If you have any doubts about buying one of my publications, see my eBay Feedback or read the following comments from buyers and readers.
I have found your books an invaluable aid to my collecting and through your books my knowledge has grown and I can now spot fabulousness at 100 yards!
Michael, London
About Beránek & Skrdlovice: Legends of Czech Glass
I absolutely love it! Thank you and Jindřich for telling the audiences around the world the fascinating story of the Czechoslovakian glass and, in particular, the very detailed survey of the Škrdlovice glassworks. Thank you also for the wonderful chapter about my father. He would have appreciated all your hard work and thorough research into the topic.
Ida Víznerova, daughter of Frantisek Vízner, one of the greatest Czech glass designers – frantisekvizner.com
Very pleasing layout, well-written, beautiful photos. You…have done a great job. Because of the book, I’ve been taking a closer look at the pieces in my collection, viewing them more critically, but with new appreciation and understanding. I’m re-discovering the glass on my shelves! It really is a wonderful book and well worth the wait and the money.
Anik, Czech Republic
Great book and a delight from cover to cover!
Kobus, South Africa
Your book enabled me to spot a real bargain by Jaroslav Svoboda at a glass fair – within ten minutes of walking in! Your book had paid for itself before the ink of your signature had dried on the title page!
Alan Ferguson, UK
About The Canny Collector
Your latest publication is adorable, and unique in the sense that you have used Simon Watson’s charming drawings instead of the usual glossy images which makes it more of a collectors’ objet in its own right really. Your collation of the information is superb and you have not forgotten a single person in your (extremely) “Useful Contacts” section at the back… Although quite erudite in subject matter you have maintained a humorous note. I love the quotes from famous collectors running through it. There is a serious amount of information in this book, it is a compendium in the true sense of the word.
Gail McLeod, Antiques News & Fairs
A handy and amusing guide to newly identified phenomena and other useful information…The Canny Collector is a good-looking book of hints, opinions and other snippets for the uninitiated collector. This is the sort of book that you can dip in and out of…This is a far from heavy academic tome. It is for the layman, light-hearted and palatable in tone, peppered with quotes…a personal favourite section is that on collector types; as Mark points out, a collection says a lot about how a person sees themselves and how they want to be seen by others. He picks out types that we’ll all recognise…more interestingly he also identifies a couple of generational phenomena.
Anna Brady, The Antiques Trade Gazette
I have already finished The Canny Collector. It’s a great read and the illustrations are lovely. It’s a very long time since I read a whole book in one go!
Clare, Oxfordshire
My favorite book this fall is Mark Hill’s latest tome – The Canny Collector. If antiques celeb Mark isn’t yet on your radar you’re missing out. In addition to simply being an all around good guy and one of the nicest members of the trade, he is also positively brilliant….so do what we do Chez Diva and curl up this winter with Mark’s riveting tales on collecting – diva style! Happy reading!
Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva
The Canny Collector is a compendium of knowledge, advice and facts. It’s so appealing…with its checkerboard cover and quirky illustrations, the latter being an unexpected joy. This book is jam packed with original wonderful line drawings which bring it alive and are a stroke of pure genius as they lift this book up from the level of antiques compendium to the genre of collectable art book. Mark’s engaging and informal writing writing style allows the reader to drift through the different sections, absorbing data along the way. Although quite erudite in subject matter he has maintained a humorous note. I was planning to leave this book in the car to read on those spare moments us dealers always get, whether waiting on an auction lot or a seller to turn up for an appointment, but as soon as I picked it up it became lodged in my hands and I didn’t put it down until I had consumed it!
George Johnson, Lady Kentmores on Antiques News & Fairs
About Alla Moda: Italian Ceramics of the 1950s-70s
...it is really an excellent work and I’ll surely hold it in due consideration in my next studies. I congratulate you once again…
Emanuele Gaudenzi, top Italian 20thC ceramics expert, and author of 11 books on the area
I love your book and it will be a huge pleasure to have more than the single copy we have in our archives.
Guido Bitossi, Bitossi Ceramiche, Montelupo Fiorentino, Italy.
