The Book of the Sword by Burton, Richard F - 1884

Paris: Chez J.J. Jansen et Comp., 1795. Book. Illus. by 22 Fine Engraved Plates. Very Good. 3/4 Leather. First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. "Dans les Annees 1783, 84 et 85". Text in French. Three volumes, pages xliv, 304: 426: and 525. Half titles in vol 2 and 3. 3/4 calf with grey marbled boards. Burgundy title labels and black volume labels with bright gilt (probably later). Some edge wear, skillfully rebacked spines. Speckled page edges. 22 engraved plates, five folding, as called for. Clean and tight inside, no foxing, with book plates of Hon. Francis Howard. Mendelssohn I, 892, 889, 890: "His description is unilque for this period, as little inormation respecting these regions had been published up to this date". This second voyage was to Namaqualand, Damaraland, Bechuanaland and the Kalahari desert A fine set of a very rare African classic..

London: Tinsley Brothers, 1863. Hardcover. Very good. Two volumes in the rarest binding state (without Burton's name or FRGS on the spines), but with a "second edition" slug on the title pages. This state was apparently unknown to Penzer and was probably the result of an attempt to boost sales by the publisher, as the text is unchanged. Plate of Julu house is the frontispiece to Volume I, and the map (now detached and laid in) is in Volume II. . Both volumes lightly bumped/rubbed, but clean and sound. Small bookplate of F.H. Spencer on each front pastedown. Much to his dismay, Burton's first consular posting landed him on a small, desolate island off the coast of West Africa. He took every opportunity to leave the place, exploring various parts of the mainland and making observations on cultural and traditions, health and sanitary conditions, and slavery, among other things. The account of his journeys into Sierra Leone and Nigeria to investigate stories of gold and gold mining is credited with… Read More

Glocester: R. Raikes for T. Jefferys, 1764. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Quarto, pp. [8], 280, [8], with 7 engraved maps and plates (4 folding). Contemporary calf boards with new, complementary calf spine in six compartments. Some edgewear to boards; minor foxing to endpapers; text and plates exceptionally clean and bright. Bookplate of Sir Joseph Copley on front pastedown. An abridged translation of the Russian edition of 1755, which offered "The first reliable descriptions of Kamchatka, based on the observations of the author and his companions during the Russian expedition to the far north, 1734-43, a part of Bering's Great Northern Expedition" (Arctic Bib. 9264, 9265). It describes the customs, morals, religion, and languages of the inhabitants of the Kamchatkan peninsula. In addition, the the author had access to the notes made by pioneering German botanist George Steller during his travels to North America with Bering's expedition, and the second part of the narrative includes much on… Read More

Greece: London Rodwell & Martin. 1821. Aquatint view of Thermopylæ from the Deluxe edition of Dodwell's "Views in Greece". Original hand colour, mounted on card with title caption to verso The view shows the pass of Thermopylæ with the plain down to the sea, on the left is Mount Knemis and also Mount Œta, Thermopylae means "hot gates" in Greek and the name is related with its hot sulphur springs. This is also the place of cavernous entrances to Hades in mythology. Thermopylae is primarily known for the battle that took place there between the Greek forces including the Spartans and the Persian forces. It is the only land route large enough to bear any significant traffic between Lokris and Thessaly and thus was the site of several battles.. Dodwell states that the two figures are"attendants of the author, for as the defiles of Thermopylæ are sometimes infested with banditti ,it was necssary to be well prepared." Bright and clean. Edward Dodwell (1767 1832) was an Irish painter,… Read More

London: John Stockdale, 1801. Hardcover. Near fine. First octavo edition and second edition overall. Six volumes uniformly bound in recent quarter leather and marbled boards, complete with two large folding maps/charts and 17 folding plates; 2 pages of ads at the end of Volume VI. Occasional light foxing, a couple small splits/tears to maps, else fine. Signature of Alfred Fowler on the front free endpaper of Volume I and the rear pastedown of Volume II. Vancouver sailed by way of the Cape of Good Hope to Australia, then to New Zealand, Hawaii, and the northwest coast of America -- discovering previously unknown geographical features in each locale. In three seasons' work, Vancouver surveyed the coast of California with remarkable accuracy, visited a number of the Spanish settlements in Alta California, investigated the Strait of Juan de Fuca, circumnavigated Vancouver island, and disproved the existence of any passage between the Pacific and Hudson Bay. In all, Vancouver's party sailed about 55,000… Read More

