Book Review
By Naresh Agrawal
Philately Its glorious Past and Uncertain Future
By Anil Dhir
Philately Its glorious Past and Uncertain Future By Anil Dhir : ISBN No.978-93-81794-70-8 : Pages : 210 : Type Paperback Price : Rs 400 : Published By Amadeus Press : Available at Flipkart and Amazon or contact Anil Dhir email : anildhir2k5@hotmail.com Whatsappp No. 9861020747
The book titled ‘ : “Philately: It’s Glorious
Past and Uncertain Future” is a Festschrift Volume in the honour of renowned
philatelist of Orissa and Founder President of Eastern India Philatelists’
Association, Shri Bijayshree Routray.
The book is framed in two parts. The first
part of the book has comprehensive 12 chapters comprising articles of
philatelic interest namely Evolution of stamp Clubs and societies, Famous stamp
thefts, cancelled to order, Profiles of eminent philatelists, Forgeries and
forgers, Nagaland illegal issues, Free Tibet stamps and unusual stamps,
Pre-issues, Future of philately. These articles have been selected very
carefully and written in very concise and simple language. All these articles reveal
everything in detail about several aspects of philately. The chapter on Forgeries
is interesting and explains how the forgeries were created. Pre-Issue stamps
are one of the most serious and controversial issues in Indian philately A
special chapter has been given on Pre - Issue Stamps.
There are two more interesting chapters on
Nagaland Illegal issues and Free Tibet stamps Every stamp collector would like
to know about these stamps. The chapter on Eminent Indian Philatelists is a
genuine tribute to about 27 Indian philatelists who served Indian philately in
different ways and are inspiration for the generations to come. A must-read
chapter.
The second part is memorials and testimonials
from philatelists over the country who have written wonderful and emotive
pieces. Mr. Routray besides being a very prolific philatelist was also an
academician and politician. He had been awarded the Gold Medal in Geography and
for some years even taught the Iconic Ravenshaw College at Cuttack. A very
learned man, he was known for his scholarly aptitude and during the course of
his long political career, he was the Minister for Forests &
Environments, Health, Revenue etc. The Festschrift book is a fitting tribute to
this great personality. Rarely we find such books on philately which is
dedicated for the remembrance of philatelists.
The book has many interesting articles on the
past and present of Philately in a world perspective, with special reference to
the Indian context. It is treasure of knowledge and memorabilia of a great
philatelist. Every philatelist and stamp lover would love to read and treasure
it. It is a very good book reference book for every philatelist and philatelic
library as one can get so much information from the articles on various topics
of philately.
There is no strong reason to criticize this
book in any way intended for the service of philatelic fraternity. Nice layout
and design, simple and easily understandable text, printed on good paper, has
wide coverage of interesting philatelic topics to cater to every philatelist
whether new or old.
All in all, a great book highly recommended
for genuine stamp lovers and philatelists who love philately and philatelists.
About the Author
-Anil Dhir is a renowned philatelist,
a prolific writer, historian and a social worker. He has written several books
on stamps stamps and postal history. His short film and book ‘The Last Post’
was highly appreciated. He is a life member of Eastern India Philatelists’ association.
He has been conferred as a Fellow if the Philatelic Congress of India in
2021.He has an excellent collection of Mourning Covers, Indian Classics and
Indian States. He is also a Life member of the Indian National Trust for Art
and Cultural Heritage and has undertaken many projects for them. He directed
and produced award winning short film The Last Post. He has participated in
many philatelic exhibitions and won awards for his books and exhibits.
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