Vintage Denim by David Little, Larry Bond (1996, Paperback)

I started buying vintage jeans in 1985, when decent 501s stopped being made. I've been collecting vintage Levi's and Lees ever since. That's why I was eager to get this book, having heard of it as being the denim collector's bible. I was expecting to learn interesting facts I might not have already learned elsewhere, and hoping to see great pictures of rare models. Well, I was really surprised at how disappointing this book proved to be in every way. Many production dates are wrong, production eras are missing, illustration photos are often mirror images (501s appearing to be with a red tab on the left pocket instead of the right) and anachronic (e.g. post-1984 Levi's illustrating the '60s). Basically, the book is full of pictures of stonewashed and acidwashed jeans currently available anywhere a dime a dozen. There are (and were at the time of publishing) enough big E Levi's around to portray different denim grades and use for illustration, so why not use them when you're writing a book about them????
It seems the book was botched up in a hurry, and not necessarily by someone who actually loves vintage denim or knows much about it.
To summarize, I'd say this book is good material for the average housemom or granny who's just looking for basic knowledge to earn extra money on eBay with charity sale finds. NOT for the serious denim collector looking for rare data or pics of rare denim. Disappointing.