It is said that collecting is an incurable disease, if rarely fatal. Collectors are usually eccentric characters; one of my friends has a house filled with around 40 old pianos and harpsichords as well as 3 pipe organs! This engaging book profiles many of the significant collectors active in the second half of the last century.

James Stourton gives brief overviews of the collectors; where possible he has met the people under discussion. His pen portraits are filled with interesting facts about their collecting habits and eccentricities. Some of the personalites are renowned eg Robert Lehman, Pierre Rosenberg and Peter Ludwig. Others will be unfamiliar to the general reader. Art and books are the main items accumulated.

I have found this easy to read volume endlessly fascinating and have learned a lot from Stourton's writing. I even based a visit to Switzerland on the collectors mentioned in that section. The well reproduced photographs are an additional bonus.

Excellent, if expensive, volume. The first survey of collectors and collecting since the early 60's. Well illustrated. Mostly on art collecting.

Written by a senior staff member of Sotheby's, this book offers an interesting overlook on the collections and personalities of some of the most important art collectors of our time. The text itself is a collection of short pieces on each collector, describing the building and the highlights of their collection (which can be African art, Islamic art, modern paintings, rare books, old masters, contemporary art, etc). You will not find any real scoop here, since, but for a few exceptions, most of the people and collections described are already well-known , but it is still a book that is pleasant to read and full of good-quality illustrations of seldom reproduced works.

This is a truly magnificent book, very well written, very complete. The text is scholarly and straight forward, with many answered questions about this club of great collectors. While the events of theirs lifes are vividly told, the text also explains and illuminates each personality through interesting analyses. The author tends to be factual and does not speculate much. If you want to be as much entertained as educated on this great collectors buy this fantastic book. This is no ordinary art book. You will treasure it and be proud to show it to friends. Simply 5 stars!

Will be enjoyed by those interested in the most significant collectors of great art since the end of World War II and the role each played in preserving various treasures of the world's culture.

By its nature this is a quick survey work, with short articles on each collector, along with nice photographs of important pieces within their separate collections. Each individual survey spans the time from when and how the collector started; to the collection's ultimate breadth and setting; to how it was eventually dispersed (usually to a museum or two) at death or other final point--unless the collector is still alive and still in possession.

My favorite collector in the book: The Canadian embassy worker in the Soviet Union, Mr. George Costakis.

For those really interested, you can find more detailed books on a number of these collectors, such as "Memories of a Collector" by Giusppe Panza.

James Stourton is a highly informed and interesting art expert, although certainly given to focusing on the positive about each of his selected collectors and their collections.