Rare books from Back Lane Books (Member of IOBA)

The Voyage Of Nearchus, From The Indus To The Euphrates. Collected From The Original Journal Preserved By Arrian, And Illustrated By Ancient And Modern Authorities Containing An Account Of The First Navigation Attempted By Europeans In The Indian Ocean. Vincent, William. Published by T. Cadell Jun. & W. Davies, London, 1797. First Edition. 530pp. Expertly rebound in full calf leather with banded spine and gilt stamped titles and marbled endpapers. Frontispiece, wide margins. 6 maps & charts of which 4 are folding, some geometrical figures, 1 table; errata and 'directions to the bookbinder' bound-in. A beautiful and rare volume in near fine condition; light soiling first few blank pages and frontispiece; gray/black inked notes on a few pages in very neat and tiny script; text block is clean with no paper loss or damage. A seminal work for scholars and a rare, fascinating volume for the collector.
This work comprises an English version of Arrian's account of the celebrated voyage of Nearchus of… Read More

The Works of William Shakespeare; His Plays and Poems from the Text of the Editions by Charles Knight with Glossarial Notes and Facts Connected with His Life and Writings, Abridged from "William Shakspere, A Biography. Complete in One Volume, Shakspere". Published by George Cox, London, 1853, Sixth edition. 8vo up to 9½" tall. 1060 pages. Profusely illustrated throughout by W. Harvey. Tan leather boards with gilt border front and back. Spine has 6 gilt raised bands with elaborate gilt design between each; title "Skakspere" (without 'e') in gilt block letters against dark brown leather strip. Endpapers and all edges marbled. Light and sporadic foxing, light toning to illustrations and otherwise contents are clean without markings, tears or folds. Free front endpaper along with blank page and frontis portrait are cleanly detached but remain bound together; easily repairable; remaining text block is tight. Boards have moderate wear with small stain to rear, tiny splits to head and tail of spine. A… Read More

The Illustrated Books of the Nanga, Maruyama, Shijo and Other Related Schools of Japan: A Biobliography, Mitchell, C.H. Dawson's Book Shop, Los Angeles, First edition,1972. Illustrated in black & white with 24 plates. 10" high X 8" wide, 623 pages. Blue boards with gilt titles. text block is in pristine condition; board have the lightest of shelf wear. An essential reference containing biographical details of the artists and Part II (pp 206-566) bibliographical details of the books. Approximately 1,200 entries. Appendices provide a list of titles showing Chinese and Japanese characters, a chronological list of books with classification by subject-matter and index of publishers, engravers, printers and bookbinders.

The Works Of Shakspere. Edited by Charles Knight. Imperial Edition. With Illustration in Steel. London: Virtue & Co. No date. Circa 1875-80. New York, Patterson and Neilson. Two Volume Set. Folio. Illustrations from pictures by C. W. Cope, W. P. Frith, C. R. Leslie, D. Maclise, E. M. Ward, C. Clint, H. S. Marks, W. Q. Orchardson, C. W. Sharp, W.M. Lizars, C. Cousen and others. Contemporary half black leather with green cloth boards and gilt emblem front boards; raised ribs and title and pattern in gilt to spines. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. Text pages printed with double columns. Plates are printed on fine heavy paper. Boards and edges have moderate rubbing (see pictures); gilt remains bright and binding is firm. Contents are in near fine condition with flaws noted as follows: Volume I, has light and small foxing marks to the preliminary pages and tissue guard is missing from one plate; Volume II has very small water droplet marks near tail edge and outside of illustration in a few plates.… Read More

The Complete Works of William Makepeace Thackeray, with introductions by William P. Trent and John Bell Henneman. Published by the Society of English and French Literature, New York, [1904]; introduction quotes a 1904 date. Complete in 30 volumes. Limited to 1000 numbered copies. 8vo up to 9½" tall. (8 ¼ x 5 ¾). Each volume is approximately 450pp. with tissue guarded color frontispiece and additional black and white plates. Half bound in dark blue pebbled leather over marbled boards with matching marbled end papers; gilt spine titles with art nouveau decorative panels; top edge gilt; fore-edge rough cut. Contents in generally fine condition without ownership marks, tears or folds. Boards have some rubbing and fraying to edges; binding remains tight. A lovely set.

