Tolkien's Gown and Other Stories of Famous Authors and Rare Books. Rick Gekoski has been described as the Bill Bryson of the book world; his BBC Radio series Rare Books, Rare People was acclaimed by The Daily Telegraph as one of the gems of Radio 4. This book is based loosely on that hugely successful radio series and is for anyone who loves books. It offers a wealth of amusement and instruction, and enough literary anecdotes to last a lifetime.