{"title":"Books by Rick Gekoski","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781786893420","title":"A Long Island Story","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt is 1953, a heat wave is sweeping across America and the Grossmans - Ben, Addie and their two children -are moving their lives from the political heart of Washington DC to suburban Long Island. Benny was a successful lawyer in the Department of Justice, but all that has come tumbling down. With the McCarthy era of paranoia, persecution and propaganda at its height, his past has come back to haunt him, forcing him to pack up his family and leave the capital behind.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith their future uncertain, life in Long Island starts to open old wounds for Ben and Addie, both start to wonder if they were meant for more, whether their future might look different than they planned, and whether their marriage - their family - is worth fighting for . . .\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Long Island Story\u003c\/i\u003e is a portrait of a marriage in crisis, of a unique and fascinating period in US history and of a seemingly perfect family fighting their demons behind closed doors.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43205090050226,"sku":"9781786893420","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781786893420_69791d1e-a56f-4838-82f4-cac9af313988.jpg?v=1786025481"},{"product_id":"9781472133854","title":"Guarded by Dragons","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e Best Literary Non-fiction Books 2021 - 'a super yarn'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Rick Gekoski's encyclopaedic knowledge of rare books is matched only by the enthusiasm and brio with which he writes about them' Ian Rankin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Rick Gekoski has been traversing the rocky terrain of the rare book trade for over fifty years. The treasure he seeks is scarce, carefully buried and often jealously guarded, knowledge of its hiding place shared through word of mouth like the myths of old.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eGuarded by Dragons\u003c\/i\u003e, Gekoski invites readers into this enchanted world as he reflects on the gems he has unearthed throughout his career. He takes us back to where his love of collecting began - perusing D.H. Lawrence first editions in a slightly suspect Birmingham carpark. What follows are dizzying encounters with literary giants as Gekoski publishes William Golding, plays ping-pong with Salman Rushdie and lunches with Graham Greene. A brilliant stroke of luck sees Sylvia Plath's personal copy of \u003ci\u003eThe Great Gatsby \u003c\/i\u003efall into Gekoski's lap, only for him to discover the perils of upsetting a Poet Laureate when Ted Hughes demands its return.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hunting for literary treasure is not without its battles and Gekoski boldly breaks the cardinal rule never to engage in a lawsuit with someone much richer than yourself, while also guarding his bookshop from the most unlikely of thieves. The result is an unparalleled insight into an almost mythical world where priceless first editions of \u003ci\u003eUlysses \u003c\/i\u003ecan vanish, and billionaires will spend as much gold as it takes to own the manuscript of J.K. Rowling's \u003ci\u003eTales of Beedle the Bard\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Engaging, funny and shrewd, \u003ci\u003eGuarded by Dragons\u003c\/i\u003e is a fascinating discussion on value and worth. At the same time, Gekoski artfully reveals how a manuscript can tell a thousand stories.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57685773058421,"sku":"9781472133847","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56300416369013,"sku":"9781472133854","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472133847.jpg?v=1792598954"},{"product_id":"9781782119395","title":"Darke","description":"\u003cp\u003eDr James Darke has expelled himself from the world. He writes compulsively in his 'coming of old age' journal; he eats little, drinks and smokes a lot; he tries to console himself with the wisdom of the great thinkers and poets, yet finds nothing but disappointment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut cracks of light start to appear in his carefully managed darkness - the tender, bruised filaments of love for his daughter and grandson.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith scalding prose, ruthless intelligence and an unforgettably vivid protagonist, \u003ci\u003eDarke\u003c\/i\u003e confronts some of humanity's greatest and most uncomfortable questions about how we choose to live, and to die.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303420473717,"sku":"9781782119395","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781782119395_996bf28d-2f49-4ed3-aab8-44e98d14798e.jpg?v=1786025586"},{"product_id":"emily-the-girl-and-sudan-the-rhinoceros","title":"Emily the Girl and Sudan the Rhinoceros","description":"In this first work of children's fiction by acclaimed author Rick Gekoski, a young girl mourning the death of her grandmother is captured by a photo of Sudan, a northern white rhinoceros and the last of his species. With her grandfather she plans to visit the game reserve and meets with Sudan. A coming of age tale that is both a modern parable and a reflection on the author's own condition, this is a unique piece of fiction for children of all ages.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57536521273717,"sku":"9781806494507","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-rick-gekoski.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}