Bibliotheca Gastronomica; a catalogue of books and documents on gastronomy; the production, taxation, distribution and consumption of food and drink, their use and abuse in all times and among all peoples

Wine and Food Society, London, first edition, 1953. Limited edition of 750 numbered copies. Cloth, top edge gilt, small 4to,. [8], 196, [1] pp. From Gabler: "This is not a bibliography in the true sense of the word, but a catalog of Mr. Simon's personal library. 'A Catalogue of some of the books which have given me considerable pleasure to collect in the course of the past half-century. .. ' There are 1,644 titles, many of which are annotated. "The entries contain valuable information on the authors and the contents of the books; numerous quotations from the works included are given. Excellent subject-index divided under 51 headings. From a contemporary review: "In order that the catalogue should be a readable book, and not merely a string of titles and bibliographical data, all attempts at elaborate collation have been avoided. ...Another feature which makes for pleasant reading is the number of quotations from the works themselves, and notes on them by the compiler. Take, for instance, Saint Ambrose's Liber de Helia et Jejunio (1499), concerning which M. Simon comments: 'An interesting treatise dealing with drunkenness, abstinence and fasting. The most startling argument in favour of fasting is that, by fasting in the lions' den, Daniel gave the lions such a good example that they, too, fasted.' And the advice of Dr Venner in his Vita Recta ad Vitam Longam (1622), in which the learned doctor recommends his readers to drink wine ('ad hilaritatem' or, as M. Simon puts it, 'up to the merry stage'... There are, incidentally, forty-three books in the library dating from the fifteenth century, though it must be admitted that the majority of these deal more with the moral aspects of excessive conviviality than with the art of good living..The value of Bibliotheca Gastronomica is greatly enhanced by the very full system of cross-indexes, occupying forty pages, which enable the student to look up any book or any subject with a minimum of effort. The illustrations are very carefully chosen to illustrate some of the more interesting title-pages. Covers a little rubbed, minor wear at extremities, a few marks to fore-edge of textblock and small tear to fore-edge of title-page, otherwise Good.