A SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER...IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, AUGUST 20th 1940. by CHURCHILL. WINSTON. S - 1940

Collins. London. 1959. PROOF COPY OF FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (7.9 x 5.5 inches). Illustrated throughout with charming line drawings by Judith Brook, including both sets of endpapers. A very good clean copy in publishers blue marbled paper wraps. In the original full colour illustrated dustwrapper, designed by Selma Nankivell, featuring illustrated adverts for the first two of Michael Bond's Paddington Bear titles on the rear cover. A crease to the lower rear panel and a little rubbing and chipping to the extremities but overall a very good book in a very good dustwrapper. A scarce item.

William Blackwood and Sons. Edinburgh and London. 1915. FIRST EDITION. (7.5 x 5 inches). Some minor browning to page edges, as is often the case with this title, but less so than usually found. Finely bound in recent full dark blue morocco, raised bands, gilt. Single gilt ruled border on boards. Top edge gilt. Overall a very good, bright copy in attractive leather binding.

Hurst and Blackett, Limited. London. 1913. FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. 8vo. viii.376,24 pp publishers adverts for Autumn 1913, including blurb for this book with the title The Mysterious Mr. Noel. This was changed to Balaoo before publication but after the adverts were typeset. Very good bright, tight copy with previous owners name written neatly in ink to front blank endpaper. Some light foxing to a few pages but still generally a nice fresh copy. Publishers red cloth with blind ruled border and gilt lettering to front board. Spine lettered and ruled in gilt. A particularly nice copy of this rare title by the Author of The Phantom of the Opera. Originally published in French in 1912, Balaoo is the story of a Monkey who is brought up by a Scientist as a human, Mr. Noel. He is educated and can read and write and wears the latest Paris fashions. Balaoo is suspected of committing many crimes, culminating in the kidnapping of Mlle. Madeline, the daughter of the scientist who brought him up. Filmed three times,… Read More

Maunsel and Company, Limited, Dublin. Ireland. 1910. FIRST EDITION. Four 8vo volumes. (8.9 x 6.1 inches). Portrait frontis to each volume, including Jack Yeats 'Synge at rehearsal' in volume 2. Neat previous owners name (William Lawrence Schroeder -Author of various works including an appreciation of Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Divine element in art & literature and Science, Philosophy and Religion) on the front pastedown endpaper and title page of each volume. Publishers brown buckram over bevelled edges boards with gilt lettering to the spines. Top edges gilt, others untrimmed. In the scarce original dustwrappers which have survived in varying states with volume one lacking the whole of the spine and the other three with various chips and tears. The wrappers are now all protected in removable clear film fronted covers. A very good set of books in generally poor, but rare in any state dustwrappers. A well produced set printed on good quality paper and well bound. Issued the year after his death, at… Read More

George Virtue, London. 1851. FIRST EDITION. Folio. (13.2 x 10 inches). Packed with 100's of detailed mono line drawings, the work provides not only a catalogue of the Great Exhibition but its history. A very good copy in attractive early leather binding of full red morocco. Spine with raised bands, the compartments ruled, lettered and fully decorated in gilt. Elaborate decorative gilt panel within single gilt ruled and two blind ruled borders on both boards. Bevelled edges. Gilt inner dentelles. Coated yellow endpapers. All edges gilt. Bound by Lewis and Williams binders of Cardiff and with their small label to the inner rear board. Noted Irish author Joyce Cary's copy with his ex libris, and his son Michael's just below, on the front pastedown endpaper. Some minor rubbing to the edges but overall a very good copy.

T. C. Newby, And T & W. Boone. London. 1843. FIRST EDITION. 3 volumes. 8vo. (7.2 x 4.5 inches). 327; 288; 304pp. Library stamp of Cape of Good Hope Public Library on title pages and some brown marking to about 30 pages throughout the 3 volumes, otherwise a very good set bound, without half titles, in recent half tan calf. Spines with raised bands, red titles labels, gilt. The compartments lettered and ruled in gilt. Marbled paper on boards. Not in Sadleir or Wolff.

Caves Book Co. Taipei Taiwan China. 1964. PIRATED EDITION. 8vo. (7.7 x 5.4 inches). 336pp. No publisher on title page, just the date year printed on the verso and a stuck in paper label of Caves Book Co. on rear blank free endpaper. The title page has the title, author name and blurb 'at this point, it looked like curtains for james bond; he was skimping on his work, gambling, wenching, and on the edge of becoming a security risk' (sic). Blue cloth binding with silver lettering to the spine. Publishers sewn-in blue silk bookmark. The dustwrapper is printed in blue to the front panel, showing Bond holding his gun, between lettering and a target design. Spine lettered in blue. No other printing to the wrapper. ----- A rare curiosity.

George Allen & Unwin Ltd. London. 1937. FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. 8vo. (8 x 5.6 inches). A fine copy in a late twentieth century fine leather binding by Morrell of London. Half deep red morocco. Spine with five raised bands, each with gilt piping and floral tooling. Compartments double ruled, decorated and lettered in gilt. Marbled paper on boards. Top edge gilt. Marbled endpapers. A beautiful copy of this first English edition of the Author's autobiographical novel, set against the backdrop of the 1905 Russian revolution, inspired by his childhood in Odessa.

Eveleigh Nash & Grayson Limited. London. 1923. Large 8vo. (9.6 x 6.6 inches). Colour frontis and fifteen mono plates by Worth Brehm. A few spots of foxing to the fore edge otherwise a very good clean copy throughout, finely bound in recent half dark green morocco, raised bands, the compartments ruled, lettered and decorated in gilt. Marbled paper on boards. An attractively leather bound copy of this classic of American literature.

Hodder and Stoughton, London, for Boots pure drug company. circa 1923. Early reprint edition. 4to.(10 x 7.9 inches). Twenty full colour tipped in plates by Dulac. Finely bound recent half dark brown morocco leather binding. Spine with raised bands, the compartments ruled in blind and gilt, plus gilt lettering and centre decorations. Marbled paper on boards. A clean and attractively bound copy.