Borneo and the Indian Archipelago with Drawings of Costumes and Scenery, By Frank S. Marryat, late midshipman from H.M.S. Samarang, surveying vessel. Published by Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, Paternoster-Row, London, 1848. First Edition. 4to up to 12" tall; Pp. (4), [v]-viii,[1]-232, colour chromolithograph frontispiece, colour-illustrated engraved title page, 20 leaves of chromolithograph plates, 37 woodcuts to text. Bound in burgundy half leather with marble paper over boards; banded spine with gilt titles; endpapers and all edges marbled. Contents are in near fine condition with an occasional light thumb mark and very light toning; Cornell University label to pastedown. Boards have surface rubbing to marbled paper, front hinge and joint professionally repaired; rubbing to corners and edges. A collection of drawings made on the last surveying cruise of the H.M.S. Samarang in 1843-46, under the command of Captain Belcher, with an engaging narrative description of people and places such as… Read More

The Vampires of Finistere, Peter Saxon (Rex Dolphin) Published by Howard Baker, London, 1970. First Edition. Small 8vo up to 9½" tall. Dark blue boards with gilt titles. Volume is in unread condition; pages remain bright and white. Unclipped jacket has some rubbing and is otherwise in fine condition. An exceedingly rare hardcover copy in highly collectible condition. "All the nightmare shapes of Evil, with only The Guardians aroused, aware and able to fight the Dark Powers on their own ground. A missing girl tourist, an archaic ritual in a town that time forgot and a legend of a sunken city draw the Guardians into their most desperate exploit, and a cataclysmic victory over vampirism, witchcraft, black magic, voodoo, sorcery". The Vampires of Finistère was written by Rex Dolphin and published using the Peter Saxon house name; it is one of six novels in the "Guardians" series featuring a London-based group of occult detectives battling the forces of evil during the 1960's.

Studies on Glaciers. Preceded by the Discourse of Neuchâtel, Agassiz, Louis. Translated and edited by Albert V. Carozzi. Published by Hafner, New York & London, 1967. First English Edition. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. 213 pp; 18 plates, textual notes. Black cloth with gilt spine titles, reading ribbon. A couple of small and light marks to margins of title page and otherwise volume is in fine condition with bright pages; binding is tight and square. Dustjacket is in very good condition with has several insect holes. A very rare edition in collectible condition. First published in 1840 as Études sur les Glaciers. Louis Agassiz (1807-1873), was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history.

The Wolf's Hour, McCammon, Robert R. Published by Grafton Books, London, 1989. First UK Edition. 475pp. Grey cloth boards with gilt titles, grey endpapers. Volume is in fine, unread condition and housed in a fine, unclipped jacket.
On the eve of D-Day, a British secret agent with unique powers goes behind Nazi lines. A remarkable tale of pulse-pounding excitement and a fascinating, complex, and compelling portrayal of the werewolf as noble warrior and conflict-torn being.

The Bachman Books: Rage; The Long Walk; Roadwork; The Running Man, King, Stephen [Bachman, Richard]. Published by New American Library, New York, 1985. First Edition, First Printing. 8vo up to 9½" tall., 692pp. with Introduction by Stephen King: 'Why I Was Bachman'. Quarter black cloth over black boards with gilt titles. Light toning to pages and otherwise volume is in fine condition; binding is tight and square and boards are fine. Unclipped jacket has light rubbing to corners and head of spine; gilt is rubbed on letter 'e' in the first word of front panel; inside jacket has toning. A very scarce edition, in very collectible condition.

