{"title":"Selected Highlights","description":"\u003cp\u003eA curated selection of rare books, manuscripts, fine bindings, and classic works, chosen for their beauty, provenance, rarity, and historical or literary significance.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"daphne-du-maurier-rebecca-1938-first-impression-painted-morocco-binding","title":"Daphne du Maurier - Rebecca, 1938 - First Edition, First Impression - Manderley-Inspired Painted Morocco Binding","description":"\u003ch3 data-section-id=\"5ti8hz\" data-start=\"2166\" data-end=\"2272\"\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003eDU MAURIER, DAPHNE. \u003cem data-start=\"2189\" data-end=\"2199\"\u003eRebecca.\u003c\/em\u003e First Edition, First Impression, 1938. Painted Manderley Design Binding.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2274\" data-end=\"2347\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDU MAURIER, Daphne. \u003cem data-start=\"2298\" data-end=\"2308\"\u003eRebecca.\u003c\/em\u003e London: Victor Gollancz Limited, 1938.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2349\" data-end=\"2385\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2349\" data-end=\"2385\"\u003eFirst edition, first impression. \u003c\/strong\u003eOctavo. Finely rebound in a remarkable full black morocco design binding, with a continuous painted pictorial composition extending across both boards. Against a dark ground, bands of deep blue, crimson, orange and gold sweep across the covers like reflected fire and night sky, while a stark, leafless black tree rises from the lower front board. The design powerfully evokes the haunted landscape of Manderley, the encroaching drive and the fatal glow that closes du Maurier's novel. The binding is framed in gilt, the black morocco spine divided by raised bands and decorated with red and gilt floral devices, with the title, author and date lettered in gilt. Blue and black marbled endpapers complete the presentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3111\" data-end=\"3496\"\u003eA striking first impression of Daphne du Maurier's most celebrated novel, published by Victor Gollancz in 1938. Opening with the unforgettable return to Manderley in dream, \u003cem data-start=\"3288\" data-end=\"3297\"\u003eRebecca\u003c\/em\u003e follows its unnamed narrator from Monte Carlo into marriage with Maxim de Winter and into the shadow of his first wife, whose presence continues to dominate Manderley, its household and its secrets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3498\" data-end=\"3959\"\u003eDu Maurier's fusion of psychological suspense, Gothic atmosphere and romantic obsession made \u003cem data-start=\"3591\" data-end=\"3600\"\u003eRebecca\u003c\/em\u003e an immediate success and established it as one of the defining novels of the twentieth century. In the United States it received the American Booksellers Association's National Book Award for favourite novel of 1938. Its enduring hold upon readers was confirmed in 2017, when it was voted the UK's favourite book of the preceding 225 years in a WHSmith poll.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3961\" data-end=\"4213\"\u003eThe novel's afterlife in film has been equally powerful. Alfred Hitchcock's 1940 adaptation, starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, won the Academy Award for Best Picture and remains one of the best-known screen interpretations of a modern novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4215\" data-end=\"4784\"\u003eThe present binding is exceptionally apposite to the text. The black morocco ground suggests the secrecy and oppressive shadow of Manderley, while the painted colours gather into an atmosphere of gathering heat, fire and unease. The solitary tree, rendered in black against the glowing sky, recalls the overgrown approach to the house and the natural world reclaiming the estate in the novel's opening vision. Across both boards, the design moves from beauty into disturbance, giving physical form to du Maurier's themes of memory, possession, jealousy and destruction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4786\" data-end=\"5154\"\u003eInternally, the original 1938 text block is preserved, with age toning and occasional spotting visible in places, consistent with the paper stock of the edition. The modern design binding presents with considerable impact, the painted surface vivid, the gilt bright and the marbled endpapers especially effective. No dust jacket, the volume having been finely rebound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5156\" data-end=\"5399\"\u003eAn arresting collector's copy of the first edition, first impression of \u003cem data-start=\"5228\" data-end=\"5237\"\u003eRebecca\u003c\/em\u003e, combining du Maurier's Gothic masterpiece with a highly accomplished painted morocco binding inspired by the atmosphere, landscape and destruction of Manderley.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DU MAURIER, Daphne","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46519300391179,"sku":"","price":4750.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20241210_094132711_iOS_96094ce4-7aba-47d0-aac2-aa84c587b396.jpg?v=1779786514"},{"product_id":"seven-pillars-of-wisdom-by-t-e-lawrence-signed-by-field-marshall-claude-auckinleck","title":"Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E Lawrence Signed by Field Marshall Claude Auckinleck","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished by Jonathan Cape, London. 1935\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBound in full red Morocco, with black and white onlay and blocked in gold.  Full gilt spine with black labels, gilt borders and board edges, hand sewn silk headbands, and hand marbled endpapers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA superb tactician, Lawrence became a master of guerilla war and unconventional methods – right down to wearing traditional Arab dress.\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: #333333; background: white;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLawrence was an anomaly – an amateur officer who eschewed British military traditions and discipline and who loathed its seemingly mindless adherence to rules, regulations and conventions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“The origins of British special forces operations are often traced back to World War Two but in reality, we should trace them back further than that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“Both special forces operations and what Lord Mountbatten called ‘combined operations’ had their origins in the British operations of the Arab Revolt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eInstead of navigating the red tape and chain of command, Stirling snuck into the military headquarters in Cairo to meet directly with Commander-in-Chief General Sir Claude Auchinleck, where he encountered the deputy chief of staff, Major General Neil Ritchie. Ritchie proved to be the turning point in Stirling’s career. Impressed with Stirling’s innovation and daring, he persuaded Auchinleck to approve a new special operations unit, named ‘L Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade’ to deliberately mislead people into thinking it was a parachute brigade.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arch Rare Books \u0026 Antique Prints","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46528045809931,"sku":"","price":2750.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20240703_142322042_iOS.jpg?v=1738237255"},{"product_id":"the-oliviers-signed-by-lawrence-olivier-vivien-leigh","title":"The Oliviers, Signed by Lawrence Olivier \u0026 Vivien Leigh","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy T.C. Worsley. London: Published by Hamish Hamilton, 1953.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst Edition. A remarkable presentation copy, flat-signed by both Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh on the front free endpaper, and inscribed by them to Archie Nathan, Managing Director of L\u0026amp;H Nathan, the renowned costumiers. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the first published biography of the legendary acting couple. Illustrated with photographs. A truly special association copy connecting two titans of the theatre with their costumier. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"1:1-1:816\"\u003eSir Laurence Olivier, a name synonymous with theatrical greatness, was a towering figure of 20th-century stage and screen. His journey began remarkably early, with a stage debut at the tender age of nine, playing Brutus in a school production of \u003cem\u003eJulius Caesar\u003c\/em\u003e. This early experience ignited a passion that would burn brightly throughout his life, fueled by the unwavering support of his clergyman father, who saw and nurtured his son's extraordinary talent. Olivier, alongside his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, formed a triumvirate that dominated the British stage for decades, shaping the landscape of modern theatre. While he began appearing in British films in the 1930s, Hollywood success initially proved elusive, a testament to his perseverance and eventual triumph on the world stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"3:1-3:790\"\u003eOlivier's mastery of Shakespearean roles cemented his status as a theatrical icon. His interpretations of Hamlet, Richard III, and Othello, among others, became benchmarks of performance. This prowess extended to the silver screen, where he won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his masterful portrayal of Hamlet in the 1948 film adaptation, which he also directed. Beyond Shakespeare, Olivier demonstrated remarkable versatility, captivating audiences in a wide range of films, from the romantic drama of \u003cem\u003eWuthering Heights\u003c\/em\u003e and the suspense of \u003cem\u003eRebecca\u003c\/em\u003e to the epic scale of \u003cem\u003eSpartacus\u003c\/em\u003e and the thrilling twists of \u003cem\u003eSleuth\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eMarathon Man\u003c\/em\u003e. His ability to inhabit diverse characters, from classic literary figures to contemporary anti-heroes, showcased the breadth of his talent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-sourcepos=\"5:1-5:1029\"\u003eFrom 1963 to 1973, Olivier served as the founding director of Britain's National Theatre, a testament to his leadership and dedication to fostering theatrical excellence. This prestigious role solidified his influence on the development of British theatre and cemented his legacy as a national treasure. His personal life, particularly his passionate and complex relationship with Vivien Leigh, was often the subject of public fascination. Their marriage, marked by both intense love and the challenges of Leigh's mental health struggles, added another layer of intrigue to Olivier's already compelling story. Knighted in 1947 and later created a life peer in 1970, Olivier's contributions to the arts were recognized and celebrated by the nation. His acting style, characterized by its intensity, charisma, and remarkable adaptability, continues to inspire generations of performers. Sir Laurence Olivier's impact on theatre and film is immeasurable, solidifying his place as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Felix Barker","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46598157271307,"sku":null,"price":1500.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20250211_084631156_iOS.jpg?v=1739279105"},{"product_id":"captain-cooks-three-voyages-first-edition-set-1773-1784-with-atlas","title":"Captain Cook - The Three Voyages, First Editions with Folio Atlas - Uniform Richly Gilt Spines, 1773-1784","description":"\u003cp data-end=\"1307\" data-start=\"1132\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"1202\" data-start=\"1132\"\u003eCOOK, Captain James; HAWKESWORTH, John; KING, James; WEBBER, John.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-end=\"1205\" data-start=\"1202\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"1307\" data-start=\"1205\"\u003eThe Three Voyages of Captain James Cook. First Editions, with the Folio Atlas to the Third Voyage.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1432\" data-start=\"1309\"\u003eLondon: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1773; W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1777; W. and A. Strahan for G. Nicol and T. Cadell, 1784.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1663\" data-start=\"1434\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"1663\" data-start=\"1434\"\u003eFirst editions of the three official published accounts of Captain James Cook’s voyages, complete with the large folio atlas to the third and final voyage. Nine volumes in total: eight quarto text volumes and one folio atlas.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1961\" data-start=\"1665\"\u003eAn imposing first edition set of Captain James Cook’s three voyages, bringing together the official published narratives of the expeditions that transformed eighteenth-century European understanding of the Pacific, Australasia, the Antarctic seas, Hawaii and the northwest coast of North America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2727\" data-start=\"1963\"\u003eThe first voyage, published under the editorship of John Hawkesworth, records Cook’s expedition in HMS \u003cem data-end=\"2077\" data-start=\"2066\"\u003eEndeavour\u003c\/em\u003e, including the observation of the Transit of Venus at Tahiti, the circumnavigation and charting of New Zealand, and the survey of the eastern coast of Australia. The second voyage, written by Cook himself, follows HMS \u003cem data-end=\"2308\" data-start=\"2296\"\u003eResolution\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem data-end=\"2324\" data-start=\"2313\"\u003eAdventure\u003c\/em\u003e through the southern oceans, during which Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle and decisively altered contemporary ideas concerning the supposed southern continent. The third voyage, completed by Captain James King after Cook’s death, records the search for a northern passage between the Pacific and Atlantic, the exploration of the northwest coast of America and the expedition’s encounters with Hawaii.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2952\" data-start=\"2729\"\u003eTogether with the folio atlas to the third voyage, containing the large-format engraved visual record after John Webber, this is one of the foundational works of Pacific exploration and eighteenth-century voyage literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"2975\" data-start=\"2954\" data-section-id=\"1ol2rfw\"\u003eFormat and Binding\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3048\" data-start=\"2977\"\u003eNine volumes, comprising eight quarto text volumes and one folio atlas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3377\" data-start=\"3050\"\u003eThe set is unified by a particularly handsome series of uniform, richly gilt spines, expertly restored and finished in an eighteenth-century style, with raised bands, contrasting morocco lettering pieces, gilt numbered labels and elaborate ornamental tooling. Arranged together, the volumes have exceptional shelf presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3831\" data-start=\"3379\"\u003eThe three volumes of the First Voyage and the two volumes of the Second Voyage retain their earlier boards. The three text volumes of the Third Voyage, together with the folio atlas, are in sympathetic later boards bound in keeping with the period style of the set. The restoration has been carried out with considerable care, producing a visually coherent collection while retaining the earlier boards of the first two voyage accounts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"3848\" data-start=\"3833\" data-section-id=\"1q0q14s\"\u003eFirst Voyage\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4155\" data-start=\"3850\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3880\" data-start=\"3850\"\u003eHAWKESWORTH, John, editor.