Mark Hill’s…new book ‘Alla Moda’ takes us on a trip through a golden age of Italian ceramics like no other book ever has. So it’s no wonder that this book has received a great reception from the trade, when I told Fat Lava expert Kevin James Graham that I was going to review it he responded: “It is brilliant George, simply brilliant”…. This book will open the world of late 20th century Italian ceramics to a whole new set of collectors and dealers alike… Elegantly written and very easy to navigate, I found myself fascinated by the range of companies and styles of ceramics it contains, but I also see this as becoming a research tool and joining a small but well-used collection of books amidst my large collection that have their spines broken and covers damaged from their continued use in researching items… The marks and labels section at the back of the book will have many collectors checking the bases of their pots… If you buy one more book this year to help you spot a bargain, I would make it this one.
George Johnson, expert co-presenter of Channel 4’s Secret Removers and owner of Lady Kentmores, writing for Antiques News & Fairs.
Many thanks for the book, what a truly fabulous and well-researched thing! Well done!
Iain Brunt, Founder & Chairman of antiques.co.uk
About Caithness Glass: Loch Heather & Peat
Mark Hill has done the design world a valuable service in recording the history of Caithness Glass and the intriguing if hitherto mysterious figure behind this pioneering firm, Domhnall ÓBroin… The best designs date from 1960-66 when ÓBroin was in charge; they stand out a mile. …Hill focuses on the ÓBroin era, although, because the book is aimed at collectors, he documents the firm’s later history and output as well. The text is clear and informative… [any] quibbles are far outweighed by the value of bringing to light hitherto unrecorded facts about ÓBroin’s career and the formative years of Caithness Glass. Studio glassmakers have a lot to learn from this story…
Lesley Jackson, Design Historian, Curator & Author, The Crafts Council’s ‘Crafts‘ magazine, July/August 2011
It was a real pleasure to read Loch, Heather & Peat from cover to cover… It is the ultimate book for Caithness Glass lovers and collectors… Mark’s meticulous research included interviews with key people associated with the company including early factory workers. He was able to correctly identify the various designers over the history of Caithness Glass… The book has amazing colour photographs by leading glass photographer Graham Rae that really show the evolution of the glass and the company…and will make people want to buy and collect this beautiful glass. The book is well organized into various sections so that collectors can easily to find what they are looking for… understand what they have and when it was produced.
Emer ÓBroin, daughter of Domhnall ÓBroin, the co-founder of, and first designer for, Caithness Glass. Taken from a book review for The Glass Cone, published by The Glass Association.
Thank you for all the time and work you’ve obviously poured into Loch, Heather & Peat, which arrived in the post today and looks fantastic. The book is an excellent record and overview of so much work…
Gordon Hendry, Caithness Glass designer, engraver, and sandblast artist, 1975-2007
This is a fine wee book, which I will keep with pride in my collection… Well done, I think that you have done a great job… I think it is really good, plenty of info, brilliant pics.
Alastair MacIntosh, Caithness Glass maker, technician and designer, 1987-2003
It’s a very impressive production…the photography is really first class. Graham Cooley’s exhibition and your excellent book are very impressive memorials to the history of the company. Many congratulations…
Dr Alistair Mair, Managing Director & Chairman, Caithness Glass, 1971-2002
About Fat Lava: West German Ceramics of the 1960s & 70s…
‘Fab’, I think, is the correct vernacular!
David, Birmingham
This copy of your book is for my sister. I got a copy 11 months ago and now have 110 pieces of “Fat Lava”!
Ernie, Ohio
Just a quick note in appreciation of this GORGEOUS reference book. The photos & information are a great resource for a novice collector such as my self, I even laminated the price guide!
Kym, Australia
It’s a lovely production…it will be a great guide to my collecting.
Don, Canada
Congratulations on producing such an excellent book!
Gillian, Surrey
It’s absolutely brilliant and is already much thumbed – and totally indispensable!
Pip, Pips-Trip, London
Thank you for your fantastic effort with FAT LAVA book. It has helped me identify some of my unknown vases. The quality of the text and the images is superb.
Allan, Australia
The book is a treat – very informative, well designed and superbly photographed.
