About this title: Each of these 13 profiles documents the hitherto lost personalities behind minor, once-famous (or infamous) achievements. Biographies of a 19th-century forger, the man responsible for the development of the Concord grape, an inventor of a language based on music, and many others are included. Some of the material collected here was initially published by McSweeney's magazine.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Like New. Hardcover w / dustjacket. First edition copy. Number line with "1". Like new; no internal markings; has lost its "Brand New" shine but no obvious defects. DJ like new; no priceclip; very mild edgewear. 92509. No remainder mark. In sealed plastic protection. 2001. Hardcover w / dustjacket. read more
Edition: First Edition, First Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Saint Martin's Press, LLC, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780312268862ISBN:0312268866
Description: Near Fine/Near Fine. 8vo-over 73/4"-93/4" tall 0312268866. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Picador
Date Published: 2001-05-11
ISBN-13:9780312268862ISBN:0312268866
Description: Very Good. HARDCOVER. Very Good Condition. Binding tight, pages clean. Light blunting to head and tail of spine. Dust Jacket has light edge-wear. Nice copy! read more
Edition: First Edition/First Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Picador
Date Published: 5/11/01
ISBN-13:9780312268862ISBN:0312268866
Description: Fine in Fine jacket. Very clean and tight; very faint spots to edges; Minor shelfwear to dust jacket. This is an excellent copy, appears unread. Suitable as a gift. "Paul Collins' Banvard's Folly is a book about "thirteen unforgettable portraits of forgotten people: men and women who might have claimed their share of renown but who, whether from ill timing, skullduggery, monomania, the tinge of madness, or plain bad luck-or perhaps some combination of them all-leapt straight from life into ... read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Picador
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780312268862ISBN:0312268866
Description: As New in As New dust jacket. 0312268866. As new first edition hardback in jacket, signed by Collins.; 1.02 x 8.52 x 5.77 Inches; 272 pages; The historical record crowns success. Those enshrined in its annals are men and women whose ideas, accomplishments, or personalities have dominated, endured, and most important of all, found champions. John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage, Giorgio Vasari's Lives of the Artists, and Samuel Johnson's Lives of the Poets are classic celebrations of the ... read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Picador USA, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780312268862ISBN:0312268866
Description: As New in As New jacket. Very clean and tight with white crisp pages. Illustrated with photos. No remainder mark. No writing or marks. Dust jacket not price-clipped. read more
Edition: 1st ptg.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Picador, New York
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780312268862ISBN:0312268866
Description: Book: Very Good. DJ: Very Good. 8vo. 286 pp. 5 3/4 x 8 1/2. Gray cloth covered boards, stamped in gold on spine. White glossy dj. read more
Edition: 1st Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Picador USA, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780312268862ISBN:0312268866
Description: Near Fine in Near Fine jacket. FIRST EDITION STATED COMPLETE NUMBER STRING. Book does not appear to have been read and still maintains it's "new book creak" when covers are opened. Cover has very minute fading to bottom edge on corner and spine area. Else fine. Dustjacket is fine with exception of some wear to top edge of spine. Book contains 16 pages of pictures of people and thing involved in" the tales. " Shipping includes ID tracking within U.S. read more
Edition: First edition.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Picador USA
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780312268862ISBN:0312268866
Description: New. No dust jacket as issued. Pristine condition unused and unmarked book. Glued binding. Paper over boards. 272 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Edition: First Edition, First Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Picador, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780312268862ISBN:0312268866
Description: Fine in Fine jacket. 0312268866 First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. Not ex-Library, no remainder marks, not price clipped. DJ protected with UV resistant, archival safe mylar wrap. Fine copy in Fine DJ. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Picador USA, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780312268862ISBN:0312268866
Description: Near Fine in Near Fine jacket. NF/NF. Hardcover, gray boards, DJ, 286 pp, b&w photos, light edgewear, otherwise a crisp, clean and tight copy. read more
"The gist of this book, if the title doesn't make it abundantly clear, is to present the stories of 13 extraordinary individuals who history has largely forgotten. These are stories of characters who were ahead of their time, tragically unlucky or simply unrecognized for being truly great figures.
Here is the story of the inventor of the Concord grape, the tale of a man who nearly built a pneumatic subway beneath Manhattan and a Shakespearean actor who was a laughingstock in his own day, but who would have fit in perfectly in modern day Hollywood.
Other than John Cleves Symmes (and that only because of Geraldine McCaughrean's wonderful novel The White Darkness) I hadn't heard of any of these folks who never quite made the mark on history that they hoped, but each of their stories is interesting. I love that Collins notes the dozens of rejections he received by people complaining that they had never heard of these historic figures, as if that wasn't the whole point of the book.
This is quirky, strange and wonderful history that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of Sarah Vowell, or who would just like to read about 13 people you probably don't know very much about."
"Hilarious. Not only that, some useful tips on how not to follow in the footsteps of creative failures. If I taught business school, this would be required reading. My favorite chapter involves a pneumatic subway station that was secretly built under City Hall."
"While doing research for a class one of the SFPL librarians mentioned that this book might be helpful. The title sounded familiar, but it wasn't until she brought over the book that the lightening hit: the author was Paul S. Collins. His book "Sixpence House" is wonderful (feel free to check my review), and in that book he actually mentions working on this book. How perfect that my schoolwork connected me to it!
Anyway, the book is great. Some of the stories are less interesting than others, but even so the writing is brilliant throughout. Bonus: one of the stories describes a specific location in San Francisco, and using Google Maps Street View you can actually see what he's talking about."
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