From: ecl@cbnewsj.cb.att.com
Subject: Bookstores in Various European Cities List (rec.arts.books)
Expires: Sun, 25 Apr 1993 15:35:39 GMT
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 16:35:32 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.books
Keywords: monthly
Supersedes: <1992Dec25.223829.3461@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>

Archive-name: books/stores/european

Last change:
Mon Jan 25 09:15:38 EST 1993

Additions:
	London, England (only a couple of entires--more are welcome!)

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============================================================================
Cities include:
London, England
Oxford, England
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The Hague, The Netherlands
Edinburgh, Scotland
Glasgow, Scotland
Stockholm, Sweden

[Note 1: I collected these comments from a variety of people.  I personally
have no knowledge of many of these places and take no responsibility if you
buy a book you don't enjoy. :-)   Phone numbers and precise addresses can be
gotten by calling directory assistance for the appropriate city.  Call ahead
for precise hours, as even when I list them they are subject to change.]

[Note 2: If you can add information for any of these, in particular
addresses when they are missing, please send it to me.]

[Note 3: I am cross-posting this to rec.arts.sf.written, but the bookstores
listed include *all* types of bookstores, so please don't tell me that a
particular store has a limited SF section unless I have specifically claimed
otherwise.]

[Note 4: I know they're bookshops in Britain, not bookstores.  In the text
I try to follow this; the introductory material is used world-wide and
uses "bookstores" instead.]

Anyone who wants to compile a complete London guide to bookshops is welcome
to the task! :-)

============================================================================
London, England:

(In general when people ask about bookstores in London, the only answer they
get is to take the Underground to Charing Cross and walk down the street.
If someone can send me something more substantial than that, I will include
it in future postings.)

Forbidden Planet (on one of the major cross-streets to Charing Cross Road,
	but I can't recall which and my map is packed.)  The best place for
	science fiction/fantasy in London.

Motor Books (St. Martin's Lane, just off Charing Cross Road, near Foyle's
	and Trafalgar Square).  "They have the most incredible selection of
	books relating to transportation. As a train buff, I feel that their
	railroad (yes I know they'd call it railway :-)) section is the best
	in the world. Their military, aviation and auto sections are top
	notch as well."

============================================================================
Oxford, England:

Blackwell's.  "The typical university bookshop but often missed is the rare
	books and special editions that Sir Basil Blackwell collected and
	put on display in a rather pleasant country house just south of
	Oxford.  The problem is, I cannot remember the village.  Near
	Nuneham Courtney?  Clifton Hampden?  Someone will know.  Sometimes
	a special book deserves a special typesetting, printing and
	binding."  Also has various second-hand sections.
Book Bargains (2 St. Ebbe St).
Bookshop on the Plain (cross Magdaelen Bridge and start up the Cowley Rd;
	it's immediately on your left).
The EOA Communist Bookshop (across the road from Bookshop on the Plain).
	Might carry Irish stuff for all the wrong reasons, I suppose, but
	being a Tory I wouldn't know :-."
Thorton's.  "Look out for Thornton's as it's *dear*."
Waterfield's (36 Park End St).  Good philosophy section.

"There's also a large second hand bookshop on the way down to the railway
station, go down the hill from the Westgate centre, past Nuffield College
and the prison, and straight on past the Queen's Arms, it then appears on
the right.  The antiques emporium just before it and the Jam Factory over
the road by the traffic lights also house minor booksellers amongst their
other denizens."

============================================================================
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

American Discount Book Centers (Kalverstraat 185, 1012 XC Amsterdam,
	+31-20-6255537).  They cater to the large English-language
	community in Holland.  Besides a large selection in recent American
	fiction they stock a lot of science fiction and fantasy.  The staff
	is friendly and helpful. If they don't have the books you want in
	stock they will try to order them for you.
WH Smith (Kalverstraat 152, 1012 XE Amsterdam, +31-20-6383821).

============================================================================
The Hague, The Netherlands
American Discount Book Centers (Lange Poten 23, 2511 CM 'S Gravenhage,
	+31-70-3642742).  They cater for the large English-language
	community in Holland.  Besides a large selection in recent American
	fiction they stock a lot of science fiction and fantasy.  The staff
	is friendly and helpful. If they don't have the books you want in
	stock they will try to order them for you.

============================================================================
Edinburgh, Scotland:

Bargain Books (Princes Street).  Very limited selection, but a good place
	for picking up, say, the complete Shakespeare/Conan Doyle/Brothers
	Grimm practically free.
Bauermeisters (on George IV Bridge).
Castle Books (Canongate).  Used.
Church of Scotland Bookshop (George Street).  Stocks a wide range of
	Christian books.  The Church of Scotland has recently sold its
	chain of bookshops, but the terms of the deal constrain the new
	owner to continue them as Christian bookshops without much change.
Forbidden Planet (Teviot Place).  Science fiction.
Old Grindle's (Spittal Street).  Used.  Has second-hand football programmes.
Macnaughtons (Haddington Place, Leith Walk).  Used.
Second Edition (Canonmills).  Used.
Sheena McNeil (Bruntsfield Links).  Sheet music.
James Thins (South Bridge).  The biggest bookshop in Scotland and (after
	John Smiths in Glasgow, the second oldest.  Some people think it's
	great; others think it's the worst they've dealt with.  One sums up
	both sides, I think, with: "They have half a dozen branches in
	Edinburgh, a vast academic section, and maintain close contacts
	with the Universities.  However, they do tend to be rather
	complacent and unhelpful at times, and tend to act as if they were
	a monopoly supplier, with a `like it or lump it' attitude."  For
	those who follow such things, another reader says, "They are also
	a bunch of hypocrites, handing out propaganda in favour of
	retaining the Net Book Agreement, while marking up the prices of
	Non-Net Books higher than Waterstone's and Co."
Tills (Buccleuch Street).  Used.
Waterstone's (Princes Street and also Georges Street).  Large chain.
West and Wilde (Dundas Street).  Gay/lesbian
West Port Books (West Port near Lothian Rd.).  Used.
(a couple of shops in Teviot Row).  Medical, new and used.
(a remainder shop opposite Thins).
(a couple of used book shops in Broughton Street and at the top
of Leith Walk and several used book shops in the Grassmarket).

