"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. "
— Oscar Wilde
Literature
Castle Gay.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1930. Thriller. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.320. Publisher's green cloth in pictorial dustwrapper. Both book and jacket are used; some toning to edges, gummed label to flyleaf, jacket worn with several chips, losses and tears. Priced accordingly The second 'shocker' to feature Dickson McCunn, the unlikliest of..... More
The Free Fishers.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1934. [Historical Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.320. Publisher's green cloth in pictorial jacket. A near fine copy of the book in a very good wrapper, toned to spine with some chips to crown and extremities. Historical adventure set in bleak Yorkshire; A Minister..... More
Huntingtower.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1922. REGULAR FIRST EDITION and VARIANT FIRST EDITION in publisher's TRIAL BINDING. 2 volumes. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.318; [2], blank. The regular binding in pale blue cloth titled and ruled in dark blue, the advance binding in mid blue cloth more heavily blocked in black..... More
Huntingtower.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1922]. [Classic adventure novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.318; [2], blank. Publisher's mid-blue cloth, titled and ruled in dark blue. Printed map endpapers. Owner name to flyleaf, full-colour upper panel to jacket tipped-in, moderate handling to cloth, spine gently toned. Very good..... More
The Moon Endureth. Tales and Fancies.
William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London 1912. A curious collection of strange tales from the acclaimed thriller writer and creator of gentleman spy Richard Hannay. FIRST EDITION, COLONIAL ISSUE. Octavo; pp.324 + 4 (ads). Publisher's slate grey cloth titled in gilt with silver moon to spine and similar monogram..... More
![The Thirty-Nine [39] Steps, John BUCHAN, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir](/pictures/thumb/49608.jpg?v=1552663310)
The Thirty-Nine [39] Steps,
London, William Blackwood and Sons, 1915. [Espionage classic]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.253; [1]; [2], publisher's advertisements. Elegantly hand-bound in full blue oasis, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands, gilt titles to upper cover, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. A little of the usual edge toning to the cheap..... More
![The Thirty-Nine [39] Steps, John BUCHAN, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir](/pictures/thumb/55924.jpg?v=1597338691)
The Thirty-Nine [39] Steps,
London, William Blackwood and Sons, 1915. [Espionage classic]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.253; [1]; [2], publisher's advertisements. Elegantly hand-bound in full dark blue oasis morocco, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands, gilt titles to upper cover, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. A few light marks within, usual edge toning..... More
Castle Gay.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1930. [Adventure Novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.320. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the illustrated dust-jacket priced at 7/6. Very lightly browned throughout, with some light spotting and offsetting to endpapers. Minor chipping, bruising and closed tears to edges, with..... More
Greenmantle.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1916. [Spy Novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.x; 307 [1]. Publisher's green cloth with titles in gilt to spine and blind to upper board. Pencil ownership to flyleaf; light offsetting. Hinges split; rear hinge especially fragile. Rubbing to cloth, with gilt largely lost from..... More
Sick Heart River.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1941. [Spy Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.318 [2]. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the blue dust-jacket illustrated by Bip Pares, priced at 8/3. Spotting and toning to edges; light offsetting to endpapers. Two tape burns to reverse of jacket..... More
![The Free Fishers, in Chambers's Journal. [7 Parts, first appearance]. John BUCHAN](/pictures/thumb/41242.jpg?v=1493310889)
The Free Fishers, in Chambers's Journal. [7 Parts, first appearance].
London: W. and R. Cahmbers. 1934. First magazine issue publication of Buchan's The Free Fishers, published in Chambers Journal between January and July 1934. Publisher's decorated orange paper wraps. Bright and clean, minor edgewear, very good indeed with some very minor chipping to spine ends and edges. A very bright..... More
![In The Original Chambers's Journal Parts; John Macnab [January to August 1925]. A Comedy for...](/pictures/thumb/41181.jpg?v=1493310888)
In The Original Chambers's Journal Parts; John Macnab [January to August 1925]. A Comedy for Poachers.
London: W.R. Chambers, 1925. 8 magazine issue in orange paper wraps, very good to very good indeed, minor edgewear, some very little chipping to spine ends, no significant loss or wear. Bright, sharp and handsome. All 8 installments of John Macnab in its first appearance. Also present in the Chambers..... More
The Buchanan Book: The Life of Alexander Buchanan, Q.C., of Montreal, followed by an account of the Family of Buchanan.
