Search Results: Historical Fiction from JimsOldBooks

New York: Summit Books, 1991. Some creasing and a couple of small tears to the edges of the unclipped dustwrapper, minor bumping to spine ends, otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover novel. Set in late fifteenth century Spain, the story deals with a young man, a "converso" (a person descended from Jews who converted to Christianity) wandering through Spain at the time of the Holy Inquisition. Originally published in Spanish as "1492 vida y tiempos de Juan Cabezón de Castilla" in 1985 in Mexico. 285pp.. Hard Cover. Very Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: T Nelson and Sons, 1884. No dustwrapper, some wear to the spine ends, bevelled edges and corners of green cloth-covered boards; gilt titles and decoration on the spine is rubbed but still readable, as is the gilt title and red-and-black illustration of John Knox's house on front board. Minor foxing to outer pages, otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover book, being a historical tale set in Scotland at the time of the Reformation in the mid sixteenth century. No author's name given (''By the Author of 'The Spanish Brothers', 'The Czar: a Tale of the Time of the First Napoleon' etc' '' but author's name, according to the British Library, was Deborah Alcock (1825-1913). She was the daughter of the Anglican Archdeacon of Waterford and wrote many other novels of the same type. 520pp plus 8pp adverts.. Hard Cover. Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: Wells, Gardner, Darton & Co Ltd, 1930. Creasing and small tears to the edges of dustwrapper, the dustwrapper has been mended on the back with tape, fading to spine; old damp-marking to blue cloth-covered boards, an outer page has been torn out (probably had a previous owner's name on), otherwise a not too bad copy. No publication date given, but the book was originally published in the early 1900s. I suspect that this copy would be a later printing, maybe 1930s?. A childrens story about Alfred the Great. 320pp, 4 full-page b&w illustrations.. Hard Cover. Fair/Fair. Illus. by Walker, A G. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1966. Creasing and some tears to edges of price-clipped dustwrapper, with two pieces torn away at the top edge of front panel; minor bumping to spine ends of blue boards, but otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover book. A novel set in Anglo-Saxon England and in Greenland and North America in the late ninth century. 384pp.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/Fair. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: Andre Deutch, 1984. Minor fading to spine of price-clipped dustwrapper, some yellowing to the pages, otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover novel. Originally published in German in 1982 as ''Die Ballade von der Typhoid Mary'', the story is based on the life of .... yes, the legendary ''Typhoid Mary '' alias Maria Caduff who caused many deaths from typhoid fever in late nineteenth century America. 172pp.. Hard Cover. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: W & R Chambers, 1933. No dustwrapper, minor bumping to spine ends of green boards, slight fading to spine but gilt titles thereon are still bright; a small ink stamp on f/ep, binding just starting to split at half-title, some foxing to outer pages and to page edges throughout, but otherwise a good clean copy of this hard-cover book. A story set in Roman Britain in the late second century AD, mostly around Hadrian's Wall. The author was a Sir Philip Howard Pilditch, Conservative MP for Spelthorne, Middlesex between 1918 and 1931. The name Baltropp comes from his house (now long-demolished) in Weybridge, Surrey. A second, abridged, edition was published in 1938. 320pp, 1 map.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1950. Unclipped dustwrapper has creasing and some tears to the edges, also a few small bits missing. Minor bumping to spine ends of blue cloth-covered boards. Original owner was a pipe-smoker, so spine of dustwrapper is discoloured, also the book does still smell faintly, but not (to me anyway) unpleasantly, of tobacco. But otherwise a not too bad, tight copy of this hard-cover novel. A rags-to-riches type story of a woman from a poverty-stricken background in a small fishing village in Morayshire. 479pp.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/Fair. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: The Book Club, 1956. Book Club edition from 1956. Some creasing to edges of dustwrapper, also some foxing to back panel. Minor bumping to spine ends of green boards, original owner's ink stamp on f/ep, otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover novel. The story deals with a Louisiana family between 1824 and 1920. 301pp.. Book Club (BCE/BOMC). Hard Cover. Good/Good. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

London: Collins, 1972. Collins ''Autograph'' edition reprint from 1972. Minor creasing to the edges of unclipped dustwrapper, the white back panel is a bit grubby. Minor bumping to spine ends of red boards, some foxing to outer edges of pages, otherwise a good tight copy. Originally published in 1948, this is an adventure story set in the 1820s dealing with a boy who finds himself sailing on a slave ship. The author was probably best-known for his novel ''London Belongs to Me''. 254pp, some b&w drawings.. Hard Cover. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

