I would think that soaking the paper with kerosene or lighter fluid (NOT gasoline!) would produce a nice blaze.
Did you ever see a kerosene lamp or lantern? The paper serves as a wick, and is not consumed -- while the kerosene burns brightly. All you'll wind up with is a mostly-intact book that's blackened on the outside.
Without a generous supply of air, the packed sheets will hardly support combustion. Otherwise, the only alternative is to crumple up each individual sheet/page to increase the surface area exposed to the air...
One other way is to start with a big wood fire to make a large bed of coals -- then put the book atop the coals, leaving a bit of airspace so it doesn't smother he coals.
IOW, a closed book behaves much like a un-split hardwood log.