The Great Hunt, Jordan, Robert. Published by Tor Books, New York, 1990. First Edition, Second Printing. Signed, dated, and inscribed by Robert Jordan. Cover illustrations by Darryl Sweet. 8vo up to 9½" tall. 624pp. Blue cloth boards with gilt titles to spine, illustrated front endpapers. Signed in blue ink on title page below title: "For …, With best wishes, Robert Jordan, 10/23/91 Toronto". Both volume and unclipped dustjacket are in fine condition. Book Two of The Wheel of Time series. Signed copies of Book One and Three also available.

Little Lord Fauntleroy, Burnett, Frances Hodgson. Published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1887. Second Issue. Signed on small card to half-title: "Yours sincerely, Frances Hodgson Burnett, January, 1904." 8vo up to 9½" tall., 209pp. illustrated throughout by Reginald Birch; rear illustrated publisher's advertisements. Grey cloth boards with decorative front and spine in gilt, black and red, brown endpapers. Fading to signature card, former owner's name to flyleaf; contents are otherwise in fine condition. Rubbing and bumping to corners and head and tail of spine; very light soiling to boards; binding remains tight and square.
Little Lord Fauntleroy was first published as a serial in St. Nicholas Magazine from November 1885 to October 1886 and published in book from in 1886. The beloved children's novel made a huge impact on the 19th century public, shaping everything from boys' clothing fashions to copyright law. The book was adapted into 3 films using the same title in the years 1921, 1936… Read More

The Fight for Everest: 1924, Lieutenant-Colonel E.F. Norton, And Other Members of the Expedition. Published by Edward Arnold & Co., London, 1925. First Edition. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall; 372pp. with 32 plates from photographs, 8 of them in color, plus a folding map and folding panorama map. Dark green cloth boards with gilt titles front and spine. Black inked name and date of 1926 to free endpaper and light pencil notes to rear free endpaper. Contents are otherwise in very nice condition without tears, markings or folds. All maps and plates are accounted for and in fine condition. Front board has scratching near foredge and rubbing to edges; binding is secure and boards are square. A very collectible copy.
The story of the third expedition to Everest by the surviving members of the team. Includes an account by Noel Odell of the disappearance of George Leigh Mallory and Andrew Irvine on the Northeast Ridge. Also contains the letters George Mallory sent to his wife from the expedition, as well as… Read More

Pepita, Sackville-West, Vita. Published by Bernhard Tauchnitz, Leipzig, 1939. Signed, dated and inscribed by Vita Sackville-West to free endpaper. 12mo up to 7½" tall. 252pp. Bound in half purple leather over marbled boards, banded spine with gilt titles, top edge gilt. Printed by Oscar Brandstetter, Leipzig.Toning to endpapers and otherwise, contents are in fine condition. Binding is tight and square with rubbing to board edges, spine, tiny split head of spine. A rare copy, signed with a reference to Sissinghurst, Sackville-West's famed gardens. In making Sissinghurst, Vita Sackville-West created one of the finest and most famous gardens in England and placed herself among the great gardeners of the twentieth century.
Pepita relates the love affair of the author's grandfather Lord Sackville and her grandmother, Josefa de la Oliva, a Spanish dancer known as Pepita. The work is "a memorable evocation of her mother and grandmother in which she tried to come to terms with the most unsettling and… Read More

Women's Suffrage: A Short History of a Great Movement, Millicent Garrett Fawcett. Published by T. C. & E. C. Jack, London, and Edinburgh.1912. The People's Book 94. First Edition. 12mo up to 7½" tall., 94pp. with index and two rear pages of publisher's list at dated February 1912. Olive green cloth boards with black titles front and spine. Ghost toning marks to free endpapers and otherwise, contents are in fine, unmarked condition. Light fading to a few letters of The People Books front board, very light corner rub and otherwise boards are fine and binding is tight and square. A very collectible copy of the first edition of Millicent Garrett Fawcett's history of the women's suffrage movement.
Millicent Garrett Fawcett, LL.D. (1847 – 1929), was one of the most important figures in the women's suffrage movement both in Britain and across the world. She supported a wide variety of causes including equal education, equal pay, ending the exploitation of working women, and creating legislation against… Read More