Since the advent of the internet, people have discussed the ‘death of the book’. The Bible is one such book, so what’s its value and purpose? Depending on who you ask, the so-called ‘good book’ might serve as a sacred text for religious guidance (understanding beliefs, principles), historical reference (knowledge of early Middle Eastern civilisations, social customs) and moral instruction (you shouldn’t envy your male neighbour’s possessions: house, wives or slaves). The Bible is also a valuable commodity that can be traded for financial gain: an original, complete Gutenberg Bible is worth $US35 million.

Scholars suspect the children of wealthy bible owners are responsible for damaging all but 20 of the world’s Gutenberg Bibles, their separate pages now scattered across the globe. Noble Fragments tells the intriguing story of these so-called ‘trophy leaves’, disaggregated pages from Gutenberg Bibles. Sydney journalist Michael Visontay discovered a connection to some of the sought-after leaves in his family’s estate and decided to investigate. The book is part history text – 1450s book printing, book hustlers in 1920s Europe and New York City, Gutenberg leaf owners – and part family biography, including World War II and the Holocaust, 1950s inheritance, and a family-owned Jewish delicatessen in Sydney.

Noble Fragments – with its ethical dilemmas and tales of love, compassion, and humility; envy, greed, and idolatry – is an unexpected discussion starter for your next ‘Lost Sydney’ post, rare-book meeting, religious sermon or bible study group.

Reviewed by Mark Parry