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-end=\"3883\" data-start=\"3880\"\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"4155\" data-start=\"3883\"\u003eAn Account of the Voyages undertaken by the Order of His Present Majesty for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere, and successively performed by Commodore Byron, Captain Wallis, Captain Carteret, and Captain Cook, in the Dolphin, the Swallow, and the Endeavour.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4208\" data-start=\"4157\"\u003eLondon: Printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1773.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4251\" data-start=\"4210\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"4251\" data-start=\"4210\"\u003eFirst edition. Three volumes, quarto.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4563\" data-start=\"4253\"\u003eThe official published account incorporating Cook’s first voyage aboard HMS \u003cem data-end=\"4340\" data-start=\"4329\"\u003eEndeavour\u003c\/em\u003e, undertaken between 1768 and 1771. After observing the Transit of Venus at Tahiti, Cook proceeded to New Zealand and the eastern coastline of Australia, producing charts and observations of lasting geographical importance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4815\" data-start=\"4565\"\u003eIllustrated with the engraved frontispiece portrait of Captain Cook by J. K. Sherwin after Nathaniel Dance-Holland, together with engraved maps, charts and folding plates. This copy includes the frequently absent Chart of the Straits of Magellan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4943\" data-start=\"4817\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"4832\" data-start=\"4817\"\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Castle Goring; with the pictured armorial bookplate of John Belts and ownership inscription of John F. Bullar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"5323\" data-start=\"4945\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"4959\" data-start=\"4945\"\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e The three volumes retain their earlier boards, with uniformly restored and richly gilt spines matching the remainder of the set. Some foxing throughout, more evident in Volumes II and III, with occasional offsetting, minor staining and light marginal worming in Volume II. The boards show light spotting and age-related wear, remaining attractive in presentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-end=\"5341\" data-start=\"5325\" data-section-id=\"cioh6e\"\u003eSecond Voyage\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"5529\" data-start=\"5343\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"5367\" data-start=\"5343\"\u003eCOOK, Captain James.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-end=\"5370\" data-start=\"5367\"\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"5529\" data-start=\"5370\"\u003eA Voyage Towards the South Pole, and Round the World. Performed in His Majesty’s Ships the Resolution and Adventure, in the Years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"5582\" data-start=\"5531\"\u003eLondon: Printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1777.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"5623\" data-start=\"5584\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"5623\" data-start=\"5584\"\u003eFirst edition. Two volumes, quarto.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"6011\" data-start=\"5625\"\u003eCook’s own account of his second voyage, undertaken in HMS \u003cem data-end=\"5696\" data-start=\"5684\"\u003eResolution\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem data-end=\"5712\" data-start=\"5701\"\u003eAdventure\u003c\/em\u003e in search of the supposed southern continent. During the expedition Cook became the first recorded navigator to cross the Antarctic Circle, while also visiting and recording Easter Island, Tahiti, the Marquesas, New Caledonia, South Georgia and numerous other islands and coastlines of the Pacific.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"6317\" data-start=\"6013\"\u003eIllustrated with the engraved portrait of Cook and the celebrated series of maps, charts, views and portraits associated with the voyage, including the pictured engravings of the Man of Easter Island and the Man of the Island of Tanna, after drawings made during the expedition by William Hodges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"6705\" data-start=\"6319\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"6333\" data-start=\"6319\"\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e The two volumes retain their earlier boards, with expertly restored and elaborately gilt uniform spines. Internally especially appealing, with the engraved plates and maps notably clean. Previous owner’s signature and bookplate to the pastedowns, together with minor pencil notes. The folding map and frontispiece have received professional repairs at the original folds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"6722\" data-start=\"6707\" data-section-id=\"1nk29j9\"\u003eThird Voyage\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"7054\" data-start=\"6724\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"6773\" data-start=\"6724\"\u003eCOOK, Captain James, and KING, Captain James.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-end=\"6776\" data-start=\"6773\"\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"7054\" data-start=\"6776\"\u003eA Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Undertaken, by the Command of His Majesty, for Making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere; to Determine the Position and Extent of the West Side of North America, its Distance from Asia, and the Practicability of a Northern Passage to Europe.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"7126\" data-start=\"7056\"\u003eLondon: Printed by W. and A. Strahan for G. Nicol and T. Cadell, 1784.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"7169\" data-start=\"7128\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"7169\" data-start=\"7128\"\u003eFirst edition. Three volumes, quarto.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"7641\" data-start=\"7171\"\u003eThe official account of Cook’s third and final voyage, undertaken in HMS \u003cem data-end=\"7256\" data-start=\"7244\"\u003eResolution\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem data-end=\"7272\" data-start=\"7261\"\u003eDiscovery\u003c\/em\u003e between 1776 and 1780. The expedition sought a navigable northern passage between the Pacific and Atlantic, exploring the northwest coast of North America and advancing into the northern Pacific and Arctic waters. It was during this voyage that Cook reached Hawaii, where he was killed in 1779; the published narrative was subsequently completed by Captain James King.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"7766\" data-start=\"7643\"\u003eThe text volumes contain the engraved maps and plans documenting the geographical course and discoveries of the expedition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"8063\" data-start=\"7768\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"7782\" data-start=\"7768\"\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e In sympathetic later boards bound in a period style to complement the earlier volumes, with richly gilt restored spines uniform with the First and Second Voyages and the atlas. Some offsetting within the text, otherwise a clean and strongly presented set of the narrative volumes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"8099\" data-start=\"8065\" data-section-id=\"mti227\"\u003eFolio Atlas to the Third Voyage\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"8174\" data-start=\"8101\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"8130\" data-start=\"8101\"\u003eWEBBER, John, and others.