Holly, Canada
The book has made me feel a certain urgency to snap up all the West German pottery I encounter. To the detriment of my wallet, living space and husband. I’m blaming it all on Fat Lava.
Ellen, New York
What a fabulous book, there are a few good investments that I have made this year, and I must say that this is most definitely in the top five. There is not a week goes by with out me picking it up as a reference guide.
George, RetroLoveDeluxe, UK
About Michael Harris, Mdina Glass & Isle of Wight Studio Glass…
For me this is 160 pages of pure joy…having collected Mdina and Isle of Wight Studio Glass for a number of years, I had lots of unanswered questions which are all now put to rest… The 250 full colour photographs are everything that the glass deserves….and for the collector there are lots of factory/shop colour photographs, company advertisements, and promotional shots. For the first time, this book outlines the Harris’ original Mdina designs and shapes and separates them from later Mdina interpretations. The section on marks, signatures and labels also provides invaluable information for dating. More power to the Hill elbow!
Excerpts from a book review written by Dr Graham Cooley that appeared in the Glass Cone, the quarterly publication of the UK’s national Glass Association.
Congratulations on a fantastic book. You have truly created the bible on Michael Harris plus a lot more.
Joe, Glasgow
I have had a chance to read the IOW book and just wanted to congratulate you on a very interesting and informative book.
Robin, Isle of Man
Just a note to say how impressed we are with your IOW book. It is so comprehensive, and just what serious collectors have needed for a long time. Many thanks.
Jean & David, England
The book arrived today and it far exceeded my expectations. The plates are gorgeous, and the text is wonderful! Thank you so much for including the price list too. Altogether, a stellar transaction, for which I thank you sincerely!
Pamela, Illinois
Just a little note to say how much I am enjoying your book.Not only is it very informative and interesting, but the photos have taken me down memory lane to the visits we paid to the Mdina factory, the heat of the furnace in the old airfield buildings and the image of the glassblowers totally absorbed in their art. It has a truly put a smile on my face.
Tim, Staffordshire
LOVE the book! I’ve just spent a very enjoyable day trawling through it comparing my very newly acquired bits and pieces to those in the book. I think that I shall be making more informed choices from now on, thanks to you.
Suzy, England
About Hi Sklo Lo Sklo: Postwar Czech Glass Design From Masterpiece to Mass-Produced….
Experts will applaud this as a further step in devolution, allowing collectors to identify a mass of previously unidentified art work. For ordinary collectors, the book will provide a valuable start to their exploration behind the glass curtain. Click here to read more…
Stephanie Newham, Glass Messageboard
Great exhibition and great book, but I knew that was going to be the case.
Jeanette Hayhurst, Jeanette Hayhurst Fine Glass, London, England
This is a great introduction to this vast subject with readily accessible information in a well laid out format that points the reader in the right direction…a very welcome addition to collectors’ and dealers’ libraries which dovetails well with other recently published books, especially since it indicates accessible collecting areas within Czech glass.
Nigel Benson, 20th century glass dealer, London, England
I must say that of all the glass books I have (and there are loads now), yours are the ones I use and study the most. What’s the next one on?
Natalia, Cambridgeshire, England
PHENOMENAL book, A must have for even the casual collector. BRILLIANT!
Brendan, Ulmarra Collectable Glass, South Australia
I received the book today, and I couldn’t be happier with it. Not only is the quality superb, but I have already identified one piece in my collection, and helped two other people ID pieces in their collections. I can tell I will be referring to this book over and over again. Keep them coming – excellent work!
Warren, Ohio, USA
What can I say? Another great book. Keep up the good work!
Allan, The Netherlands
Your super book arrived this morning. I am delighted with it, it’s exactly as I wished it to be.
Carol, Texas, USA
It’s fab that you keep writing books about things that I end up buying. The book is wicked!
Chris, Oxfordshire, England
I’m delighted with the information in the book, its already solved one mystery for me. The photos are a delight, I expect you got a lot of pleasure putting the book together and I envy you being able to see and handle some of those pieces. I love art glass from this period and this is a previously relatively unknown area.
Karin, England
More comments, and excerpts from book reviews, to follow soon.