New York: Tor, 2018. A very good clean tight copy in similar, unclipped dustwrapper. The story, intended for a "young adult" readership, is set in ancient Rome and deals with a Thracian girl captured and sold as a gladiator (or is it gladiatrix?) who escapes and leads a slave rebellion. Signed by the author and dated (American style) 1-16-18 on publisher's bookplate stuck on f/ep. 320pp.. Signed by Author. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: HarperCollins, 1999. Minor creasing to edges of unclipped dustwrapper, sticker on front panel ("The New Aubrey/Maturin Adventure"), some yellowing to the pages, otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover book, the twentieth in the author's Aubrey/Maturin series of novels. This one, the last to be published in the author's lifetime, is set just after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and involves the Chilean War of Independence. First UK edition, with the number line starting with a 1. 262pp.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: The Book Club, 1958. Book Club edition from 1958. Some creasing to the edges of dustwrapper, some discolouration to back panel of same, minor shelf-wear to bottom edge of red boards, otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover novel. Set in the American South like many of the author's other stories, this one takes place in Louisiana at the time of the Civil War. 244pp.. Book Club (BCE/BOMC). Hard Cover. Good/Good. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

London: Andre Deutsch, 1973. Ex school library copy with paper label inside front board and on f/ep, ink stamp on title page and on top edge of text blaock. Slight creasing to edges of price-clipped dustwrapper, minor bumping to spine ends and corners of brown boards, otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover book. The story, written for older children, is set in Orkney and in Canada in the early nineteenth century. 144pp.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Ex-Library.

London: Andre Deutch, 1986. Minor creasing to the edges of unclipped dustwrapper, minor shelf-wear to bottom edge of red boards, otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover novel. Set in Scotland in the early sixteenth century, the story deals with a penniless girl married off to a much older nobleman on condition that the marriage isn't consummated for a year. Based partly on James Hogg's ''Bridal of Polmood'' story. 379pp.. Hard Cover. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Paris: Calman Levy, 1882. Written in French. Re-bound a long time ago with leather spine (and inner third of boards) and marbled paper-covered boards. Only the title "Cinq-Mars" on spine. Slight wear to spine-ends and corners, gray thick paper endpapers, an old bookplate for I M Moffatt-Penders inside front board and another name (same surname) on page before title page. Possibly belonged to one Ian McAllister Moffat-Pender, who served in WW1 in the Seaforth Highlanders and the RFC, stood (unsuccessfully) as a Conservative candidate in the 1930s, and also wrote in Gaelic. Originally published in 1826, the story is based around the story of Henri Coiffier de Ruzé, Marquis de Cinq-Mars, who was executed in 1642 after leading a plot against Cardinal Richelieu. 496pp, folding facsimile letter from Richelieu after title page.. Half-Leather. Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: Hutchinson, 1964. Creasing and some tears to edges of unclipped dustwrapper, minor bumping to spine ends and corners of brown boards, otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover book. A novel based on the life on Anne Boleyn. 359pp.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/Fair. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Coventry: The Mercian Publishers, 1945. Some small tears to edges of unclipped dustwrapper, a crease to top corner of front panel of same. Minor bumping to spine ends of green boards, but otherwise a good clean tight copy of this slim hard-cover book, a short novel set around the Rollright Stones in the East Midlands around 2000 years ago (although the characters all have Saxon names and some are Christians). No publication date given, but the British Library has it as 1945. Inscribed (not signed) by the author on f/ep ''With the author's best wishes''. 88pp, 1 map.. Inscribed by Author. Hard Cover. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: Collins, 1953. Unclipped dustwrapper has a lot of creasing and tears to the edges, with about an inch being missing at bottom end of spine and a a bit less at the top end. Minor bumping to spine ends and corners of brown boards, but otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover novel. The fourth in the author's ''Immortal Memory'' series of novels based on the life of Robert Burns, this one covers the period 1788-91 when he farmed at Ellisland after his return from Edinburgh. 320pp, endpaper map.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/Poor. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: Nicholson and Watson, 1938. This is the 1938 edition published by Nicholson and Watson. No dustwrapper, minor bumping to spine ends and corners of pale blue cloth boards with dark blue thistle to the front, previous owner's bookplate on f/fl, otherwise a good clean tight copy of this hard-cover historical novel set in the early part of the fifteenth century. Deals with the life of James I, king of Scotland. 575pp, 2 maps and a family tree.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: Jarrolds, 1959. Ex penny library copy (Eskside Lending Library, Musselburgh) with f/ep remoned, ink stamp and number on title page, first and last pages of text, and on last page. Unclipped dustwrapper has creasing and tears to the edges, with the top inch or so and the bottom two inches missing at the spine. Some bumping to spine ends and corners of blue booards, some yellowing to the pages, but otherwise not too bad. One of several pirate-themed stories written under a pseudonym by Frank G Slaughter. 238pp.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/Fair. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Ex-Library.