Interesting that you should ask that. I gave away as a present to someone a book dating back to around 1880. Wasn't easy letting that go. It was one of my favorites. I believe the oldest I still have in my possession dates back to around 1810 but I may have one that's older. Randy, you have just reminded me I need to take inventory. I admit I have trouble with books. I really love them and I collect old ones.
A collection of old books Harry?!! What an authentically wonderful idea :) I love books too and have a wide variety in various shapes, sizes, and ages; however, I'm pretty darn sure I don't have any that old. That is very cool. Two thumbs up :) :)
I think Randy D should step up to the Answer's choice box and put yours as "FIRST Oldes, Funnest, and Wisest" of all! I don't know what has become of my writing these days. Just between you and me, I seem to have forgotten my verb usages. Good Lord, what else can they take away. Don't answer that ;)
I have a ninth edition of the "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics" It dates back to 1922, making it 95 years old. Its periodic table of the elements looks like an updated version of Mendeleev's original.
A copy of Enid Blyton's The Enchated Wood, the original one befire the PC police sanitised it. This edition was published in 1947, my mother taught me to read from it and I taught my daughter from the same book.
I still have a book called " Flowers in the Attic" that I'm pretty sure I read in grade six-ish or seven-ish. I loved that book so I kept it. So what ever 30 somethingish take away grade six-ish is then. I don't do math :) also I have a bible that is old as faaak ( more than a hundred years) has been in my family for years. I probably shouldn't have called it old as faaak. Cos it's a bible. I'm just gonna shut up now.
If my memory serves me correctly, that book scared the sh*t out of me. I started to read it and never finished. Didn't they make a movie out of it too? Scary. I can remember the paperback cover. It was kind of greyish with a picture of a gaunt girl in a whiteish dress kind of on the lower right side. There was a set of stairs kind of behind her? Is that the one?
I have some books from the late 19th century that I've bought at used book stores. Some of them were a bit expensive. I'm not sure what is oldest, though.
Harry 