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-end=\"8133\" data-start=\"8130\"\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"8174\" data-start=\"8133\"\u003eAtlas to A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"8189\" data-start=\"8176\"\u003eLondon: 1784.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"8229\" data-start=\"8191\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"8229\" data-start=\"8191\"\u003eFirst edition. Folio atlas volume.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"8604\" data-start=\"8231\"\u003eThe large-format atlas accompanying Cook’s third voyage, containing the engraved visual record of the expedition after drawings by John Webber, the official artist aboard HMS \u003cem data-end=\"8418\" data-start=\"8406\"\u003eResolution\u003c\/em\u003e. Its plates record the landscapes, coastal views, portraits and material cultures encountered during the voyage, giving visual form to the final and most dramatic of Cook’s expeditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"8784\" data-start=\"8606\"\u003eThe atlas contains the engraved plates and maps issued to accompany the three quarto narrative volumes of the Third Voyage, and is essential to the full presentation of the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"9163\" data-start=\"8786\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"8800\" data-start=\"8786\"\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e In sympathetic later boards bound in keeping with the period style of the set, with a richly gilt restored spine matching the eight quarto volumes. Some foxing and damp staining, with wear towards the edges of the final section. Despite these imperfections, the folio plates remain imposing and the atlas gives the set its full visual and historical scope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"9200\" data-start=\"9165\" data-section-id=\"1fnqfpi\"\u003eOverall Condition and Importance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"9746\" data-start=\"9202\"\u003eA highly decorative and substantial first edition set of the official accounts of Captain James Cook’s three voyages, complete with the folio atlas to the Third Voyage. The nine volumes are distinguished by their uniform, elaborately gilt and expertly restored spines, giving the collection considerable presence when shelved together. The earlier boards of the First and Second Voyages have been retained, while the Third Voyage and atlas are sympathetically bound in later boards in keeping with the eighteenth-century style of the group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"10059\" data-start=\"9748\"\u003eFrom the exploration and charting of New Zealand and the eastern coast of Australia, through the southern voyages beyond the Antarctic Circle, to Hawaii and the search for a northern passage along the northwest coast of America, Cook’s published voyages stand among the defining records of maritime exploration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"10226\" data-start=\"10061\"\u003eA commanding first edition set for a collection of Pacific voyages, exploration, cartography, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii or eighteenth-century travel literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"10394\" data-start=\"10228\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"10243\" data-start=\"10228\"\u003eReferences:\u003c\/strong\u003e Beddie, \u003cem data-end=\"10288\" data-start=\"10252\"\u003eBibliography of Captain James Cook\u003c\/em\u003e, 648, 1216 and 1543; Holmes, 5, 24 and 47; Sabin 30934 and related entries; Hill 782 and related entries.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Captain James Cook","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51140047110411,"sku":"","price":37500.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20250325_103113002_iOS_4108ce00-ffbb-44f3-b76d-b47f8aca8f48.jpg?v=1742904793"},{"product_id":"william-bligh-voyage-south-sea-mutiny-bounty-first-edition-1792","title":"William Bligh - A Voyage to the South Sea: The Mutiny on the Bounty - First Edition, 1792","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"2214\" data-end=\"2555\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2214\" data-end=\"2233\"\u003eBLIGH, William.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"2233\" data-end=\"2236\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2236\" data-end=\"2555\"\u003eA Voyage to the South Sea, Undertaken by Command of His Majesty, for the Purpose of Conveying the Bread-Fruit Tree to the West Indies, in His Majesty’s Ship the Bounty; Including an Account of the Mutiny on Board the Said Ship, and the Subsequent Voyage of Part of the Crew, in the Ship’s Boat, from Tofoa to Timor.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2557\" data-end=\"2634\"\u003eLondon: Printed for George Nicol, Bookseller to His Majesty, Pall-Mall, 1792.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2636\" data-end=\"2923\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2636\" data-end=\"2923\"\u003eFirst edition of the full official account of the voyage of HMS \u003cem data-start=\"2702\" data-end=\"2710\"\u003eBounty\u003c\/em\u003e, the mutiny led by Fletcher Christian, and William Bligh’s extraordinary open-boat voyage to Timor. With an additional eighteenth-century engraved chart of Pitcairn Island, the eventual refuge of the mutineers.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2925\" data-end=\"3320\"\u003eQuarto. Engraved frontispiece portrait of Captain William Bligh by J. Condé after John Russell; illustrated with seven further engraved plates, charts and plans, including folding material: the plan and section of the \u003cem data-start=\"3143\" data-end=\"3151\"\u003eBounty\u003c\/em\u003e showing the arrangements made for transporting breadfruit plants, the plan of the ship’s launch, the plate of the breadfruit tree and the charts relating to the voyage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3322\" data-end=\"3860\"\u003eBligh’s \u003cem data-start=\"3330\" data-end=\"3357\"\u003eA Voyage to the South Sea\u003c\/em\u003e is the first full published account of the expedition that gave rise to the most celebrated mutiny in maritime history. HMS \u003cem data-start=\"3482\" data-end=\"3490\"\u003eBounty\u003c\/em\u003e sailed for Tahiti with the Admiralty-backed purpose of gathering breadfruit plants for transplantation to the West Indies. After months spent at Tahiti, the ship departed with its living cargo; on 28 April 1789, near the Friendly Islands, Fletcher Christian and his supporters seized control of the vessel and forced Bligh and eighteen loyal men into the ship’s launch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3862\" data-end=\"4246\"\u003eThe ordeal that followed established Bligh’s reputation as a navigator. With severely limited provisions and no chart adequate to the whole journey, he brought the crowded open boat across thousands of miles of ocean to Timor. His account is at once an official defence of his command, a major Pacific voyage narrative and one of the central books in the history of maritime survival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4248\" data-end=\"4611\"\u003eThe work had been preceded in 1790 by Bligh’s shorter \u003cem data-start=\"4302\" data-end=\"4327\"\u003eNarrative of the Mutiny\u003c\/em\u003e. The present volume gives the full account of the expedition, incorporating a revised version of the mutiny narrative. The text was prepared from Bligh’s journal by Captain James Burney under the supervision of Sir Joseph Banks while Bligh was absent on his second breadfruit voyage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4613\" data-end=\"5189\"\u003eOf particular appeal in this copy is the accompanying loose engraved plate, “A Chart and Views of Pitcairn’s Island,” originally issued with Hawkesworth’s account of Captain Philip Carteret’s discovery of the island in 1767. Pitcairn later became inseparable from the \u003cem data-start=\"4885\" data-end=\"4893\"\u003eBounty\u003c\/em\u003e story: in 1790 Fletcher Christian and the remaining mutineers reached the island and established the remote settlement in which they hoped to evade discovery. The presence of this contemporary chart gives the volume a compelling visual connection with the final chapter of the mutineers’ flight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-section-id=\"7p0o7w\" data-start=\"5191\" data-end=\"5215\"\u003eBinding and Condition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5217\" data-end=\"5456\"\u003eBound in period half calf over marbled boards, the spine simply ruled in gilt and lettered “Bligh’s Voyage” in gilt. Housed in a later fitted brown leather solander box, the spine lettered in gilt “Bligh’s Voyage to the South Sea.