Montreal: Printed for Private Circulation, 1911. [Canadian Legal History and Genealogy] SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.[6] xiv; 475 [3] 5 [1] viii [4]. With 13 illustrated plates, including a frontispiece portrait of the subject, each with a tissue guard. Number 126 of just 300 copies SIGNED by..... More
The Piper of Hamelin: A Fantastic Opera in Two Acts.
London: William Heinemann, 1893. [Illustrated Drama] FIRST THOMSON ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm), pp.64. With 12 wood engraved plates by Thomson, as well as a decorated title page. Publisher's light green cloth with darker green titles to spine and upper board. Top edge green, others untrimmed. Black ink ownership..... More
Leila; or, the Siege of Granada: and Calderon, the Courtier.
London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1838. [Literature]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16 cm), pp.[2] xii; 400 [2]. With 15 steel engraved plates by various artists supervised by Charles Heath, including a frontispiece portrait of the author, as well as an illustrated title page. Each plate except frontis..... More
![Pelham, or Adventures of a Gentleman [and] The Last Days of Pompeii. Edward BULWER-LYTTON](/pictures/thumb/49369.jpg?v=1505131478)
Pelham, or Adventures of a Gentleman [and] The Last Days of Pompeii.
London: George Routledge, n.d. [c.1896]. [English Literature]. FINELY BOUND, two volumes bound as one. Octavo (19 x 13 cm), pp.[2]; 447; [1]; pp.428 [2]. With an illustrated frontispiece to each title. In contemporary red full morocco with raised bands and gilt titles to spine. Marbled endpapers; all edges gilt. Some..... More
Honey for the Bears.
London: Heinemann, 1963. [Cold War Novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.256. Publisher's orange cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Neil and Leila Godfrey, priced at 18s. Some spotting to edges and preliminaries; lightly browned throughout. Light rubbing and bruising to jacket edges. Very..... More
A Vision of Battlements.
London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1965. [Modern literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.266; [4], blank. With illustrations by Edward Pagram. Publisher's bright yellow hardcover in original pictorial dust-wrapper priced 25s. A lightly used copy in near fine condition. This is the first issue (illustrated) jacket which was subsequently replaced..... More
A Killing Frost.
London: Published for the Crime Club by Collins, 1961. [Crime fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.256. Publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine. With the illustrated dust-jacket, unpriced for export. Very light spotting to edges and endpapers, W.H. Smith Rue de Rivoli branch ticket to pastedown. Jacket..... More
The Lost Witch.
London: Andersen Press, 2018. [Young Adult Fantasy] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.[6] 325 [5]. SIGNED by the author in black marker to publisher's bookplate affixed to flyleaf. Publisher's green cloth with silver titles to spine, and light green endpapers. With the dust-jacket designed by Kate McKendrick, priced..... More
Death In Stanley Street.
London: Gollancz Detection, 1974. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.192. Publisher's gilt-titled red cloth in dust-wrapper priced at £2.00. Ink number and tape ghost to flyleaf else a fine copy in a fine wrapper with a touch of wear to the crown. More
Wycliffe and the Tangled Web.
London: Gollancz Crime, 1988. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.191; [1], blank. Publisher's gilt-titled black cloth in dust-wrapper priced at £10.95. A fine copy in near fine jacket. Starring detective Charles Wycliffe, one of the most popular literary Police investigators. More
Little Lord Fauntleroy.
London: Frederick, Warne and Co., 1886. [Classic children's story]. FIRST UK EDITION, with 1886 date to both title and copyright pages. Octavo (pp.22 x 15cm), pp.x; 269; [1], imprint. Twenty-six illustrations illustrations after Reginald B. Birch. Half green straight-grained morocco, gilt, red leather label to spine, combed marble sides and..... More
Camilla: Or, A Picture of Youth. By the Author of Evilina and Cecilia. In Five Volumes.
London: Printed for T. Payne, T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1796. [Literature] FIRST EDITION, five volumes, duodecimo (18 x 11cm). Half tan calf with spines ruled in compartments, black and green leather labels, gilt decoration, marbled sides and endpapers, edges speckled. Contents clean, armorial bookplate of Charles Henry Grove, Rector..... More
The Romance of Private Life: The Renunciation and The Hermitage. In Three Volumes.
London: Henry Colburn, 1839. [Mysteries] FIRST EDITION, three volumes, octavo (21 x 13 x 8cm), pp.320; 316; 340. Includes publisher's 8-page prospectus at the front of first volume. Original grey paper-covered boards, respined to style with paper title labels, edges untrimmed. Internally clean, covers rubbed, corners and edges worn. A...... More