George III succeeded to the British throne on the death of his grandfather, George II, a considerable book collector himself who formed the collection that became known as the Old Royal Library. George III collected books in a more systematic and scholarly manner than his grandfather, gathering a substantial collection with particular strengths in the areas of literature, especially drama, as well as maps, scientific textbooks, and contemporary pamphlets. In addition to contemporary works, he also valued incunabula. George III fostered book collecting as an historical and aesthetic activity. George III's was an early attempt at systematic and comprehensive collecting; under his leadership, the vision of a library as a national research resource began to be realized. There is, of course, a difficulty in distinguishing between the king's personal efforts and what others, such as librarians and agents, accomplished in his name. Certainly there were many influences on...