"Outside of a dog, man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
— Groucho Marx
Gift Books & Fine Bindings
The History of the Life of King Henry the Second, and of the Age in which he Lived, in Five Books: To which is Prefixed, a History of the Revolutions of England From the Death of Edward the Confessor To the Birth of Henry the Second.
London: Printed for J. Dodsley, 1769. [English Mediaeval History] THIRD EDITION. Complete in six volumes. Octavo (22 x 14 x 22cm), pp.[4] viii; 487 [3]; pp.[6] 517 [3]; pp.[6] 496 [2]; pp.[8] 576 [4]; pp.[8] 425 [5]; pp.[8] 505 [3]. Contemporary brown full speckled calf, with raised bands, gilt titles..... More
Roloff Beny interprets in photographs Pleasure of Ruins.
London: Thames and Hudson, 1964. [Photography]. FIRST THUS. Large quarto (36 x 27cm), pp.286. With 160 photogravure images, 12 colour plates including a frontispiece, and 29 maps and plans. Publisher's black and white illustrated leatherette boards with silver titles to spine and upper board. Silver illustrated endpapers. Light browning to..... More
The History of England. From the Accession of James the Second.
London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1895. [English History] FINE PRIZE BINDING, a popular edition in two volumes. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] xxiv; 776 [2]; pp.[2] xii; 820 [2]. Contemporary brown calf for Clifton House School, Eastbourne, with gilt titles and decoration to spines, and a gilt school stamp to..... More
The History of England. From the Accession of James the Second.
London: Longmans, Green, Reader, & Dyer, 1877. [English History] FINE PRIZE BINDING. Two volumes. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.xxiv; 776 [2]; pp.xii; 820 [2]. Contemporary black full morocco for King's College London, with gilt titles and decoration to spines, and a large gilt college crest to upper of each volume..... More
The History of England. From the Accession of James the Second.
London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1886. [English History] FINE PRIZE BINDING. Two volumes. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[2] xxiv; 776 [2]; pp.[2] xii; 820 [2]. Contemporary tan full calf for Hurstpierpoint College, with raised bands, gilt titles to contrasting brown and green labels, further gilt decoration to spines, and and..... More
Complete Poems 1920-1976.
London: Martin Brian and O'Keeffe, 1978. [Scottish Poetry] FINELY BOUND FIRST EDITION. Two volumes. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.[4] xxii; 734; pp.[4] viii; 735-1485 [5]. Printed on india paper, with an associated poetry reading flyer loose to preliminaries. Contemporary green full calf, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to..... More
Direadh I, II and III.
Frenich and Foss: Kulgin Duval and Colin H. Hamilton, 1974. [Scottish Poetry] SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. Quarto (31 x 22cm), pp.[2] 52 [4]. Number 168 of just 200 copies SIGNED by the author in black ink to limitation page at rear, and printed in Dante type on Magnani paper. Publisher's red..... More
The Mirror. A Periodical Paper, Published at Edinburgh in the Years 1779, and 1780.
London: Printed for W. Strahan, and T. Cadell, 1782. [Essays] FINELY BOUND, the fourth edition. Three volumes. Octavo (18 x 11cm), pp.[4] viii; 271 [3]; pp.[4] viii; 319 [3]; pp.[4] viii; 320 [2]. Mid-twentieth century calf rebacked spines, with the original tree calf boards. Small black ink ownership to second..... More
Malebranch's Search After Truth. Or, a Treatise of the Nature of the Mind, and of its Management for avoiding Error in the Sciences. To which is Added, The Author's Defence against the Accusations of Monsieur de la Ville. Also The Life of Father Malebranch, of the Oratory at Paris: With an Account of his Works, and several particulars of his Controversie with Monsieur Arnaud Dr. of Sorbonne, and Monsieur Regis, Professor in Philosophy at Paris. Written by Monsieur Le Vasseur, lately come over from Paris.
London: Printed for J. Dunton and S. Manship, 1694 and 1695. [Philosophy and Theology] FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Complete in two volumes. Octavo (19 x 12cm), pp.[32] 224; 229-244; 241-271 [1]; 95 [1]; 96 [2]; pp.[16] 104; 129-312; 353-488; 737-820; [2] 23 [5]. Complete continuous text, despite the wild pagination..... More
The History of the Early Puritans: From the Reformation to the Opening of the Civil War.
London: Hamilton, Adams, & Co., 1850. [Church History] FINELY BOUND FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.xvi; 426 [2]. Bound for HATCHARDS in contemporary brown half calf, with raised bands, gilt titles to black label, further gilt decoration to spine, and brown leather-effect cloth over boards. rown endpapers and all..... More
An Introduction to Study of Birds; or, the Elements of Ornithology, on Scientific Principles, with a Particular Notice of the Birds Mentioned in Scripture.
London: The Religious Tract Society, no date [circa 1860]. [Ornithology] ILLUSTRATED PRIZE BINDING, a later edition. Small octavo (16 x 11cm), pp.xii; 524; [2]. With frequent in-text wood engravings, including a frontispiece. Contemporary green full calf prize binding for Westbourne Collegiate School, with raised bands, gilt decoration to spine, and..... More
The Box of Delights, or, When the Wolves were Running.