You can pick up a leaflet with a full list of used book shops from any one
of them.
The Assembly Rooms in George St. often holds book fairs on Saturdays
where many of the second-hand booksellers exhibit.

============================================================================
Glasglow, Scotland:

Bargain Books (chain of small shops).  Limited stock but excellent bargain
	prices.
Caledonia Books (Great Western Road).  Used.
Church of Scotland Bookshop (Buchanan Street near the Underground Station).
	Near Forbidden Planet.  The Church of Scotland has recently sold
	its chain of bookshops, but the terms of the deal constrain the new
	owner to continue them as Christian bookshops without much change.
Centerpeace (Stockwell Street).  Pacifist/feminist/Third World.
Clyde Books (Parnie Street).  Radical/socialist/feminist/green.
Dillons (the Argyle Street/Union Street corner).  A very large branch.
	More modern than Smiths and a great place to pick up book
	bargains.  Close to Smiths and Waterstones.
Dowanhill Books (in a lane off Byres Road opposite Hillhead tube station).
	Used.
Forbidden Planet (Buchanan Street).  Science fiction and comics.
Futureshock.  American imports and OLD paperbacks as well as imports.
Gilmorehill Books (Bank Street).  Used.
Obelisk (Virginia Galleries, Virginia Street).  Used science fiction and
	mysteries.
John Smith and Sons (St. Vincent Street).  Quite close to George Square.
	This is the main branch and is famous enough for you to be able to
	ask directions to it.  It has 5 floors and keeps books on just about
	any subject you can think of.  Main public transport terminals
	nearby (i.e., walking distance) include Central Station (trains),
	Queen Street Station (trains), Buchanan Street Station (buses) and
	Buchanan Street Underground Station.  Close to Dillons and
	Waterstones.
John Smith and Sons (University Bookshop, University Avenue, Hillhead) (west
	of the city centre).  A strictly academic bookshop, they specialise
	in stocking books on the recommended reading lists for students
	supplied by Glasgow University (who keep close links with the shop).
	Most university courses are in evidence in the shop - medical books
	particularly so.  Main public transport terminal nearby is Hillhead
	Underground Station.
John Smith and Sons (Byres Road Branch, Byres Road, Hillhead).  A mainstream
	three-storey bookshop.  Simply a scaled-down version of the main
	shop.  This shop is located next door to the Hillhead Underground
	Station.  The university shop is 5 minutes away on foot.  A nice
	area in general, well worth a look: there are several famous
	cafes/coffee shops around here too (e.g., The Ubiquitous Chip, The
	Underground Gallery).
Voltaire and Rousseau (Otago Street Lane).  Used.
Waterstones (Union Street very close to Dillons).  Large branch.
	More modern than Smiths.  Close to Smiths.
Word of Mouth (Bank Street).  Food and cookery; this place is amazing.
(a comics shop in Byres Road)
charity shops in Byres Rd, all of whom sell books, starting with Cancer
	Research, Oxfam, Dr Barnado's, Save the Children, Glasgow
	University's settlement(?), as well as the back alley secondhand
	books (next to Oxfam) and occasionally DeCourcy's arcade)

Regarding Smiths, one reader says:
"There are other branches of Smiths, but these three should cover all
your needs wherever you are in Glasgow.  All Smiths shops are tied by a
computer network allowing the facility for quick look up of stocks
elsewhere in the city and quick transfer between branches in the case
where a particular book is not in stock at a certain branch.  They can
also order ANY book in print as long as they can locate the ISBN, and
send it to any address you please.  They have British and Overseas Books
in Print on Microfiche for this purpose."

Regarding some of the other chains, another reader warns:
"AVOID the new, plush bookshops that are branches of big English chains
(Dillons, Hatchards, Waterstones).  These have a limited range of yuppie
best-sellers and their attempts to fuck publishers over through the years
(unilaterally refusing to pay before three months after invoicing and later
attempting to smash the Net Book Agreement) have been very destructive.
They have nothing in stock you can't get from John Smiths or Thins."
But on the other hand, yet another says:
"Someone bad-mouths Waterstones in the Glasgow section, but I use them a lot
because they have the longest opening hours of any bookshop in the city that
I know of.  They generally seem to have a good range of Scottish books too,
better than Thins."

W. H. Smiths and John Menzies are huge UK-wide chains that sell magazines
and airport bestsellers.

============================================================================
Stockholm, Sweden:

SF Bokhandeln (Atlasgatan 8).  Specializes in science fiction.  Open
	weekdays 1500-1900, Saturdays 1100-1500.

============================================================================

Evelyn C. Leeper   |   +1 908 957 2070   |   ecl@mtgzy.att.com