"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."
— Mark Twain
History & Biography
An Introduction to Heraldry, Containing the Rudiments of the Science in General, and other Necessary Particulars Connected with the Subject.
London: Printed for T. Egerton, and White and Cochrane, 1810. FIRST EDITION, augmented with cuttings and a hand-painted illumination. Octavo, pp.[4]; 158; [2]. With 12 engraved plates, one chromolithographic plate, and one folding table of tinctures. Many heraldry-themed newspaper cuttings from the 1930s pasted and loose to all endpapers, and..... More
A Residence in France, During the Years 1792, 1793, 1794, and 1795; Described in a Series of Letters from an English Lady: With General and Incidental Remarks of the French Character and Manners.
London: T.N. Longman, 1797. SECOND EDITION. In two volumes. Crown Octavo. pp. xxxiv, 448; 464. In contemporary full mottled calf with gilt titles to red morocco labels on spines. Upper joints split; corners bumped, with heavy wear to edges. Head and tail bands loose or damaged. Front free end-paper to..... More
State of the Nation: British Theatre since 1945.
London: Faber and Faber, 2007. [Theatre] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.viii; 435; [5]. With a suite of four double-sided colour photographic plates. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to title page: "For Edward | Best Wishes | Michael Billington | 19th November 2007". Publisher's orange cloth..... More
The Debt We Owe: The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund 1919-1989.
Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 1989. INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.[8], 216. With a colour frontispiece portrait of Viscount Trenchard, and 12 double-sided black and white plates. INSCRIBED by the author to Guy Huntrods, a prominent Tunbridge Wells based veteran, for his 75th birthday, in bright blue ink to title page. Also..... More
The Romance of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
London: Raphael Tuck and Sons, 1933. [Architecture]. INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.78 [2]. With 12 photogravure illustrations and a chromolithographic frontispiece. INSCRIBED by the author in black ink to front free endpaper: 'F. M. Bridge / from / H. W. Blackburne. / august 1933.' Publisher's blue cloth..... More
Northern Ireland in the Second World War.
Belfast: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1956. [Second World War] FIRST EDITION, EX LIBRIS CLEMENT ATTLEE. Octavo (25 x 16cm), pp.xvi; 569 [3]. With eight black and white photographic plates, some double-sided, as well as 12 folding maps. Publisher's dark green cloth with gilt titles to spine. With Attlee's distinctive bookplate..... More
China Under the Empress Dowager, Being the History of the Life and Times of Tzu Hsi. Compiled from State Papers and the Private Diary of the Comptroller of Her Household.
London: William Heinemann, 1911. [China] VINTAGE COPY, a later impression. Octavo (26 x 17cm), pp.xxviii; 525 [3]. With 26 black and white photographic plates, including a frontispiece, and a map of Peking. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine, and black titles and a red device to upper. Fore..... More
The Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture. With an explanation of technical terms, and a centenary of ancient terms.
London: David Bogue, 1846. [Gothic Architecture] VINTAGE EDITION, the eighth, with illustrations. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.xii; 330 [2]. With an eight-page publisher's catalogue tipped onto the flyleaf. With 228 in-text wood engravings. Publisher's blind-decorated green cloth with gilt titles to spine. All edges untrimmed; yellow-coated endpapers. Rear hinge split;..... More
The Reformation of the Church of England. Its History, Principles, and Results. A.D. 1514-1662.
London: Rivingtons, [1881] 1882-1885. [Church History]. FINELY BOUND, the Sixth Edition of volume I and the First Edition of volume II. In two volumes. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[2] xii; 567 [3]; pp.[2] xii; 622. With an index to both volumes. Contemporary tan full calf prize binding, with raised bands..... More
The Character of Queen Elizabeth. Or, a Full and Clear Account of Her Policies, and the Methods of Her Government both in Church and State. Her Virtues and Defects. Together with the Characters of Her Principal Ministers of State. And the greatest part of the Affairs and Events that Happened in Her Times.
London: Printed for Richard Chiswell, 1693. [English History] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[32]; 376 [2]. With a copper engraved frontispiece by John Sturt showing Elizabeth and Mary. Contemporary speckled calf, recently re-backed with the original spine leather laid over. Raised bands; no external title labels. Ownership marks in..... More
Liddell Hart; A Study of his Military Thought.
Aldershot: Gregg Revivals. 1991. Reprint with new preface. Octavo, pp. x, 289, 3 of adverts. Grey cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board. Slight yellowing to the edges, a fine copy. More
The War Romance of the Salvation Army.
Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1919. FIRST EDITION. Crown Octavo. pp. 356 [4]. With 16 b/w photographic plates including frontispiece; 14 being double-sided. In publisher's brown cloth with red titles to spine and upper board. With original pictorial dust jacket. Near-fine with some wear to jacket edges and minor chipping to..... More
Rock of Exile: A Narrative of Tristan da Cunha.
London: J.M. Dent and Sons, 1957. [Wartime Travel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[4] x; 196. With seven double-sided photographic plates and a frontispiece, as well as an illustrated map and vignette illustrations to chapter headings, all by Foster. Publisher's yellow cloth with black titles to spine. With the..... More
The Life of Samuel Johnson. The Temple Bar Edition, Including 'Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides'.