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5458\" data-end=\"6003\"\u003eBinding rubbed and worn, with scuffing to the marbled boards and wear at the spine ends and joints, but remaining sound and attractive in character. Internally with foxing and some staining, particularly to the portrait frontispiece and title-page opening, together with occasional offsetting and age-toning to the folding plates and charts. The engraved material remains striking, especially the plan of the \u003cem data-start=\"5867\" data-end=\"5875\"\u003eBounty\u003c\/em\u003e fitted for the breadfruit plants. The accompanying Pitcairn chart shows some staining and handling wear, but presents strongly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"6005\" data-end=\"6365\"\u003eA highly desirable first edition of Bligh’s complete account of the \u003cem data-start=\"6073\" data-end=\"6081\"\u003eBounty\u003c\/em\u003e expedition and mutiny, enhanced by the additional contemporary engraved chart of Pitcairn Island and preserved in a fitted leather box. An important book for a collection of maritime history, Pacific exploration, naval voyages, Tahiti, Pitcairn Island or the history of HMS \u003cem data-start=\"6356\" data-end=\"6364\"\u003eBounty\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"6367\" data-end=\"6431\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"6367\" data-end=\"6382\"\u003eReferences:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ferguson 125; Hill 135; Sabin 5910; Wantrup 62a.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Bligh","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51141296554251,"sku":"","price":10000.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20250325_104151898_iOS.jpg?v=1742913603"},{"product_id":"george-orwell-nineteen-eighty-four-1949-first-edition-navy-morocco-binding","title":"George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1949 - First Edition, First Impression - Navy Morocco Design Binding","description":"\u003ch3 data-section-id=\"19tuh7d\" data-start=\"1026\" data-end=\"1136\"\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003eORWELL, GEORGE. \u003cem data-start=\"1045\" data-end=\"1068\"\u003eNineteen Eighty-Four.\u003c\/em\u003e First Edition, First Impression, 1949. Navy Morocco Design Binding.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1138\" data-end=\"1242\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eORWELL, George [Eric Arthur Blair]. \u003cem data-start=\"1178\" data-end=\"1210\"\u003eNineteen Eighty-Four. A Novel.\u003c\/em\u003e London: Secker \u0026amp; Warburg, 1949.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1244\" data-end=\"1280\"\u003eFirst edition, first impression. Octavo. Striking full navy morocco design binding, with dramatic red morocco onlays and geometric gilt tooling to both boards, centred upon a solitary dark figure beneath converging forms suggestive of surveillance, confinement and the oppressive architecture of Orwell's imagined state. Spine with five raised bands, gilt titles and repeated gilt eye devices; hand-sewn silk headbands; navy and cream marbled endpapers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1704\" data-end=\"1995\"\u003eA superbly presented first impression of George Orwell's defining novel, published by Secker \u0026amp; Warburg in 1949. The title-page verso states “First published 1949”, with the original production statement recording printing by The Alcuin Press and binding by Key \u0026amp; Whiting Ltd.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1997\" data-end=\"2432\"\u003eCompleted during Orwell's final illness and published only months before his death, \u003cem data-start=\"2081\" data-end=\"2103\"\u003eNineteen Eighty-Four\u003c\/em\u003e remains one of the most consequential novels of the twentieth century. In the world of Oceania, Winston Smith works at the Ministry of Truth, revising the past to serve the demands of the Party, while privately attempting to preserve memory, individual thought and personal loyalty against the absolute authority of Big Brother.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2434\" data-end=\"2790\"\u003eFew modern novels have entered public language so completely. Orwell's terms “Big Brother,” “Newspeak,” “doublethink” and “thoughtcrime” have endured because the political anxieties at the centre of the novel - mass surveillance, manipulated truth, enforced conformity and the corruption of language - continue to resonate with extraordinary force.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2792\" data-end=\"3221\"\u003eThe design binding provides a powerful visual interpretation of the novel. The deep navy morocco and vivid red onlays form an austere, theatrical composition: the solitary figure on each board stands beneath sharp converging planes, while the repeated gilt eye motifs on the spine evoke the novel's central image of constant observation. The navy and cream marbled endpapers continue the dark, unsettled atmosphere of the design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3223\" data-end=\"3534\"\u003eInternally, the original 1949 text block is preserved with light age toning and occasional spotting visible in places, consistent with the paper stock of the first impression. The binding presents in excellent condition, with bright gilt tooling, richly coloured morocco onlays and attractive marbled endpapers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3536\" data-end=\"3825\"\u003eAn arresting collector's copy of the first edition, first impression of \u003cem data-start=\"3608\" data-end=\"3630\"\u003eNineteen Eighty-Four\u003c\/em\u003e, combining Orwell's most influential literary achievement with a highly accomplished design binding conceived around the novel's enduring themes of surveillance, power and individual resistance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"George Orwell","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51215754428683,"sku":"","price":5250.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20250406_131945864_iOS.jpg?v=1779783847"},{"product_id":"the-all-sorts-of-stories-book-andrew-lang-extremely-rare-original-dust-jacket","title":"The All Sorts of Stories Book - Andrew Lang – Extremely Rare Original Dust  Jacket","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLongmans, Green, and Co., 1911. First Edition.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA remarkable survival - this copy retains its original 1911 dust jacket, an extraordinary rarity for Andrew Lang’s works and, to our knowledge, the only example presently traceable on the open market – The last copy of this title coming onto the market at Sotheby’s in 2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCondition: The dust jacket, remarkably, remains complete, unclipped and intact, showing only light wear commensurate with its age. The book itself is in excellent condition, with bright gilt lettering to the spine and only minimal signs of handling. Internally clean and fresh\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRarity: Examples in their original dust jacket are virtually unheard of. Dust jackets from this era were typically discarded, and survival rates are extremely low - particularly for children’s story collections.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Andrew Lang","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52101221482763,"sku":null,"price":1200.