"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
— P.J. O'Rourke
New Arrivals
Oscar Wilde. The Story of An Unhappy Friendship.
London: Privately Printed by the Hermes Press, 1902. [Literary Biography] FIRST EDITION. Small quarto (25 x 20cm), pp.278; [2]. With photogravure plates and two facsimile letters. Library binding of green cloth with gilt titles and shelfmark to spine. Yellow endpapers; all edges speckled red. Library bookplate and barcode to flyleaf... More about Oscar Wilde. The Story of An Unhappy Friendship
The Iron Ship. The History and Significance of Brunel's Great Britain.
Bradford-on-Avon: Moonraker Press, 1975. [Maritime History and Engineering] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Small quarto (26 x 21cm), pp.[6], 253; [1]. Illustrated throughout with maps, plans, black and white photographs, and very occasional colour plates. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to flyleaf: 'To Jaqueline Iversen / with my thanks /... More about The Iron Ship. The History and Significance of Brunel's Great Britain
James Bond and Moonraker.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1979. [Espionage novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.222; [2], bank. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with gilt titles to spine in original jacket designed by Bill Botten priced at £5.95. Unread text block with crisp white edges. Simply a magnificent copy in a beautiful... More about James Bond and Moonraker
James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1977. [Espionage novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.222; [2], bank. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with gilt titles to spine, original jacket designed by Bill Botten priced at £3.50. Discreet bookplate of the prominent crime collector and Bond authority Iwan Hedman beneath front flap... More about James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me
The Bridge on the River Kwai. Translated from the French by Xan Fielding.
London: Secker and Warburg, 1954. [Miltary adventure novel] FIRST UK EDITION, scarce VARIANT WITH ENDPAPER. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.171; [1]. Publisher's green cloth with titles in silver to spine, pictorial dust-wrapper priced 10/6s. Name and bookplate to flyleaf (Rex Whistler's Book Society design). Contents clean, a little wear to... More about The Bridge on the River Kwai. Translated from the French by Xan Fielding
Partners in Crime.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead, and Co., 1929. [Detective short stories] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[8], 277, [3]. Bound in publisher's pale blue cloth, with titles in orange to front board and spine; top edge stained red, fore edge untrimmed, patterned endpapers. A few marks within, binding... More about Partners in Crime
The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold. A Conversation Piece.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1957. [Modern literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.184. Publisher's hardback cloth binding in pictorial dust-jacket designed by Val Biro, priced at 12/6. A bright, clean copy; jacket with a few short tears and one chip at foot of spine. Shows very well. Gilbert Pinfold... More about The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold. A Conversation Piece
The Vesuvius Club. A Lucifer Box Novel.
London: Simon and Schuster, 2004. [Modern literature] UNCORRECTED PROOF. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.[8]; 221; [1] blank. Publisher's illustrated wrappers. Light spotting to edges else a fine copy. Meet Lucifer Box, His Majesty's most daring secret agent: equal parts James Bond and Sherlock Holmes, with a twist of Monty Python... More about The Vesuvius Club. A Lucifer Box Novel
The Moving Finger.
London: For the Crime Club by Collins, 1943. [Murder mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.160. Elegantly bound in deep red half calf, with black title labels lettered in gilt, raised bands, marbled paper-covered boards. Contents clean, faint toning/wear to extreme top edge of final leaf, exterior unmarked. A.... More about The Moving Finger
The Complete James Bond, comprising A James Bond Quartet, A James Bond Quintet and The Essential James Bond. Comprising: (1st Vol): Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, From Russia with Love (2nd Vol): Diamonds are Forever, Doctor No, Goldfinger, For your Eyes Only, The Spy who Loved Me (3rd Vol): Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Service, You Only Live Twice, The Man with the Golden Gun, Octopussy, The Living Daylights.
London: Jonathan Cape Ltd., 1992-3. FIRST EDITIONS thus; three omnibus volumes containing all the original James Bond novels and issued by the original publisher in this new format. Foil-stamped black cloth with pictorial dust-wrappers. Each jacket has original £ price to front flap (unpriced export copies were also produced). These... More about The Complete James Bond, comprising A James Bond Quartet, A James Bond Quintet and The Essential...
The Mystery of A Hansom Cab.
London: The Hansom Cab Publishing Co., 1887. Second Edition (being the first UK edition), seventh impression, described as 'Seventy-Fifth Thousand' (September 1887). A relatively early printing of what has to have been one of the best-selling mysteries of all time. Octavo, pp.[i], blank; [ii] advertisement; 230; [2], advertisements. Bound in... More about The Mystery of A Hansom Cab
Poems and Stories.
London: George Allen and Unwin, 1980. [Short Stories and Essays] DELUXE FIRST EDITION THUS. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.342; [2]. With frequent chromolithographic illustrations by Pauline Baynes. Publisher's deluxe blue-black cloth with gilt titles to spine and a gilt and green illustration to upper board. Grey patterned endpapers; all edges... More about Poems and Stories
Flight into Danger. A Novel of Suspense.
London: Souvenir Press, 1958. [Aerial thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.162. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, pictorial dust-jacket with printed price of 11/6 net. Internally clean, some spotting to edges. Cloth lightly handled. Dust-wrapper a little edgeworn and scuffed here and there, small closed tear to... More about Flight into Danger. A Novel of Suspense
The Second World War.
