Island Books [formerly of Devon]
Fine and Rare Books at the foot of the South Downs
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£155.00 Order / Enquire about this book
John Miles, [1938] 4to., First Edition, with a frontispiece, title in red and black, with 76 photographic plates on 56, and very numerous illustrations, sketches and cartoons in the text, endpapers lightly spotted, small neat signature on front free endpaper; original marbled boards, buckram back gilt, gilt top, covers lightly chafed at edges and corners, a very good, clean copy. The author's first prose work is an entertaining survey (architectural, historical and social) of the Oxford he knew and adored as an undergraduate. All but five of the fine photographic plates are by Moholy-Nagy; the illustrations and cartoons are by Bradley and Lancaster; most of the engravings are taken from Ingram's 'Memorials of Oxford' (1837). A fine period piece printed for Miles at the Chiswick Press. Cordeaux & Merry, 433; Peterson A6a; Stapleton, I.54. (Book ref. 25883)
Collins, 1947 4to., Fourth Impression, with 8 coloured plates and 31 monochrome illustrations in the text; original series binding of pictorial boards, a near fine copy in unclipped dustwrapper. Published in Collins' well-known 'Britain in Pictures' series. Carney 48; Gammond 43B1; Stapleton B34 (recording the first edition of 1943). (Book ref. 25789)
Batsford, 1937 HAMPSHIRE. SHELL GUIDE. [BETJEMAN (J), ed.] RAYNER (J). Towards a Dictionary of the County of Southampton commonly Hampshire or Hants. Shell Guide4to., First Edition, with full-page series map preceding title, title-vignette, full-page coloured map, 8 plates on pale green stock, 4 plates, numerous photographs and illustrations in the text, and pictorial endpapers, map and fore-edges lightly spotted; original illustrated wrappers, comb-bound as issued, covers mildly age-soiled else a very good, bright, clean copy. One of the first ten titles in this wonderful series edited by Betjeman. In 1939 the imprint passed to Faber who replaced the characteristic comb-binding with conventional cloth and standardised the titles. Very scarce, especially in this condition. (Book ref. 25460)
John Murray, [1949] Roy. 8vo., First Edition, with numerous plates and folding map coloured in outline; original yellow boards blocked and lettered in white and white and black, a near fine copy in price-clipped dustwrapper, the latter very lightly age-browned. Second of Murray's Architectural Guides. The series was commissioned by Jock Murray as an successor to Betjeman and Piper's pre-war Shell Guides. UNCOMMON IN THIS CONDITION. Peterson, A17; Stapleton 77. (Book ref. 25362)
£186.00 Order / Enquire about this book
Frederick Muller, [1944] 8vo., First Edition, with 12 fine full-page coloured lithographs by Piper, small neat contemporary inscription on front free endpaper; original pictorial cloth after design by Piper, a very good, clean copy in dustwrapper, the latter lightly age-soiled and with very minor loss (nowhere affecting lettering) at extremities. Published in the series 'New Excursions into English Poetry' edited by W.J. Turner and Sheila Shannon. VERY SCARCE INDEED IN THE DUSTWRAPPER. Peterson A12a; Stapleton C75. (Book ref. 25203)
Folio Society, 1999 [2003] 8vo., Third Impression thus, with frontispiece, numerous photographs throughout and pictorial endpapers; burgundy pictorial cloth, gilt back, a fine copy in publisher's board slip-case. With personal bookplate on front paste-down. (Book ref. 24932)
Hodder & Stoughton [and] John Murray, [1983] 8vo., First Edition, with numerous photographs and illustrations in the text, and decorative endpapers; green cloth, gilt back, a near fine copy in price-clipped dustwrapper. Peterson O57. (Book ref. 24801)
Spectator, 1956 Broadsheet, First Edition; original wrappers printed in red and black, wire-stitched as issued, uncut, covers lightly age-soiled, backstrip split (but binding wholly sound), very good, clean copy. ['City and Suburban' (Betjeman). 'A Remarkable Historical Novel' (Waugh)] [in] Spectator No. 6668. April 13 1956. Peterson C1343. (Book ref. 15844)
Spectator, 1954 Broadsheet, First Edition; original wrappers printed in red and black, wire-stitched as issued, uncut, a remarkably bright, clean crisp copy. Waugh reviews 'The Holkham Bible Picture Book' on p.93. Betjeman contributes a letter titled 'Fulham Grange' on p.75. Other contributors include Ludovic Kennedy, Michael Oakeshott, Compton Mackenzie and John Arlott. Scarce in this condition. Peterson C1185. (Book ref. 15438)
[Charles Skipper, Basingtoke, 1968] Oblong 4to., First Edition, with numerous coloured and monochrome illustrations (a number full-page) by the author throughout; holland gilt, covers very lightly age-marked else a very good, clean copy in unclipped dustwrapper, the latter lightly frayed at extremities. Uncommon collection of evocative scenes of Basingstoke scenes and worthies. Peterson B98; not recorded by Stapleton. (Book ref. 19891)