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20250818_154226959_iOS.jpg?v=1755681330"},{"product_id":"just-so-stories-for-little-children-rudyard-kipling","title":"Just So Stories, Kipling, Rudyard – Illustrated by the Author. Finely Bound.","description":"\u003cp\u003eLondon: Macmillan \u0026amp; Co. Ltd., 1902. First Edition, First Impression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"282\" data-end=\"876\"\u003eQuarto. A finely bound first edition of Kipling’s \u003cem data-start=\"332\" data-end=\"349\"\u003eJust So Stories\u003c\/em\u003e, his enduring collection of fantastical origin tales for children. Bound in sumptuous full red morocco, the upper cover with an elaborate gilt and black onlay of Kipling’s famous “Elephant’s Child,” a design that encapsulates the spirit of the work. The spine is richly gilt in compartments with floral tools, gilt lettering, and the date at foot. Complete with hand-sewn silk headbands, striking “old Dutch” hand-marbled endpapers, and all edges gilt. A work of exquisite craftsmanship that elevates an already iconic text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"878\" data-end=\"1237\"\u003eThe first edition was published in October 1902 in a print run of only 7,500 copies, which sold quickly, securing Kipling’s reputation as one of the great voices in children’s literature as well as poetry and prose. Copies of the true first edition are increasingly scarce, and those presented in such a high-quality binding are especially sought after.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1239\" data-end=\"1641\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"1239\" data-end=\"1256\"\u003eJust So Stories\u003c\/em\u003e holds a unique place in literary history, combining Kipling’s vivid imagination, rhythmic prose, and playful use of language with his own distinctive illustrations. Stories such as \u003cem data-start=\"1438\" data-end=\"1469\"\u003eHow the Leopard Got His Spots\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem data-start=\"1474\" data-end=\"1496\"\u003eThe Elephant’s Child\u003c\/em\u003e have become cornerstones of children’s storytelling, their cultural impact enduring well beyond the Edwardian nursery into modern imagination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1643\" data-end=\"1734\"\u003eA magnificent example, uniting literary significance with the very finest in bookbinding.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rudyard Kipling","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52117539979531,"sku":null,"price":2750.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20250822_125553029_iOS_500841c1-8ec6-47ca-b0e1-4e2e888f223b.jpg?v=1756916400"},{"product_id":"signals-for-the-royal-navy-and-ships-under-convoy","title":"SIGNALS for the ROYAL NAVY and SHIPS Under CONVOY…","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJ. Millan, facing ye Admiralty [London], undated [but 1746].\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst Edition.\u003c\/strong\u003e A rare survival of the second “Signal Book proper” for use in the Royal Navy, following Greenwood’s 1714 issue. This compact and practical manual, titled in full:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003eSIGNALS for the ROYAL NAVY and SHIPS Under CONVOY, Sailing \u0026amp; Fighting Instructions, ARTICLES OF WARR, REGULATIONS for Duty of Every Officer in His Majesty’s SEA SERVICE. Given by ye Lords of ye Admiralty, to the Flag \u0026amp; other Officers. With ye Additional Signals of Adm. Vernon \u0026amp;c., \u0026amp; ye FLAGS of all NATIONS.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis small but richly detailed handbook provided the British fleet with standardised sailing and fighting instructions, articles of war, and signalling codes, together with the flags of all nations and the latest signals attributed to Admiral Vernon. It marks a decisive moment in the codification of naval communication during Britain’s emergence as a global maritime power.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e12mo (7 x 4 in \/ 18 x 10 cm). 22 pp., thumb-indexed. All flags finely and vividly hand-coloured throughout, a feature that brings exceptional visual richness to this mid-eighteenth-century naval manual. Bound in contemporary mottled calf, sympathetically preserved with expert repairs to the raised bands, ensuring the integrity of the original spine structure.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis copy bears the armorial bookplate of Sir William Abdy, 6th Baronet (c.1732–1803), and is signed and dated by him “April 2ᵈ 1759” to the front pastedown. Abdy began his seafaring career with the Honourable East India Company in 1750 aboard the True Briton and later the Stafford, before transferring into the Royal Navy, where he commanded H.M.S. Beaver (1761–1766). He was promoted to post captain shortly thereafter.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA handsome and historically resonant example, notable both for its complete suite of hand-coloured signal plates and its distinguished naval provenance. The thumb indexing remains intact, the plates retain strong early pigment, and the text is clean for its age.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA significant rarity - seldom encountered in commerce - representing one of the earliest and most authoritative printed codifications of British naval signals.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"J. Millan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52822161555723,"sku":null,"price":3500.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20260401_153043507_iOS.jpg?v=1775058309"},{"product_id":"roald-amundsen-s-signed-expedition-carried-copy-of-nansen-s-fram-over-polhavet-1897","title":"Roald Amundsen’s Signed, Expedition-Carried Copy of Nansen’s Fram over Polhavet (1897)","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"268\" data-end=\"470\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"268\" data-end=\"289\"\u003eNANSEN, Fridtjof.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem data-start=\"290\" data-end=\"343\"\u003eFram over Polhavet. Den Norske Polarfærd 1893–1896.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"343\" data-end=\"346\"\u003eKristiania: H. Aschehoug \u0026amp; Co., 1897.\u003cbr data-start=\"383\" data-end=\"386\"\u003eTwo volumes, 8vo. First edition in Norwegian. Original publisher’s green gilt cloth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"472\" data-end=\"627\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"472\" data-end=\"557\"\u003eRoald Amundsen’s personal, signed, and expedition-carried copy, with both volumes signed and inscribed by him:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"557\" data-end=\"560\"\u003e“Medfulgt på alle mine reiser” - \u003cem data-start=\"593\" data-end=\"627\"\u003e“Accompanied on all my travels.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"629\" data-end=\"1137\"\u003eFridtjof Nansen was \u003cem\u003ethe\u003c\/em\u003e central figure of nineteenth-century polar exploration: the first man to cross the Greenland ice cap, the architect of the \u003cem data-start=\"776\" data-end=\"782\"\u003eFram\u003c\/em\u003e expedition of 1893–1896, and the originator of the drifting-ice strategy that carried exploration closer to the North Pole than ever before. \u003cem data-start=\"924\" data-end=\"944\"\u003eFram over Polhavet\u003c\/em\u003e is the foundational text of modern polar travel, recording not only the narrative of the expedition but the methods, discipline, and scientific philosophy that reshaped exploration thereafter. The work was published in English shortly thereafter as Farthest North, the title under which it became internationally known.