London: Tinsley Brothers, 1863. Hardcover. Very good. Two volumes in the rarest binding state (without Burton's name or FRGS on the spines), but with a "second edition" slug on the title pages. This state was apparently unknown to Penzer and was probably the result of an attempt to boost sales by the publisher, as the text is unchanged. Plate of Julu house is the frontispiece to Volume I, and the map (now detached and laid in) is in Volume II. . Both volumes lightly bumped/rubbed, but clean and sound. Small bookplate of F.H. Spencer on each front pastedown. Much to his dismay, Burton's first consular posting landed him on a small, desolate island off the coast of West Africa. He took every opportunity to leave the place, exploring various parts of the mainland and making observations on cultural and traditions, health and sanitary conditions, and slavery, among other things. The account of his journeys into Sierra Leone and Nigeria to investigate stories of gold and gold mining is credited with… Read More

Glocester: R. Raikes for T. Jefferys, 1764. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Quarto, pp. [8], 280, [8], with 7 engraved maps and plates (4 folding). Contemporary calf boards with new, complementary calf spine in six compartments. Some edgewear to boards; minor foxing to endpapers; text and plates exceptionally clean and bright. Bookplate of Sir Joseph Copley on front pastedown. An abridged translation of the Russian edition of 1755, which offered "The first reliable descriptions of Kamchatka, based on the observations of the author and his companions during the Russian expedition to the far north, 1734-43, a part of Bering's Great Northern Expedition" (Arctic Bib. 9264, 9265). It describes the customs, morals, religion, and languages of the inhabitants of the Kamchatkan peninsula. In addition, the the author had access to the notes made by pioneering German botanist George Steller during his travels to North America with Bering's expedition, and the second part of the narrative includes much on… Read More

LONDON: Printed for Captain Wilson and sold by G Nicol, 1789 A good copy of this famous account, first published a year earlier in 1788. With 17 plates, 12 of which are folding. In a good half leather binding - the spine has a red leather title label and gilt compartments and is newer than the marbled boards. The newer leather is in very good condition; the boards have wear, particularly to edges. All page edges are gilt. There is an ink signature on the front pastedown - ? Mr Dickinson, Thorncroft Workington and then Cornsickle, Whitehaven 1882. With frontispiece portrait of Captain Wilson, title page (with small pencil note), dedication, folding chart of the Pelew Islands, Introduction, contents list and text including 7 plates of objects, 3 additional portraits, 3 views, 1 large folding view and 1 plan. The frontispiece and title page have some spotting and there is a little worming to the bottom in the gutter. P 215 has a small area of loss to the outer edge. Otherwise, the text pages are… Read More

USA: Privately Published By Author, 1949. First Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Very Good. FIRST PRINTING of First Edition. Original red cloth with gilt lettering over a black title patch on spine. The book is in fine condition with no previous owner marks or writing on any pages, solid binding, no foxing, clean covers, no rubbing. The original scarce dust jacket has old cellophane tape stains on the covers and flaps (tape is long gone), minor loss to bottom of spine. The book measures 225mm tall x 158mm and has 180 pages, 29 b/w photos. This book was privately printed by the author to present to friends and associates. It was never for sale. Stimson was Secretary Of War under Taft from 1911 to 1913, a colonel of the 31st Field Artillery in WWI, Governor General of the Philippines, Secretary of State 1929-1933, and Secretary Of War from 1940 to 1949 under Roosevelt. In this book he tells of his ascent of the east face of Chief Mountain in Glacier National Park in 1891 (the 2nd ascent of the peak, the… Read More

London: John Stockdale, 1801. Hardcover. Near fine. First octavo edition and second edition overall. Six volumes uniformly bound in recent quarter leather and marbled boards, complete with two large folding maps/charts and 17 folding plates; 2 pages of ads at the end of Volume VI. Occasional light foxing, a couple small splits/tears to maps, else fine. Signature of Alfred Fowler on the front free endpaper of Volume I and the rear pastedown of Volume II. Vancouver sailed by way of the Cape of Good Hope to Australia, then to New Zealand, Hawaii, and the northwest coast of America -- discovering previously unknown geographical features in each locale. In three seasons' work, Vancouver surveyed the coast of California with remarkable accuracy, visited a number of the Spanish settlements in Alta California, investigated the Strait of Juan de Fuca, circumnavigated Vancouver island, and disproved the existence of any passage between the Pacific and Hudson Bay. In all, Vancouver's party sailed about 55,000… Read More