Margaret Leslie Davis is a graduate of Georgetown University and earned her master's in professional writing at the University of Southern California. Her award-winning books have been featured on Good Morning America, and in the London Sunday Times and Vanity Fair. She has appeared on C-SPAN Book TV and the History Channel's Modern Marvels as well as on the Discovery Channel and A&E's Biography. An experienced and sought-after public speaker, she has delivered addresses at many prestigious forums, including the New York Public Library, the White House Historical Association, and the National Gallery of Art.
“A lively tale of historical innovation, the thrill of the
bibliophile’s hunt, greed and betrayal.”—The New York Times Book
Review
Finalist for the Marfield Prize/National Award for Arts
Writing
Amazon Editor's Pick for Best Nonfiction
"The remarkable tale of 'Number 45,' one of the finest copies of
the Gutenberg Bible in existence… Davis does a fine job telling a
fascinating story that touches on the origin of books, the passion
of collectors, the unseen world of rare-book dealers, and the lives
of the super-rich, past and present. A great read for any book
lover.”—Kirkus (starred review)
“An addictive and engaging look at the ‘competitive, catty and
slightly angst-ridden’ heart of the world of book collecting…. The
Lost Gutenberg reads like a comedy of manners starring the cast of
an Ayn Rand novel…. It’s improbable and riveting.”—Houston
Chronicle
“A gripping, well-researched account of the importance of books as
cultural artifacts and of one particular work that transformed the
world, as well as the lives of those who owned a copy, that will
appeal especially to bibliophiles.”—Library Journal
“The depth of Davis' research cannot be understated. The writing in
this book is straightforward and, at times, even heartbreaking, but
outstanding reporting lies at its core.... The Lost
Gutenberg pulls readers into a five-century saga, plunging
them into the minds of those who desired the Bible and the prestige
that came with it. This makes it a book about not only Number 45
and its owners but also a narrative that explores our collective
obsession with art, technology, change, and history.”—NPR
"A fascinating read for anyone who cares about books."—Star
Tribune
"An entertaining and insightful human story of obsession."—Daily
Telegraph
"A thrilling page-turner."—Daily Mail
“The Lost Gutenberg has two protagonists: a singularly beautiful
copy of the Gutenberg Bible—known as #45—and the California heiress
who emerged from scandal to chase it. Along the way, Davis takes in
the larger-than-life stories of the aristocrats, libertines,
billionaires, and bibliomaniacs who all competed to own this unique
piece of literary history. A fascinating exploration of the
shifting value we place on rare books, and the shifting wealth and
power of those who hunt them.”—Michael Blanding, New York Times
bestselling author of The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an
Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless
Maps
“Bibliophiles love books, and none more than the book collector’s
dream of dreams, a Gutenberg Bible. Davis tells not just with skill
but also with sympathy and even love. A richly informative but
finally a deeply moving story.”—Jack Miles, Pulitzer Prize-winning
author of God: A Biography
“The great protagonist is the book itself, the beautifully
preserved Gutenberg 45, its immortality assured through, of all
things, a cyclotron scanning its pages, analyzing its ink and
paper, as it entered the digital age. The Lost Gutenberg is a
spellbinding read, and Margaret Leslie Davis is a damn good
storyteller.”—Noël Riley Fitch, author of Sylvia Beach: Une
américaine à Paris
"Margaret Leslie Davis’s The Lost Gutenberg is a fascinating and
apt successor to her Mona Lisa in Camelot, for the Gutenberg Bible
is to the book arts what the Mona Lisa is to painting—a Holy Grail
and epitome of the art it embodies. Davis writes of the succession
of owners of a particular copy of Gutenberg’s masterpiece, number
45. She gives a haunting and at times heartbreaking account of the
way a material object can acquire a mystical resonance and affect
different people and lives across centuries."—Victoria Steele,
former Brooke Russell Astor Director of Collections, New York
Public Library
“This wonderful, elegant story, which reads like a thriller, will
delight anyone who loves books, collecting, history, and biography.
The Gutenberg Bible was the object of admiration, greed, and
speculation, but also of brilliant scientific discoveries.
Populated by remarkable and quirky individuals, their passions and
tragedies, this superbly researched historical gem is a veritable
page-turner.”—Diana Kormos Buchwald, Director and General Editor,
Einstein Papers Project, The Collected Papers of Albert
Einstein, Professor of History, Caltech
“Margaret Leslie Davis has done it again—unearthed fresh
information about a cultural icon and turned it into a compelling
story that reveals human nature while illuminating a slice of
history. In this case her subject is the Gutenberg Bible or, to be
more precise, Number 45 of the 48 existing copies of the book. The
larger story digs into 500 years of book-collecting and all the
love, lust, and drama that can afflict proud possessors.”—Suzanne
Muchnic, author of Odd Man In: Norton Simon and the Pursuit of
Culture and LACMA So Far: A Portrait of a Museum in the Making;
former art reporter and art critic, Los Angeles
Times
“The fascinating story of how one Gutenberg Bible traveled through
two centuries and how one woman, the legendary Los Angeles book
collector Estelle Doheny, pursued, purchased, and cherished it.
This tale, written for both ardent bibliophiles and those seeking
an engaging historical narrative, includes a sad episode of
betrayal, exciting nuclear discoveries, and the arrival of
Gutenberg into the digital age.”—Alan Jutzi, former Avery Curator
of Rare Books, Henry E. Huntington Library
"Davis records the history of this book with enthusiasm and
attention to detail."—History Today
"Fascinating.... An engaging analysis of bibliomania which also
throws light on commercial and investment history in Britain and
America."—Church Times
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