London: The Folio Society, 2012. [Children's Fantasy] FIRST EDITION THUS. Octavo (24 x 17cm), pp.xiv; 258. With nine colour illustrations by Ogilvie. Publisher's green cloth with red and white titles to spine, and red and white decoration to upper. With red endpapers, and with the green paper-covered slipcase. A fine..... More
The Life of Wellington. A New Edition, Revised, Condensed and Completed.
London: Bickers and Son, 1893. [Military Biography] FINELY BOUND, a new edition. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.viii; 387 [3]. With occasional in-text illustrations, and a frontispiece portrait of Wellington. Contemporary green polished calf, with gilt titles to a red label, and further gilt decoration to spine. All edges and endpapers..... More
On Chesil Beach.
London: Jonathan Cape, 2007. [Modern Literature] SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.[8] 166 [4]. Number 516 of 1200 copies SIGNED by the author in black ink to limitation page. Publisher's quarter brown cloth with metallic blue titles to spine, and blue and brown paper over boards. With the..... More
Sir Martin Frobisher. The Golden Hind Series, Edited by Milton Waldman.
London: John Lane the Bodley Head, 1928. [Naval Biography] FINELY BOUND FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.[2] xvi; 288 [2]. With nine black and white half-tone plates, including a frontispiece, but not including the illustrated endpapers. Contemporary navy full calf, with gilt titles to red labels and further gilt..... More
Journal of the Waterloo Campaign. Kept throughout the Campaign of 1815.
Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1870. [Napoleonic Wars] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION. Complete in two volumes. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[4] xii; 369 [3]; pp.[4] viii; 347 [5]. Recently bound in navy half morocco, with raised bands, gilt titles to spines, and the original regimental pebble-grained black cloth over..... More
New Moon.
New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company, 2009. [Vampire Fantasy] FIRST COLLECTORS EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.[10] 563 [7]. With a red ink autopen signature to title page. Publisher's black cloth with silver titles to spine, a glossy illustration laid over upper, black endpapers and a red ribbon marker..... More
The History of the Life of Marcus Tullius Cicero.
London: Printed for the Author, 1741. [Ancient History and Biography] FIRST EDITION. Complete in two volumes. Quarto (27 x 22cm), pp.[4] xl [24]; 564; pp.[4] 591 [1]. With a copper engraved bust portrait of Cicero as a decorated title page to each volume, and occasional copper engraved head-pieces and decorated..... More
Far Away Up the Nile.
London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1924. [African Travel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (26 x 18cm), pp.xii; 254 [4]. With 50 lithographic plates after illustrations by the author, H.R. Millais, and from photographs. Recent green half morocco with raised bands, gilt titles to spine and green cloth over boards. Light occasional spotting..... More
An Epitome Of The Elementary Principles Of Mechanical Philosophy, Divested of mathematical demonstrations, comprehending the general properties of matter, mechanics, accoustics, pneumatics, hydrostatics, meteorology, hydraulics, and a copious account of the invention, progress, and present state of the steam engine, with many practical remarks on the construction of machinery.
London: W. Simpkin and R. Marshall, 1830. Second Edition, Prize Binding. Octavo. Bound in full brown calf, with ruled gilt panelling and gilt crest of the University of Glasgow to boards, raised bands, gilt decoration and title label to spine; all edges marbled, marbled endpapers, board edges decorated with blind..... More
The Poetical Works of John Milton.
Cambridge: at the University Press, 1903. [Poetical Works] FINE PRIZE BINDING. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] xxvi; 607 [3]. Contemporary navy full calf for The Leys School, Cambridge, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spine, and the school coat of arms stamped in gilt to upper. All edges..... More
Selected Stories from Our Village.
London: Blackie & Son, no date [circa 1910]. [English Village Life] FINE PRIZE BINDING. Octavo (18 x 13cm), pp.[2] 253 [3]. With a monochrome frontispiece illustration. Contemporary navy full calf by RELFE BROTHERS of London for Shaftsbury Girls' High School. Gilt titles to orange label, further gilt decoration to spine..... More
A Narrative of the Campaign of the British Army in Spain, Commanded by His Excellency Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, K. B. etc. etc. etc. Authenticated by Official Papers and Original Letters.
London: Printed for J. Johnson, 1809. THIRD EDITION, First in octavo. Octavo, pp.[2]; xx; 388; 136; [2]. With two folding maps, each with hand-coloured marches and battle positions, as well as a large appendix with letters, etc. In later horizontal-grained brown calf boards, recently re-backed in brown calf with gilt..... More
The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore. Reprinted from the Early Editions, with Explanatory Notes, etc. The Chandos Poets.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [circa 1880s]. [Poetical Works] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Octavo (20 x 15cm), pp.xii [2]; 653 [3]. With 12 engraved plates, and a frontispiece engraving of the author. Contemporary red full morocco, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spine, and blind ruling..... More
An Alphabet of Animals.
London: Blackie and Son, 1899. [Children's Book] FINE LITHOGRAPHS. Quarto (34 x 27cm), unpaginated. With a page of text and a full page lithographic illustration of an animal for each letter of the alphabet. Rebacked to style in green card, to style with the remains of the original spine laid..... More