ford ' s ▁book ▁collection ▁included ▁books ▁borrow ed ▁( and ▁never ▁returned ) ▁from ▁do z ens ▁of ▁libraries ▁across ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁from ▁libraries ▁in ▁Australia ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁and , ▁alleg edly , ▁books ▁taken ▁from ▁the ▁homes ▁of ▁acquaint ances . ▁Among ▁them ▁were ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁books ▁on ▁Ed gar ▁All an ▁Po e ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁Has ford ▁had ▁obtained ▁borrow ing ▁privileges ▁at ▁Cal ▁Poly - S LO ▁as ▁a ▁California ▁resident , ▁using ▁a ▁false ▁address ▁and ▁Social ▁Security ▁number . ▁ ▁Has ford ▁initially ▁denied ▁the ▁charges , ▁but ▁he ▁eventually ▁admitted ▁possession ▁of ▁several ▁hundred ▁st olen ▁books ▁and ▁ple aded ▁n olo ▁cont end ere ▁(" no ▁contest ") ▁to ▁possession ▁of ▁st olen ▁property . ▁He ▁was ▁sent enced ▁to ▁six ▁months ' ▁imprison ment ▁( of ▁which ▁he ▁served ▁three ▁months ) ▁and ▁promised ▁to ▁pay ▁rest itution ▁from ▁the ▁roy alt ies ▁of ▁his ▁future ▁works . ▁ ▁Has ford ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁wanted ▁the ▁books ▁to ▁research ▁a ▁never - pub lished ▁book ▁on ▁the ▁Civil ▁War . ▁He ▁described ▁his ▁difficulties ▁as ▁" a ▁v icious ▁attack ▁launched ▁against ▁me ▁by ▁Mor al ▁Major ity ▁fan at ics ▁back ed ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁full ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁F asc ist ▁State ." ▁ ▁Second ▁and ▁third ▁nov els ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁second ▁novel , ▁The ▁Ph antom ▁Blo oper : ▁A