A beginner's guide to sporting books
What to look for when a shelf needs more than decoration.
Good sporting books are bought for more than their spines. Check the plates, maps and illustrations, and make sure the binding is sound enough to read.
Names, inscriptions and bookplates can add quiet provenance. They are not always valuable, but they often make a copy more interesting.
The best shelves are a little mixed: field sports, natural history, maps and the odd book that has clearly been taken outside.
