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Michael Vinson

Author of Bluffing Texas Style: The Arsons, Forgeries, and High-Stakes Poker Capers of Rare Book Dealer Johnny Jenkins

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Associated Works

Sunstone Issue 167 (Sunstone Magazine) (2012) — Contributor — 2 copies
Sunstone, March 2013, Issue 170 (2013) — Contributor — 2 copies
Utah Historical Quarterly, Vol. 53, No. 4 / Fall 1985 (1985) — Contributor — 2 copies
Sunstone - Issue 150, July 2008 (2008) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 151, October 2008 (2008) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 152, December 2008 (2008) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 157, December 2009 (2009) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 158, March 2010 (2010) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 159, June 2010 (2010) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 148, December 2007 (2007) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 162, March 2011 (2011) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 163, June 2011 (2011) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 164, October 2011 (2011) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 165, December 2011 (2011) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 168, September 2012 (2012) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 169, November 2012 (2012) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 149, April 2008 (2008) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 172, August 2013 (2013) — Contributor — 1 copy
Sunstone - Issue 161, December 2010 (2010) — Contributor — 1 copy

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Bluffing Texas Style by Vinson
Vinson gives us a glimpse into one of the most infamous rare book dealers of the 20th century: John Holmes Jenkins. Through interviews with people that knew him best, and available archival resources, the reader is entertained and enlightened about Jenkins, the golden age of Texana, and some of the stories from the rare book world of the 20th century.

Those stories and interviews make this book really stand out. Mr. Bryan, Dr. Tyler, Mr. MacDonnell, and Mr. Reese knew Jenkins well and were generous with their time and stories: giving us a glimpse into the most Texas of booksellers: Jenkins.

Heartily recommended for those interested in Texas history, rare books, and the book trade generally.… (more)
 
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jasonwdean | 3 other reviews | Dec 13, 2024 |
Bluffing Texas Style: The Arsons, Forgeries, and… by Michael Vinson
I am interested in rare books and in Texas history; I collect the former and teach the latter. I have some books printed by Jenkins, including the inestimably important Basic Texas Books, important as a reference bibliography for teaching and writing Texas history, and important as a reference bibliography for book collectors. The story of Jenkins shady dealings and his mysterious demise has already been handled ably, in short form, in the Texas Monthly magazine. Here, rare book dealer Michael Vinson digs deep in the archives, including Jenkins's own, and interviews all the living major characters who worked with, against, and alongside Jenkins to present an interesting, engaging biography of a character. My only quibbles is that I would like more precise, technical, and illustrated evidence of the forgeries he sold (for that, see the Texas Monthly and a book called TexFake; I wish there were more photographs overall; and I wish there was a bibliography of the works Jenkins wrote and Jenkins published (along, perhaps, with a list of things he is suspected of stealing or forged). But, overall, it's a neat book. Pages 29-32, offering proof that the twentysomething Jenkins was stealing things from the Texas State Archives already is a gut-punch, a shameful travesty, and a fine bit of archival work and writing on Vinson's part.… (more)
½
 
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tuckerresearch | 3 other reviews | Dec 13, 2023 |
Edward Eberstadt & Sons Rare booksellers of Western… by MIchael Vinson
Loaded with juicy details of the rare book business, stories of dealers, colleagues and competitors, and other characters. Anecdotes on important books and important collectors. Really a must for readers on books on books and dealers. Known for the sale of their inventory in 1975 to the infamous Texan,John Jenkins
 
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SamMelfi | Jun 1, 2023 |
Bluffing Texas Style: The Arsons, Forgeries, and… by Michael Vinson
As excellent a biography of Johnny Jenkins as we're likely to get, and much credit to Michael Vinson for writing it while many who knew Jenkins were still here to add their first-hand accounts. The third chapter, about Jenkins' role in the Union College Audubon thefts, hits home hard, as Union is my alma mater and I had the great privilege of spending a lot of time with those birds in Special Collections there. A highly readable and very well researched account of this biblio-character.
½
 
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JBD1 | 3 other reviews | Oct 25, 2020 |
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