel" the writing style wasn't one I found appealing--the style was a little too "educational British" for me which is not my taste at all. I also felt the author spent too much time on one area and then would skip over things that really needed details or clarification. I gave it the 100+ page try and then abandoned it."
"This is truly an extraordinary story. It has everything, greed, suspense, rags to riches and it is all true. The best way to learn history, even if you are not a fan of Meissen Porcelain."
"This is the history of porcelain in the West which resulted in Meissen art porcelain . It's a real page turner (believe it or not!) replete with mystery, suspense, industrial espionage, poisonings, etc."
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