Methuen, [1947] 8vo., First Edition, with a frontispiece and 15 plates, some light offsetting from fold-ins to free endpapers; original green cloth, gilt back, a very good, bright, clean copy in price-clipped dustwrapper, the latter browned at backstrip. An elusive Betjeman title, and particularly uncommon in this condition. Peterson B15; Stapleton E127. (Book ref. 15532)
Swindon Borough Council, Swindon, [1950] 8vo., First Edition, with a coloured frontispiece, 14 monochromes plates, 9 illustrations (8 full-page) and 3 plans in the text, and 2 large folding maps on japon (one in red and black, one in green and black), free endpapers very faintly spotted; cloth gilt, gilt back, a near fine copy in price-clipped dustwrapper, the latter very lightly age-soiled. Betjeman contributes the text of 'Architecture' at pp. 161-183. The text-illustrations are by A.H. Ridout; the folding maps (of Bonze Age and Roman period antiquities) are by Grinsell. Green, 1471; Peterson B27; Stapleton, D88. (Book ref. 9961)
Weidenfeld & Nicolson, [1982] Oblong 4to., First Edition, with very numerous coloured photographs (the majority full-page) in the text; original cloth, gilt back, a very good, clean copy in unclipped dustwrapper, the latter lightly frayed at edges. Peterson B178. (Book ref. 9986)
Faber, [1964] 4to., Second Edition, with a frontispiece, title-vignette, very numerous photographs (a number full-page)in the text and pictorial endpapers, page edges very faintly browning; original red cloth, backstrip blocked and black and lettered in reverse, a very good, clean copy in the dustwrapper, the latter lightly chafed at extremities and a little age-soiled on (predominantly white) rear panel. Along with Piper's Oxfordshire, this is arguably the most sought-after title of the well-known series. It was first published in 1933 but thirty years later the scale of change inspired Betjeman to rewrite it almost completely, including a new and nostalgic introduction. The second edition was first published in 1964. Scarce in this condition. Stapleton, C.67 (recording the second edition). (Book ref. 21171)
Cornwall. A Shell Guide. [Second Edition, Third Impression]. NEAR FINE COPY IN UNCLIPPED DUSTWRAPPER
Faber, [1965] 4to., Second Edition, Third Impression, with a frontispiece, title-vignette, very numerous photographs (a number full-page)in the text and pictorial endpapers; original series binding of red cloth, backstrip blocked and black and lettered in reverse, a near fine copy in unclipped dustwrapper. Along with Piper's Oxfordshire, this is arguably the most sought-after title of the well-known series. It was first published in 1933 but thirty years later the scale of change inspired Betjeman to rewrite it almost completely, including a new and nostalgic introduction. The second edition was first published in 1964 and almost immediately reissued with corrections. The present impression appeared a year later. SCARCE IN THIS CONDITION. Stapleton, C.67 (recording the second edition). (Book ref. 23962)
Longman Group for The British Council, [1974] 8vo., First Edition, on laid paper, with a full-page portrait; original printed wrappers, wire-stitched as issued, a near fine copy. Published as no. 237 in the series 'Writers and their Work'. Peterson O38. (Book ref. 10208)
£100.00 Order / Enquire about this book
John Murray, 1980 8vo., First Edition, with a frontispiece and illustrations (a number full-page) in the text; green cloth, gilt back, a near fine copy in the dustwrapper. The scarce first issue, subsequently withdrawn, with the printing error in the poem "Bristol and Clifton" which necessitated a complete publisher's recall. Extremely scarce. Peterson A48a (Book ref. 18566)
SR Publishers, [1970] 4to., Facsimile Re-issue, with a frontispiece and numerous illustrations; cloth, a very good, clean copy in the dustwrapper, the latter lightly chafed at extremities. First published in 1938, the author's first prose work is an entertaining survey (architectural, historical and social) of the Oxford he knew and adored as an undergraduate. The original edition is very scarce indeed; this re-issue is rapidly becoming elusive in its own right. Cordeaux & Merry, 433; Stapleton, I.54 (both recording the first edition). (Book ref. 15528)
John Murray, [1977] 8vo., on blue stock, with title-vignette, numerous illustrations in the text and 6pp gathering in red and black illustrated by Osbert Lancaster; decorative cloth gilt, gilt back, a very good, clean copy in the dustwrapper. The splendid facsimile retains much of the panache and charm of the original 1937 edition, complete with dustwrapper artwork by McKnight Kauffer (Book ref. 15510)
John Murray, [1988] 8vo., First Edition, with 42 plates on 28; cloth, gilt back, a fine copy in unclipped dustwrapper. First volume of Hillier's projected three-volume life of Betjeman, a project entrusted to him by the poet himself and likely to become of the most entertaining biographies of its time. Covers the years 1906-1933. Peterson O98. (Book ref. 4437)