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1139\" data-end=\"1542\"\u003eRoald Amundsen built his own achievements directly upon Nansen’s work. He adopted Nansen’s techniques, planning, and polar systems, and ultimately sailed Nansen’s ship \u003cem data-start=\"1307\" data-end=\"1313\"\u003eFram\u003c\/em\u003e itself — first with the intention of a North Pole expedition, and later, famously, to Antarctica. This set represents the direct intellectual and practical inheritance between the two greatest figures in Norwegian polar history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1544\" data-end=\"2339\"\u003eThis is Amundsen’s own working copy, signed and inscribed by him with the extraordinary declaration that it “accompanied [him] on all [his] travels.” Among the very few books Amundsen chose to carry repeatedly, this set travelled with him on his major expeditions, including the Northwest Passage voyage in \u003cem data-start=\"1851\" data-end=\"1857\"\u003eGjøa\u003c\/em\u003e and the expedition that culminated in his attainment of the South Pole. The present state of the volumes - including structural wear, loosened hinges, and stressed bindings - is wholly consistent with repeated packing, handling, and consultation under expedition conditions, and provides compelling physical corroboration of Amundsen’s inscription. Few books in the history of exploration can claim such sustained and intimate association with the achievements they helped inspire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2341\" data-end=\"2761\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2341\" data-end=\"2356\"\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Roald Amundsen (1872–1928), signed and inscribed by him; thereafter retained within the Amundsen family; Christie’s, Polar Exploration \u0026amp; Travel sale, 27 September 2006; subsequently held in the Odfjell Collection, one of the most important Norwegian polar libraries of the modern era. The provenance is complete, uninterrupted, and entirely consistent with the historical importance of the object itself.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nansen, Fridtjof","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52848683417867,"sku":null,"price":24500.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20260113_123819220_iOS.jpg?v=1769522219"},{"product_id":"a-finely-illuminated-ottoman-dala-il-al-khayrat-manuscript-with-views-of-mecca-and-medina-c-1785","title":"A Finely Illuminated Ottoman Dala’il al-Khayrat Manuscript with Views of Mecca and Medina, c. 1785","description":"\u003cp\u003eLate 18th century, circa 1785. Illuminated Arabic manuscript on paper, 17 x 12 cm, in contemporary binding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOttoman manuscript copy of the Dala’il al-Khayrat, one of the most famous Islamic devotional books ever made: a collection of prayers and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad compiled in 15th-century Morocco by Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli (d. 1465). Its structured form, typically divided for weekly recitation, ensured its adoption across a broad geographic and devotional spectrum, from North Africa through to the eastern Islamic lands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example was produced as a portable personal prayer book, written in a neat Arabic hand and framed throughout in gold and colour. The manuscript is richly ornamented with illuminated headpieces, floral bouquet pages, and sectional devices that articulate the rhythm of the text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eParticularly notable are the double-page representations of Mecca and Medina: the Ka‘ba clearly depicted at the centre of the sanctuary within the Masjid al-Haram, rendered in a stylised bird’s-eye view with enclosing arcades and minarets, paired with a corresponding view of the Prophet’s Mosque.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe contemporary binding, with its central lobed medallion and corner pieces, follows established decorative practice, while the painted bouquet pages serve as visual intervals within the devotional sequence rather than narrative illustration.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53017683329291,"sku":null,"price":8000.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/Dala_ilal-Khayrat_9.jpg?v=1775054380"},{"product_id":"general-george-c-marshall-s-u-s-army-chief-of-staff-report-lord-portal-s-high-command-copy","title":"General George C. Marshall’s U.S. Army Chief of Staff Report - Lord Portal’s High-Command Copy","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"360\"\u003eA magnificent high-command presentation copy of General George C. Marshall’s final wartime report, specially bound in black morocco-grain leather, gilt stamped with the arms of the United States and titled to the upper cover, with Portal’s name in gilt: \u003cstrong data-start=\"254\" data-end=\"316\"\u003e“Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Charles F. A. Portal.”\u003c\/strong\u003e From the private collection of Lord Portal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"362\" data-end=\"539\"\u003eUNITED STATES ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF. \u003cstrong data-start=\"397\" data-end=\"521\"\u003eBiennial Report of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army to the Secretary of War, July 1, 1943, to June 30, 1945.\u003c\/strong\u003e Washington, United States Government Printing Office, 1945.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"541\" data-end=\"1072\"\u003eThis is not merely an official government report, but one of the central documentary monuments of Allied victory, presented in a deluxe named binding to one of the key British commanders of the war. General George C. Marshall, U.S. Army Chief of Staff from 1939 to 1945, directed the astonishing expansion of the American Army from a small interwar force into a global instrument of war. His report covers the decisive final period of the conflict, from the build-up to Normandy and the liberation of Europe to the defeat of Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1074\" data-end=\"1596\"\u003eThe recipient could hardly be more significant. Portal was Chief of the Air Staff from 1940 to 1945, Marshal of the Royal Air Force, and Britain’s senior air strategist. Within the Anglo-American command system, Portal and Marshall sat at the same level of Allied decision-making: Marshall as America’s principal army strategist, Portal as Britain’s principal air chief. Both served within the machinery of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, the body through which British and American high command coordinated global strategy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1598\" data-end=\"2077\"\u003eTheir professional relationship was direct and consequential. They met and worked through the great Allied conferences and strategic committees that determined the war’s direction, including the conduct of the bombing offensive, the allocation of resources between Europe and the Pacific, and the timing and support of the invasion of northwest Europe. Portal’s RAF strategy and Marshall’s army strategy were not separate worlds, but interlocking parts of the same Allied design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2079\" data-end=\"2482\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eThe binding makes the status of this copy unmistakable. It was produced not for ordinary distribution, but as a named presentation copy for Portal himself - the British air chief whose command stood beside Marshall’s army command in the Allied war effort. A superb survival, beautifully preserved, and a remarkable association between two of the most important Allied commanders of the Second World War.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"General George C. Marshall","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53095715832075,"sku":null,"price":6250.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20260501_141305442_iOS_64e2c3f9-e969-42be-870e-1bf49448812a.jpg?v=1778074516"},{"product_id":"president-de-gaulle-to-lord-portal-chief-of-the-air-staff-signed-war-memoirs","title":"President de Gaulle’s Signed War Memoirs from Lord Portal’s Collection","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"110\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDE GAULLE, Charles. \u003cem data-start=\"20\" data-end=\"69\"\u003eMémoires de Guerre: L’Appel, L’Unité, Le Salut.