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The History of the World, in Five Books -
Sir Walter Raleigh, John Shirley
1677 - Printed for Robert White, London - Tenth Folio Edition
Magnificently bound folio, the first to contain the additional ‘Life of the Author’. Illustrated with the memorable engraved allegorical frontispiece, engraved portrait of Raleigh, six double page engraved maps, two double page engraved battle plans, three in-text schematics, twenty-six pages of chronological tables, and a title page printed in red and black.
‘Among the noblest of literary enterprises. Throughout it breathes a serious moral purpose. It illustrates the sureness with which ruin overtakes "great conquerors and other troublers of the world" who neglect law, whether human or divine, and it appropriately closes with an apostrophe to death of rarely paralleled sublimity.’
‘Too Saucy in Censuring Princes’ - King James on confiscating all unsold copies and suppressing further sales, several months after publication.
Written whilst imprisoned in the Tower of London from 1603 to 1616 and intended to outline historical events from creation to modern times, drawing on the Bible, Greek mythology, and other sources. Raleigh dedicated it to the young Prince Henry, his patron and supporter who was trying to secure his release from prison. The prince's death in 1612 discouraged Raleigh, and the book ends abruptly with the second Macedonian War instead of continuing through two more volumes as originally intended. Raleigh was released from the Tower in 1616 to lead one final expedition to South America, but his men attacked a Spanish outpost and he was executed upon his return in 1618.
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Price HK$ 25,000
1677 - Printed for Robert White, London - Tenth Folio Edition
Magnificently bound folio, the first to contain the additional ‘Life of the Author’. Illustrated with the memorable engraved allegorical frontispiece, engraved portrait of Raleigh, six double page engraved maps, two double page engraved battle plans, three in-text schematics, twenty-six pages of chronological tables, and a title page printed in red and black.‘Among the noblest of literary enterprises. Throughout it breathes a serious moral purpose. It illustrates the sureness with which ruin overtakes "great conquerors and other troublers of the world" who neglect law, whether human or divine, and it appropriately closes with an apostrophe to death of rarely paralleled sublimity.’
‘Too Saucy in Censuring Princes’ - King James on confiscating all unsold copies and suppressing further sales, several months after publication.
Written whilst imprisoned in the Tower of London from 1603 to 1616 and intended to outline historical events from creation to modern times, drawing on the Bible, Greek mythology, and other sources. Raleigh dedicated it to the young Prince Henry, his patron and supporter who was trying to secure his release from prison. The prince's death in 1612 discouraged Raleigh, and the book ends abruptly with the second Macedonian War instead of continuing through two more volumes as originally intended. Raleigh was released from the Tower in 1616 to lead one final expedition to South America, but his men attacked a Spanish outpost and he was executed upon his return in 1618.
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Price HK$ 25,000
Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character - Inscribed -
Edward B. Ramsay
1871 - Edmonston and Douglas, Edinburgh - Twentieth Edition
A fine inscribed edition, magnificently bound by Bayntun-Rivière of Bath.
First published in 1857, and extended throughout Ramsay’s life, it consists of his personal recollections, anecdotes and opinions. In addition to the entertaining preface, chapters cover Scottish Religious Feelings, Old Scottish Conviviality, The Old Scottish Domestic Servant, Humour Proceeding from Scottish Expressions Including Scottish Proverbs, and Scottish Stories of Wit and Humour.
An important association copy, inscribed by Ramsay to Doctor Robert Carruthers of Inverness, with Ramsay’s hand written note going on to say that this ‘is the 20th edition and I suppose to be my last - the concluding part from page 316, on the subject of a “closer union amongst Christians is entirely new in the Edition’. Dr. Carruthers is also thanked by Ramsay in the introduction (see page X). This work actually went through a further two editions before Ramsay’s death in 1872
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Price HK$ 6,000
1871 - Edmonston and Douglas, Edinburgh - Twentieth Edition
A fine inscribed edition, magnificently bound by Bayntun-Rivière of Bath.First published in 1857, and extended throughout Ramsay’s life, it consists of his personal recollections, anecdotes and opinions. In addition to the entertaining preface, chapters cover Scottish Religious Feelings, Old Scottish Conviviality, The Old Scottish Domestic Servant, Humour Proceeding from Scottish Expressions Including Scottish Proverbs, and Scottish Stories of Wit and Humour.
