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David Eddy
A sojourner between tech world practicalities and the oases of literature: captivated by the pursuit of new authors; entranced by the plot lines of Le Carré; humbled by the greatness of Churchill and inspired by the limitless wisdom of P. G. Wodehouse.

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Henry Wade's Halcyon: Past Fly Fishing With an Eye to the Future

By David Eddy. Oct 22, 2015. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Rare Books, Fishing

“There are but few which it has fallen to our lot to read that we could recommend to our readers so sincerely or with so much pleasure.”
Spectator, February 8, 1861.

On that welcoming note, Halcyon; Or Rod-fishing with Fly, Minnow and Worm to which is added a Short and Easy Method of Dressing Flies, with a Description of the Materials Used by Henry Wade, entered the literary world.  

     
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Fly Fishing Chalk Stream Rivers with Sir Edward Grey

By David Eddy. Jul 9, 2015. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Fishing, Modern First Editions

First published in April of 1899, Fly Fishing by Sir Edward Grey embodies the qualities that make first editions in angling literature such attractive collectibles. Written in a warm and intimate style, this book is an engaging and thoroughly delightful piece of literature which effortlessly throws down a sturdy bridge between Grey’s world and ours.

     
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Saltwater Fly Fishing: Fresh Takes on an Ancient Sport

By David Eddy. Jun 13, 2015. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Fishing

Fly fishing is an ancient sport. One of its first mentions was made by Claudius Aelainus in the second century as he described fishermen on the Astraeous River: "They fasten red wool..round a hook, and fit on to the wool two feathers which grow under a cock's wattles...the fish, attracted and maddened by the color, comes straight at it.." In Fly Fishing in Salt Water, Lefty Kreh takes a detailed and engaging look at how this ancient sport can be adapted to the challenges of the ocean. The book is self-described as the saltwater fly fisherman's bible and his treatment of the subject does not disappoint. 

     
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Heinrich Bӧll: Nobel Prize Winner and D-Day Adversary

By David Eddy. Jun 2, 2015. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Nobel Prize Winners, History

As another anniversary of the 1944 allied landing at Normandy takes place this June, thousands of participants will trod the roads and fields once defended by Hitler’s Wehrmacht. One of the members of Wehrmacht was Heinrich Bӧll, a devout Catholic from Cologne and an eventual Nobel Prize in Literature winner in 1972.

     
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Winston Churchill: A History Twenty Years in the Making

By David Eddy. Feb 27, 2015. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Literature, Nobel Prize Winners, History

The evening was getting on and the clock was closing in on ten as the old man bid good night to his guests. Walking slowly through the hallways of his rambling country house, he paused for a moment at the bottom of the back staircase to clear his head from the lingering after-dinner drinks.

The narrow stairs that loomed before him had posed no challenge when he’d purchased the house years earlier. Then, he’d been an unimaginably young forty-eight. Now he was a far less sprightly sixty-three.

     
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Fly-fishing 101: Seriously, Can You Outsmart a Trout?

By David Eddy. Feb 15, 2015. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Fishing

The sport of fishing in America has long endured, despite what some people intuitively assume by early adulthood: that the term “fishing activity” is an oxymoron. For those folks, it’s a wet, messy, endeavor starting early in the morning and resulting in either nothing to show for one’s efforts or, from time to time, cold, clammy creatures that must be gutted and cleaned. But, for those who can see the art and science in the act of fishing, and who can learn to appreciate the workings of chance present on any given fishing escapade, the sport is actually quite riveting.

     
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Four Life Lessons from Winston Churchill

By David Eddy. Nov 29, 2014. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Legendary Authors, History

This week we honor the life and genius of Winston Churchill. We do so knowing our honorifics pale beside those of former President Gerald R. Ford, given in London during 1983 to the English-Speaking Union. That address, captured for posterity in a first edition signed by President Ford, represents a historical intersection of two pivotal political figures: Churchill – who preserved the British nation; Ford – who stabilized and reinvigorated the Presidency after the Nixon resignation.

After striding as a Colossus through the British political landscape, Churchill is somewhat reduced in stature for many millennials. In 2010, a Royal Mint survey revealed 44 percent of British subjects aged 16-24 failed to recognize his picture. So it seems appropriate to seize the moment and remind people what a singular and larger-than-life existence Churchill led. For example:

     
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How can I identify a first edition? Where do I learn about caring for books? How should I start collecting? Hear from librarians about amazing collections, learn about historic bindings or printing techniques, get to know other collectors. Whether you are just starting or looking for expert advice, chances are, you'll find something of interest on blogis librorum.

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