London: Cassell and Co., 1948-1954. [World War Two] FIRST UK EDITIONS. In six volumes, octavo (22 x 15 x 27cm), pp.xv, 640; pp.xvii, 684; pp.x, 818; pp.xviii, 917; pp.xviii, 673; pp.xviii, 716. With numerous maps and plans, some folding. Publisher's black cloth lettered in gilt to spine, top edges red... More about The Second World War
Within the Taurus: A Journey in Asiatic Turkey.
London: John Murray, 1954. [Near Eastern Travel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xii; 192. With seven double-sided black and white plates, a sketch-map and a black and white frontispiece. Publisher's cream cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the brown illustrated dust-jacket priced at 18s. Offsetting to endpapers; quite... More about Within the Taurus: A Journey in Asiatic Turkey
Landscape into Art.
London: John Murray, 1949. [Landscape Art] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.xx; 148. With 52 double-sided half-tone plates at rear. Publisher's cream cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the colour-illustrated dust-jacket by Graham Sutherland, priced at 25s. Blue ink gift inscription to flyleaf. Slightly short jacket toned to... More about Landscape into Art
Leaders.
London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1982. [World Politics] EX LIBRIS LORD MOYNIHAN, First UK Edition. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.[10]; 371; [3]. With sixteen double-sided black and white photographic plates split into two suites. Publisher's quarter black cloth with silver titles to spine and blue paper over boards. Dark blue endpapers... More about Leaders
The James Bond Girls. With an Introduction by Cubby Broccoli.
London: Boxtree, 1999. [Bond Film reference] REVISED EDITION, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. Quarto (29 x 23cm), pp.130; [2]. Illustrated throughout with colour and black and white photographs. Publisher's black cloth with silver titles to spine. With the red pictorial dust-jacket. Autographed by Graham Rye in black ink to title page... More about The James Bond Girls. With an Introduction by Cubby Broccoli
![A Pocket Full of Rye. [A Miss Marple story]. Agatha CHRISTIE, Dame](/pictures/thumb/53082.jpg?v=1556980874)
A Pocket Full of Rye. [A Miss Marple story].
London: For The Crime Club by Collins, 1953. [Detective Fiction]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.191; [1]. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine. With the red and black illustrated dust-jacket, priced at 10/6. Internally clean, lightly toned to edges. Jacket shows well with some closed tears and... More about A Pocket Full of Rye. [A Miss Marple story
The Essays of Leigh Hunt.
London: J.M. Dent and Co., no date [circa 1903]. [Essays] FINELY BOUND, first thus. Octavo (19 x 12cm), pp.[2] xiv; 368; [4]. With 49 wood engraved illustrations by Brock, and a photogravure frontispiece. Contemporary green half crushed morocco by RIVIERE, with two raised bands and gilt titles and decoration to... More about The Essays of Leigh Hunt
Where Three Empires Meet. A Narrative of Recent Travel in Kashmir, Western Tibet, Gilgit, and the Adjoining Countries.
London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1895. [Asian Travel] FINE PRIZE BINDING, a New Edition. Octavo (18 x 13cm), pp.xvi; 528; [2]. With occasional photogravure plates and in-text illustrations, including a frontispiece and a folding map. In a fine contemporary prize binding for Wolverhampton Grammar School, with raised bands, gilt titles... More about Where Three Empires Meet. A Narrative of Recent Travel in Kashmir, Western Tibet, Gilgit, and the...
Omens and Superstitions: Curious Facts and Illustrative Sketches. Nimmo's Series of Commonplace Books.
Edinburgh: William P. Nimmo, no date [circa 1870]. [Supernatural Accounts] EARLY EDITION. Small octavo (16 x 12cm), pp.160; [24]. With an engraved frontispiece and decorated title page by the Dalziel brothers. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles and decoration to spine and upper board. Brown endpapers; all edges gilt. Bookplate... More about Omens and Superstitions: Curious Facts and Illustrative Sketches. Nimmo's Series of Commonplace...
The Old Fox of the Wood. And Daisy the Goose.
Oxford: Basil Blackwell, no date [circa 1936]. [Children's illustrated] RARE. Octavo (26 x 19cm), unpaginated. Publishers orange cloth, titled in red to spine and upper board, illustration laid onto upper board, Illustrated. Gift inscription to flyleaf, toning to endpapers and edges, occasional marks. Cloth rubbed and worn, with some marks... More about The Old Fox of the Wood. And Daisy the Goose
The Red True Story Book.
London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1895. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.xii; 419; [1]. With 19 full page wood engraved plates including a frontispiece, and numerous further in-text engravings by Ford. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and gilt decoration to upper board. Black endpapers;... More about The Red True Story Book
Angling for Pike: A Practical and Comprehensive Work on the Most Approved Methods of Fishing for Pike or Jack; including an account of some new tackles for spinning, live-baiting, and trolling.
London: L. Upcott Gill, 1888. [Fishing] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.viii; 96 [24]. Illustrated with wood engravings, including a frontispiece. Publisher's blue/grey cloth with silver titles to spine and upper board. All edges untrimmed. Black ink ownership inscriptions to front pastedown, and a blind address stamp to front... More about Angling for Pike: A Practical and Comprehensive Work on the Most Approved Methods of Fishing for...