New York, NY: Gabriel Wells, 1922. FINELY BOUND. In ten volumes. Medium Octavo. With a frontispiece engraving of Johnson and other engraved plates. No. 115 of 750 sets originally for sale. With a bibliographical introduction by Clement Shorter and an introduction to each vol. by the following: Aleyn Lyell Reade;..... More
The Life of Samuel Johnson. Including a Journal of his Tour to the Hebrides.
Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott and Co., 1865. [Biography] FINELY BOUND, a New Edition, with notes etc. In four volumes. Octavo (19 x 14 x 12cm), pp.xxxvi; 25-468 [2]; pp.[2] 479 [3]; pp.[2] 452 [6]; pp.[2] 452 [6]. With an engraved frontispiece to volumes I and II. Contemporary tan half calf..... More
The History of the Valiant Knight Arthur of Little Britain. A Romance of Chivalry. Originally Translated from the French by John Bourchier, Lord Berners. A New Edition. With a Series of Plates, from the Illuminated Drawings contained in a valuable Ms. of the Original Romance.
London: Printed for White, Cochrane and Co., 1814. Limited Edition to 175 regular copies. Quarto; pp: half title page, frontispiece, title page, (12), (1), vi - xxvii, (1), iv, 544. Illustrated with black and white plates based on drawings from the original manuscript. Complete. This edition is edited by Edward..... More
The Niger Explored.
London: Oxford University Press, 1968. [African Colonial Exploration] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.xii; 263 [1]. With six black and white plates, and numerous maps. Publisher's orange cloth with gilt titles to a blue background on spine. With the dust-jacket illustrated with a detail from a painting by Captain..... More
Farewell to Cricket.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1950. [Cricket Biography]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.320. With 28 black and white photographic illustrations including a frontispiece. In publisher's green cloth with darker green titles to spine. With original green pictorial dust-jacket. Slight reading lean; some rubbing to jacket edges and joints. Large..... More
Clavis Calendaria; or, a Compendious Analysis of the Calendar: Illustrated with Ecclesiastical, Historical, and Classical Anecdotes.
London: Printed for the Author, and sold by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown [etc.], 1815. [Chronology]. FINELY BOUND, third edition. In two volumes. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.[4]; x; 404 [4]; pp.[6]; 406 [4]. With a frontispiece woodcut of an Anglo-Saxon 'Almonaght' and occasional in-text wood engravings and tables..... More
In Our Time: Celebrating Twenty Years of Essential Conversation.
London: Simon and Schuster, 2018. [Broadcasting History] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.432. With colour illustrations throughout. SIGNED by both authors in black marker to title page. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine, and gold decorated endpapers. With the dust-jacket, priced at £25. Two promotional stickers..... More
The Clinton Tapes. Wrestling History with the President.
London: Simon and Schuster, 2009. [American Politics] EX LIBRIS LORD MOYNIHAN, First Edition. Octavo (24 x 17cm), pp.xii; 707; [1]. Publisher's black cloth with silver titles to spine. With pictorial dust-jacket. Recent bookplate detailing provenance affixed to flyleaf. Bottom of spine bumped else a fine copy. From the Library of..... More
Views in Suffolk, Norfolk, and Northamptonshire; Illustrative of the Works of Rober Bloomfield; Accompanied with Descriptions: to which is Annexed, a Memoir of the Poet's Life.
London: Vernor, Hood, and Sharpe [etc.], n.d. [1806]. [Literary Topography]. FIRST EDITION. Large octavo (26 x 17cm), pp.[2] 56 [2]. With 14 copper engraved plates, including a frontispiece, and a decorated title page. Publisher's grey paper-covered boards with original cream paper title label to upper board, recently re-backed to-style with..... More
The History of Surrey, by Edward Wedlake Brayley. Assisted by John Britton and E.W. Brayley, Junior. The Geological Section by Gideon Mantell.
Dorking: Robert Best Ede, 1841-48. FIRST EDITIONS. 5 volumes as 10 parts. Octavo (26 x 17 x 28cm). Publisher's original embossed purple cloth with gilt titles to evenly faded spines, yellow endpapers, edges untrimmed. Illustrated with 127 full page steel engraved plates by Thomas Allom, Thompson and others (some folding)..... More
The Explorers of North America 1492-1806. The Pioneer Histories.
London: A. and C. Black, 1933. [American colonial history] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.xvi; 502. With four folding maps. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine, typographic dust-jacket, priced at 18s. Top edge dark blue. Large bookplate or similar removed from pastedown. Light occasional spotting; more so..... More
Peking: A Historical and Intimate Description of its Chief Places of Interest.
Shanghai: Kelly and Walsh, 1931. [China] REVISED THIRD EDITION. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.xvi; 571 [3]. With 29 black and white photographic plates, including a frontispiece, and seven folding maps and plans. An appendix and index at rear. Publisher's yellow cloth with gilt titles to spine. Fore and lower edges..... More