South Africa, The Automobile Association of South Africa, 1939.
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth, gilt. Dust-jacket, priced 20/-.
An attractive guide to the then blossoming road routes that were opening up South Africa to the tourist.
War, Invasion & Spy
or, The British Agent
London, Heinemann, 1928.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth lettered in gilt and with publisher's and author's device in black. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6 to spine.
A great copy, benefitting from some professional conservational work to the jacket, of the author's spy stories, based largely on his own undercover experiences in Europe & Russia. It is believed that initially there were 31 stories but 14 had to be destroyed on Churchill's orders as they were in breach of the Official Secrets Act. Many authors of spy fiction have acknowledged the importance and merit of this work over the years, including John Le Carré, Graham Greene, Eric Ambler, Julian Symons and Raymond Chandler.
Children's Books
London, Adan & Charles Black, 1903.
First edition. 8vo. Original pictorial cloth.
"Most of these stories originally appeared in The Captain... The rest are from the Public School Magazine. The story entitled 'A Shocking Affair' appears in print for the first time. 'This was one of our failures.'" - Preface.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Hutchinson, n.d. [c.1925].
Third edition. 8vo. Original pale blue cloth. Dust-jacket, with 4/- price sticker to spine.
A great collection of weird tales, described by Bleiler as "Excellent", no less.
Modern Literature
London, The Hogarth Press, 1941.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Virginia Woolf's famous account of a summer's day at a country house in the heart of England, where the villagers are presenting their annual pageant.
Modern Literature
London, Hamish Hamilton, 1953.
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 11s.
Hartley's famous novel about a young boy's summer at a friend's grand estate in Norfolk, where he becomes an unwitting messenger in a tragic love affair, encapsulated by the famous opening line: "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
or, the Pommeray Case.
London, Hodder & Stoughton, [1927].
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Striking jacket artwork of on this uncommon "death ray" title.
American Literature
London, Gollancz, 1951.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 9/6.
The first appearance in book form of Langston's character of "Simple", first created for his Chicago Defender column in 1943.
Detective Fiction
London, Michael Joseph, 1958.
First edition. 8vo. Original red boards lettered in gilt. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
An attractive first edition of these Judge Dee historical mysteries. The main character was based on a real 7th century detective.
Sports & Pastimes
Edited by Haddon Whitaker
London, Whitaker, 1942.
Small 8vo. Original yellow pictorial wrappers.
An attractive example of one of the harder-to-find, war-time issues of Wisden's famous cricketing almanacks.
Sports & Pastimes
Edited by Haddon Whitaker
London, Whitaker, 1941.
Small 8vo. Original yellow pictorial wrappers.
An attractive example of one of the harder-to-find, war-time issues of Wisden's famous cricketing almanacks.
Detective Fiction
London, Collins Crime Club, [1939].
First UK edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth.
An automobile accident strands Nero Wolfe and Archie in the middle of a private pasture - and a family feud over a prize bull.
Detective Fiction
London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1956.
First UK edition, first hardcover edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, priced 10s6d.
Irish writer Moore's first pulp fiction foray under this pseudonym, one of seven such titles he subsequently disowned. Adapted into a 1958 film noir of the same name, directed by Jack Cardiff. Rare.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Ward Lock, 1935.
First edition. Signed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Signed by the author at the time of publication. A romantic tale with macabre elements.
Horror & Gothic
London, Newnes, [c.1925].
Newnes' New Size Novels edition. 8vo. Original pictorial wrappers, priced 1/-.
Rare soft cover edition of this classic werewolf title which has been described by Richard Dalby as possibly the definitive werewolf novel. First published by Eveleigh Nash in 1919.