\u003c\/em\u003e Paris: Librairie Plon, 1954, 1956, 1959.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"112\" data-end=\"957\"\u003eA magnificent high-command provenance set, joining two of the central figures of Allied wartime leadership. These were not books passing through ordinary literary channels, but de Gaulle’s own account of France’s fall, resistance, liberation and restoration, preserved in the personal collection of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Portal of Hungerford, Britain’s wartime Chief of the Air Staff and one of the principal architects of Allied air power. Portal stood at the summit of British strategy, close to Churchill and the Combined Chiefs of Staff, while de Gaulle, from London exile to national saviour, became the embodiment of Free France. Their connection belongs to the highest level of the war: London, Free France, Allied command, D-Day, liberation, and the complex but essential partnership between Britain and de Gaulle’s France.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"959\" data-end=\"1397\"\u003eFirst editions, first impressions in the original French, three volumes in the publisher’s printed wrappers, all issued on alfa Cellunaf paper, the special reserved issue produced not for the ordinary trade but for those with a direct claim upon the history de Gaulle was recording. The limitation states that copies on alfa Cellunaf were reserved for former members of Free France and for members of the fighting and Resistance associations of the 1939-1945 war - in other words, for veterans and participants of the very struggle described in these memoirs. This gives the set a rare internal significance: it was a commemorative issue intended for the wartime community of Free France and the Resistance, not simply a deluxe bibliophile printing. The first volume alone is numbered, as issued: No. 6598. The third volume, Le Salut: 1944-1946, is signed by Charles de Gaulle in blue ink and dated 7-11-59, French format for 7 November 1959.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1399\" data-end=\"1810\"\u003eThe date is highly resonant. De Gaulle signed the 1944-1946 volume on 7 November 1959, in the year he became President of the Fifth Republic, and only days before Armistice Day. The gesture therefore carries both personal and national meaning: the wartime leader, now head of France, signing the culminating volume of his definitive memoirs, covering liberation, victory and the re-founding of French authority.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1812\" data-end=\"2209\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eA complete unrestored set in the fragile original wrappers. Spines and covers show toning, spotting, rubbing, light creasing, small edge wear and minor splits, but the volumes retain their authentic period character. Internally clean and bright, with the signed title especially strong and attractive. A superb Anglo-French wartime provenance set of exceptional cultural and historical importance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DE GAULLE, Charles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53110248997131,"sku":null,"price":7000.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/20260512_071200695_iOS.jpg?v=1778577786"},{"product_id":"the-magician-s-nephew-signed-first-edition-with-matthiessen-provenance","title":"The Magician’s Nephew - Signed First Edition with Matthiessen Provenance","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLEWIS, C. S. The Magician’s Nephew. London: The Bodley Head, 1955.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst edition, first impression of the sixth published Narnia chronicle, the imaginative genesis of Lewis’ enduring secondary world. Octavo, original publisher’s green cloth, spine lettered in gilt, with the pictorial dust jacket by Pauline Baynes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSigned by the author on the front free endpaper. A distinguished association copy, from the library of Peter Matthiessen, co-founder of The Paris Review, with his bookplate affixed. Copies bearing both Lewis’ signature and such literary provenance are notably uncommon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe narrative traces the creation of Narnia, introducing Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, and establishing the mythic architecture that underpins the series. A work of quiet theological resonance and narrative clarity, it stands as one of Lewis’ most evocative achievements for younger readers and collectors alike.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"LEWIS, C. S.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53122548465931,"sku":null,"price":24500.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/IMG_3641.jpg?v=1779173030"},{"product_id":"rubaiyat-of-omar-khayyam-edward-fitzgerald-translation-magnificent-full-morocco-ramage-binding","title":"Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám - Edward FitzGerald Translation, Magnificent Full Morocco Ramage Binding","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"141\" data-end=\"254\"\u003eKHAYYÁM, Omar. \u003cstrong data-start=\"156\" data-end=\"185\"\u003eRubáiyát of Omar Khayyám.\u003c\/strong\u003e Translated into English verse by Edward FitzGerald. Bound by Ramage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"256\" data-end=\"705\"\u003eA strikingly decorative copy of the \u003cem data-start=\"292\" data-end=\"318\"\u003eRubáiyát of Omar Khayyám\u003c\/em\u003e, in Edward FitzGerald’s celebrated English rendering, finely bound by Ramage of London. FitzGerald’s version, first printed in 1859, became one of the great literary sensations of the late nineteenth century, admired especially by Pre-Raphaelite, aesthetic and fin-de-siècle readers, and issued thereafter in numerous illustrated and fine editions. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"707\" data-end=\"1110\"\u003eOctavo. Full dark green morocco by Ramage, the covers elaborately gilt and blocked in a repeating Persianate pattern of gilt lozenges and roundels, spine richly gilt in compartments, raised bands, gilt title, gilt board edges, broad gilt turn-ins, pale watered silk doublures and endleaves, all edges gilt. Binder’s ticket or signature not shown in the supplied images, but described as bound by Ramage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1112\" data-end=\"1725\"\u003eA highly attractive example of late Victorian or Edwardian taste in orientalised fine binding, the binding itself being the principal collecting feature. The dense gilt tooling, silk doublures and all-over decorative scheme make this a much more desirable copy than a routine morocco-bound Rubáiyát. Ramage bindings of the \u003cem data-start=\"1435\" data-end=\"1445\"\u003eRubáiyát\u003c\/em\u003e appear in the trade, but most examples are plainer, with one blue morocco Ramage copy listed at $250, while more ambitious fine-bound or deluxe \u003cem data-start=\"1590\" data-end=\"1600\"\u003eRubáiyát\u003c\/em\u003e copies can rise considerably depending on illustrator, limitation and binding quality. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1727\" data-end=\"1888\"\u003eA handsome collector’s copy of one of the most enduring poetic translations of the nineteenth century, given particular distinction by its lavish Ramage binding.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arch Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53122549940491,"sku":null,"price":2700.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/files\/88E52B9A-DFB2-48C1-A464-28A45473E9F7.jpg?v=1779173488"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/7848\/9355\/collections\/IMG_3641.jpg?v=1779173551","url":"https:\/\/www.archbooks.co.uk\/collections\/selected-highlights.oembed","provider":"Arch Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}