author
A. Edward (Alfred Edward) Newton
1864–1940
Best known as a warm and witty voice in the world of book collecting, he turned his lifelong love of rare books into essays that drew countless readers into the pleasures of reading. He balanced a successful business career with a reputation as one of America’s notable bibliophiles.
1 Audiobook
The Amenities of Book-Collecting and Kindred Affections
by A. Edward (Alfred Edward) Newton
About the author
Born in Philadelphia on August 26, 1864, Alfred Edward Newton became an American industrialist, author, and passionate book collector. Although his formal schooling was limited, he developed an early devotion to books and began collecting seriously in the 1880s.
Newton worked for decades in the electrical manufacturing business, but he was better known in literary circles for his essays on reading, collecting, and the life of books. His best-known work, Amenities of Book Collecting (1918), reached a wide audience and helped make the pleasures of bibliography feel welcoming rather than academic.
By the time of his death in 1940, Newton had assembled a major personal library focused largely on English and American literature. He is still remembered not only for the scale of his collection, but for the genial, enthusiastic way he wrote about books and the people who love them.