Has Anyone Read "Lost Countries: Exotic Tales From An Old Stamp Album"?

I just finished reading "Postal Propaganda of the Third Reich". This book was an easy and informative read, I finished it in just a few days. Amazing history of the Nazis and the postal service. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn more about the German postal system during WW II.

Anyway, Im looking for another book to read and came across "Lost Countries: Tales from an Old Stamp Album".
Has anyone read it and would you recommend reading it? Maybe a quick review would be helpful.

How about another book you could recommend?

JoanneG

Two books about stamps that I find enjoyable and useful are Mackay,J. The Guinness book of Stamp facts and feats, ISBN 0-85112-241-8. and Hornung, O. illustrated encyclopedia of stamp collecting. ISBN 0-600-01797-4. Neither book is in print and they are a little bit out of date but they are enjoyable to browse and pick through and also a useful source of information. The latter book has the best explanation I have found of different perforation types how they are made and how to recognize them. I mainly collect British stamps but I value both these books.

I have not heard of Lost Countries, but two that I can recommend highly are: The Wild Side; Philatelic Mischief, Murder and Intrigue by Stephen R Datz (he's written several of these non-technical books about the stamp trade) and The Error World by Simon Garfield. Both are very enjoyable reads.

Lost Countries is unknown to me also. Sounds interesting.

There is Fabulous Stamps by John Nicklin, a small hardbound book from the 1930s, reprinted a couple of times. It tells the stories of historic finds of philately's rare stamps. It probably launched thousands of trips to attics and basements with every printing. It's common enough and I wouldn't pay more than $20 for a used one in decent shape, but your mileage may vary if you want book collector quality.

There is also Letters of Gold by Jesse Coburn (1984), a large format 389 page hardbound book. It's the historical account (more than being a pure reference) of California mails including express mails and the connections to the East, generally covering the 1850s to the 1860s. It's extensively illustrated, loaded with cover images. A decent used copy should run $25-30 plus shipping.

Big fan of Datz also here...

Besides The Wild Side

I highly recommend

On the Road

Also, along the same lines, Pat Herst's Nassau Street
is a classic that I never get tired of reading.

John

Lost Countries is a nice little read, enjoyed it.

Thank you everyone for posting some intriguing books to read. I've found each one on Amazon and saved them to my wish list. Im not sure which to read first but I think it is going to be Lost Countries. The Wild Side sounds good too.

JoanneG

I ordered "The Wild Side" and "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Stamp Collecting" from Amazon. I'm going to order the other ones when I finish these two. Im looking forward to reading them.

JoanneG

Got "The Wild Side" today in the mail and started to read it. Very entertaining I must say.

Paper Ambassadors (Dennis Altman)is another worth reading. The author is a social scientist so brings an academic perspective to the book.

This thread inspired me to look for my Datz books (and Nassau Street by Pat Herst) and alas, I misplaced all three! I must have given them away, or they didn't make the final return move from overseas about 13 years ago.

Prices to replace on Amazon were too steep for this frugal philatelist. I was able to find The Wild Side and On The Road (Datz) used on ebay for <$10 each delivered - used, of course. Nassau Street was another matter entirely. This book has many different printings (was it 8 all together?!) and it is about $40 on Amazon, and pretty steep on ebay, too. I'm still looking for that replacement...

Missing Nassau Street hurts the most, because I've read it so many times!

I need to keep these favorite books together in a secure location!

John

Sounds like Nassau Street would be a good read.

Im about half way through The Wild Side and I have found it enjoyable to read. Its a collection of short stories with stamps as the focal point. I recommend this book if you are looking for something entertaining.

I just got The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Stamp Collecting. I flipped through it and there seems to be allot of historical information along with some how to sections.When Im finished with The Wild Side I will be reading it next.

JoanneG

abebooks has multiple copies of Nassau Street.

Thanks, angore. I'm looking for a later printing...
Definitely a place to bookmark, though.

John

Finished reading The Wild Side today. I enjoyed it immensely.

If anyone wants to read it, just shoot me an email.

JoanneG

Joanne -

Care to share your favorite Chapter from The Wild Side?
Mine is "Fast Eddie."

Datz is an excellent writer, with well-crafted scenarios. I can "see" what he is writing about, as it unfolds...

John