The intention of this book, which includes more than 1,700 biographies of deceased Coleopterists (beetle collectors), is not only to provide a tool to assist new scientific work, but also one which will help curators to locate type specimens and research the history of their collections. But it achieves much more besides in revealing groups of enthusiasts from Lords to artisans who meet together oblivious of social class to exchange specimens and plan field trips, and of an unsuspected passion in many who are better known in other fields.