"Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon. "
— Bertolt Brecht
Travel & Topography
Scott's Last Expedition. Vol. I being the Journals of Captain R. F. Scott, R.N., C.V.O., Vol. II being the Reports of the Journeys and the Scientific Work Undertaken by Dr. E. A. Wilson and the Surviving Members of the Expedition. Arranged by Leonard Huxley. With a Preface by Sir Clements R. Markham.
London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1913. [Travel] FIRST EDITION. In two volumes. Large octavo (24 x 17cm), pp.[2] xxvi, 633 [3]; pp.xvi, 534 [2]. Title page printed in red and black. With eight photogravure plates, including a frontispiece portrait for each vol.; 18 coloured plates; and 260 photographic plates taken..... More
The Voyage of the Discovery.
London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1913. [Polar Exploration] RARE DUST-JACKETS, the first pocket edition. Two volumes. Duodecimo (16 x 11cm), pp.478; [2]; pp.477; [3]. With eight photographic plates, including a frontispiece to each volume, and a folding map at the rear of volume I. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles..... More
The Conquest of The Arctic.
London: Harrap, 1939. SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp. 284. Bound in publisher's light blue cloth titled in pale silver to spine, in a pictorial dustjacket depicting modes of transport heading towards the North Pole. Cloth in excellent condition with limited signs of wear. Endcaps a little pushed, with superficial rubbing..... More
Qanoon-e-Islam, or the Customs of the Mussulmans of India; Comprising a Full and Exact Account of Their Various Rites and Ceremonies, from the Moment of Birth Till the Hour of Death.
Madras: J. Higginbotham, 1863. RARE SECOND EDITION. Octavo, pp.[2] xxiv, 296, cxliv [2]. With a total of 21 lithographic plates, two being portrait frontispieces and seven appearing consecutively at rear. In contemporary, possibly publisher's half tan cloth with navy leather-effect paper-covered boards. No external titles. Light even browning throughout; occasional..... More
Spain.
London: B.T. Batsford, 1950. [Travel Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xii; 148. With four colour plates, including a frontispiece, and 32 double-sided black and white photographic plates, as well as two sketch-maps at rear. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. Top edge blue. With the dust-jacket..... More
Skelton's Engraved Illustrations of the Principal Antiquities of Oxfordshire, from Original Drawings by F. Mackenzie. Accompanied with descriptive historical notices.
Oxford: J. Skelton, 1823. FIRST SUBSCRIBERS EDITION. Large Quarto, pp.[6] iv, 10; 8; 4; 12; 10; 22; 10; 10; 4; 2; 2; 8; 10; 26 [6]. With separate pagination for each Hundred region. 50 large steel engravings on india paper pasted to thick plates, including a frontispiece, as well as..... More
Temiar Jungle: A Malayan Journey.
London: John Murray, 1958. [Malay Archipelago] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.x; 176 [2]. With eight double-sided black and white photographic plates, an illustration to each chapter head, and a double-page map on green paper, all by the author. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the..... More
Journal of The Discovery of the Source of the Nile.
Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, 1863. [African Exploration] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.[2] xxxii; 656. With 26 engraved plates, including a frontispiece portrait of the author, and two folding maps in a pouch at rear. Recent tan half calf with raised bands, gilt titles to spine and marbled..... More
The Tunbridge Wells Guide; or an Account of the Ancient and Present State of that Place, to which is Added a Particular Description of the Towns and Villages, Remains of Antiquity, Gentlemens Seats, Founderies, etc. etc. within the Circumference of Sixteen Miles.
Tunbridge Wells: J. Sprange, 1801 [1797]. SEVENTEENTH ISSUE. Octavo, pp.xi, 336. With 13 engraved plates including frontispiece, and a folding table of inter-town distances to rear. Not including the 'List of Rare Plants'. In recent quarter grey card with black titles to white paper label on spine. Marbled boards. All..... More
The Tunbridge Wells Guide; or an Account of the Ancient and Present State of that Place, to which is Added a Particular Description of the Towns and Villages, Remains of Antiquity, Gentlemens Seats, Founderies, etc. etc. within the Circumference of Sixteen Miles.
Tunbridge Wells: J. Sprange, 1808 [1809]. TWENTY-FIRST ISSUE. Octavo, pp.xi; 336. With 14 engraved plates, some folding, including frontispiece. Also with a folding table of inter-town distances to rear. In recent quarter vellum with hand-written titles in black ink to spine. Marbled paper-covered boards; top edge red. Housed in a...... More
Sinai and Palestine, In connection with their history.
London: John Murray, 1889. [Holy Land Topography] FINE PRIZE BINDING, a new edition. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.lviii; 560. With eleven maps, six printed in colour, and a colour frontispiece showing the elevation of the country. Contemporary burgundy polished calf for Leeds Grammar School, with raised bands, gilt titles to..... More
In Darkest Africa, or, The Quest Rescue and Retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria. With Two Steel Engravings and One Hundred and Fifty Illustrations and Maps.
Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1890. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. Two volumes, octavo. Illustrated, with three folding maps housed in pockets to the rear of each volume. Publisher's green cloth, pictorially stamped in gilt and black. Some edgewear and rubbing to extremities, spine tips frayed, loose maps with some expected wear..... More
In Darkest Africa, or the Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria.
London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington, 1890. [African Exploration] FIRST TRADE EDITION. Two volumes. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.xvi; 529; [1]; pp.xvi; 472; [2]. With 150 woodcut illustrations and maps, including three folding. Also with a copy of John Speke's map of eastern equatorial Africa loose to preliminaries of..... More
In Darkest Africa, or the Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria.
New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1890-1891. [African Exploration] FIRST US EDITIONS. Two volumes. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.xvi; 547; [1]; pp.xvi; 540; With two steel engravings, and one hundred and fifty illustrations and maps, pockets containing loose maps to the rear of each volume.Elegantly hand-bound in mid-green half calf..... More
Alexander's Path. From Caria to Cilicia.
London: John Murray, 1958. [Travel literature] FINELY BOUND FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.xxiv; 283 [1]. With 21 black and white photographic plates, as well as vignette title page illustration by Reynolds Stone, in-text illustrations by the author, maps, and an index. Recent blue half morocco with raised bands..... More
Ionia: A Quest.
London: John Murray, 1954. [Travel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.[xxiv]; 263; [1] blank. Publisher's blue cloth titled in gilt to spine and upper board, pictorial dust-jacket priced at 30s net, sketch map drawn by E.G. Morton, photographic plates and in-text drawings by the author. Spotting to endpapers, toned..... More
Traveller's Prelude; Beyond the Euphrates; The Coast of Incense; Dust in the Lion's Paw. A Complete set of Freya Stark's four-volume Autobiography.
London: John Murray, 1950; 1951; 1953; 1961. [Travel writing] ALL FIRST EDITIONS. Octavo (23 x 16 x 14cm), pp.xii; 346; pp.xiii; 341; pp.xiii; 287; pp.xii; 297. Elegantly bound in half green calf, gilt-lettered with twin red morocco title labels, spine in six compartments with raised bands, matching cloth sides, top..... More
Don Gypsy: Adventures with a Fiddle in Barbary, Andalusia and La Mancha.
London: John Murray, 1936. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.xvi, 525 [3]. With six photographic plates, a map, and a frontispiece and title-page vignette by Arthur Rackham.In publisher's orange cloth with gilt titles to spine. Light spotting to prelims and edges. Spine sunned and rubbed. Good overall. More
This is Malaya.
Kuala Lumpur: Caxton Press Ltd., 1948. [Far East Photography] FIRST EDITION. Small quarto portfolio (28 x 23cm), pp.[6] 89. With an index at rear, printed with black and white photographs and captions to the recto of each leaf only. Publisher's plain paper-covered boards, bound with a sturdy rope, with green..... More
My Sudan Year.
London: Mills and Boon, Limited, 1912. [African Travel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.x; 305 [35]. With 40 black and white photographic plates, including a frontispiece. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board. Light spotting and some dustiness to edges, with some offsetting to endpapers..... More
Orientations.
London: Ivor Nicholson, 1937. [Colonial Biography] AUTOGRAPH LETTER FROM AUTHOR. First edition, fourth printing. Octavo (27 x 17cm), pp.[2]; xviii; 624. With seventeen illustrations including a frontispiece, and four maps, some folding. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine and a gilt device stamped to upper. Top edge blue..... More
Sidelights on Peking Life.
Peking: China Booksellers, 1927. [China] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (26 x 19cm), pp.xviii; 135 [5]. With a (very rough) map of the city and 25 double-sided black and white photographic plates. Publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine and upper. Illustrated bookplate of George H. Danton to front pastedown. Quite..... More
Malay Sketches.
London: John Lane, The Bodley Head. 1895. [Malaysia] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[2] xii; 289 [19]. In recent brown half calf, with raised bands, gilt titles to red morocco label on spine, and brown cloth over boards. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. A small paper note pasted to..... More
Some Nigerian Fertility Cults.
London: Humphrey Milford [Oxford University Press], 1927. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.xii; 140. With 48 illustrations including a frontispiece, some on clay paper plates. In publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. Small illustrated bookplate of Adam A. Chalmers to front pastedown. Slight reading lean, otherwise very good indeed... More
In New South Africa: Travels in the Transvaal and Rhodesia.
London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co., 1900. [South African Travel] SECOND EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.viii; 436. With 26 half-tone illustrations, including a frontispiece and title page vignette, and a folding map. Publisher's maroon cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper. Purple ownership stamp to flyleaf. Heavy..... More