FOR any amateur antiques enthusiast, a new book called Discovering Antiques should prove invaluable (and well worth thinking of as a wonderful gift). The author, Eric Knowles, is a director of Bonhams, the London auctioneering house, as well as a regular guest on television programmes such as Antiques Roadshow, Going For A Song and Going, Going, Gone. His area of expertise is 19th and 20th century decorative arts.

What marks Discovering Antiques apart is its admirable layout. The book is divided into different sections, such as furniture, ceramics, glass, silver, clocks and watches, toys and dolls, carpets and textiles and various examples of 20th century collectables (radios, cameras, sporting memorabilia, costume jewellery). Each section has an introduction with advice on where a collector might begin, plus helpful tips on care and maintenance.

Plenty of colour illustrated pages then follow, with information on the relevant area of interest, plus a guide to current market prices in England. Discovering Antiques provides an excellent introduction to the subject.