Torn from Their Bindings

"The greatest strength of McDade’s book is the care with which he treats both the topic of book theft and the pillaged materials themselves. He makes a strong case that our society needs to take such crimes more seriously if we want our cultural heritage resources to be available to future generations."—New England Archivists Newsletter

"Highly recommended for all libraries that house collections of valuable books and . . . for devotees of truce crime stories."—TECHnicalities

"McDade offers an engrossing, fast-paced, detailed account of Robert Kindred’s systematic, brazen removal of thousands of illustrations of animals, plants, and historical events from mostly 19th-century books and periodicals in academic libraries. Highly recommended."—Choice

"McDade has delivered a book that should be of great interest to bibliophiles everywhere, particularly those guardians of collections who too often have to deal with the likes of Kindred and his ilk."—Fine Books & Collections

"Book lovers, librarians, and crime fans alike will enjoy this detailed story."—Library Journal

“McDade’s account of Robert Kindred’s book-pillaging spree in university libraries across the United States is a well-told narrative that reads like an Elmore Leonard novel. McDade’s dramatic tale of book theft, mutilation, and cultural destruction is firmly grounded in archival sources, field research, and interviews and will appeal to a wide range of readers."—Mark Rose, professor emeritus of English, University of California, Santa Barbara