An important association copy, inscribed by Ramsay to Doctor Robert Carruthers of Inverness, with Ramsay’s hand written note going on to say that this ‘is the 20th edition and I suppose to be my last - the concluding part from page 316, on the subject of a “closer union amongst Christians is entirely new in the Edition’. Dr. Carruthers is also thanked by Ramsay in the introduction (see page X). This work actually went through a further two editions before Ramsay’s death in 1872
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Price HK$ 6,000
The Works -
Theodore Roosevelt, Hermann Hagedorn (editor), under the Auspices of The Roosevelt Memorial Association
1923-6 - Charles Scribner's Sons, New York - The National Edition
A finely bound twenty volume set of Roosevelt’s works. With additional notes to the beginning of each volume, sometimes biographical sometimes Roosevelt’s own notes.
Roosevelt was an historian, a biographer, a statesman, a hunter, a naturalist, and an orator. His prodigious literary output includes twenty-six books, over a thousand magazine articles, thousands of speeches and letters. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1906, in his position as President of the United States of America and collaborator of various peace treaties.
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Price HK$ 36,000
1923-6 - Charles Scribner's Sons, New York - The National Edition
A finely bound twenty volume set of Roosevelt’s works. With additional notes to the beginning of each volume, sometimes biographical sometimes Roosevelt’s own notes.Roosevelt was an historian, a biographer, a statesman, a hunter, a naturalist, and an orator. His prodigious literary output includes twenty-six books, over a thousand magazine articles, thousands of speeches and letters. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1906, in his position as President of the United States of America and collaborator of various peace treaties.
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Price HK$ 36,000
A Voyage to Abyssinia and Travels to The Interior of That Country in The Years 1809 and 1810 -
Henry Salt
1814 - F. C. and J. Rivington, London - First Edition
First edition of this landmark work on the Ethiopian Empire, complete with all required maps and plates, in contemporary binding.
Henry Salt, who had been trained as a painter, first visited Egypt when he toured India and North Africa with Viscount Valentia ... He returned to Africa in 1809 on a government mission to establish contact with the King of Abyssinia which occupied him for two years. This work describes those travels and the appendix contains vocabularies of various African dialects.
Finely embellished with large folding engraved hand-coloured map of ‘Abyssinia’, six engraved charts (five of which are folding), 27 engraved plates by Charles Heath after Salt, engraved headpiece vignette and tailpiece vignette.
All of the folding maps and charts have been removed from the binding, backed onto linen, folded and then attached to tabs, making them more manageable. The list of plates calls for two separate charts of Howakil Bay and Annesley Bay, however there is just the one folding plate on which these two charts are engraved opposite p. 184. In the present copy, the chart of Zeyla which should be bound to face p. 475 has been misbound opposite p. 453.
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Price HK$ 18,000
1814 - F. C. and J. Rivington, London - First Edition
First edition of this landmark work on the Ethiopian Empire, complete with all required maps and plates, in contemporary binding.Henry Salt, who had been trained as a painter, first visited Egypt when he toured India and North Africa with Viscount Valentia ... He returned to Africa in 1809 on a government mission to establish contact with the King of Abyssinia which occupied him for two years. This work describes those travels and the appendix contains vocabularies of various African dialects.
Finely embellished with large folding engraved hand-coloured map of ‘Abyssinia’, six engraved charts (five of which are folding), 27 engraved plates by Charles Heath after Salt, engraved headpiece vignette and tailpiece vignette.
All of the folding maps and charts have been removed from the binding, backed onto linen, folded and then attached to tabs, making them more manageable. The list of plates calls for two separate charts of Howakil Bay and Annesley Bay, however there is just the one folding plate on which these two charts are engraved opposite p. 184. In the present copy, the chart of Zeyla which should be bound to face p. 475 has been misbound opposite p. 453.
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Price HK$ 18,000
Baronagium Genealogicum: or the Pedigrees of the English Peers -
Sir William Segar, Joseph Edmondson
1764-84 - Engraved and printed for the author, London - First Editions
The most beautifully illustrated and comprehensive record of 18th century Heraldry. A magnificent and extremely rare complete set of six enormous uncut folio volumes, with 658 copperplate engravings (104 of which are double page) many by the master engraver Francesco Bartolozzi a founder member of the Royal Academy. The plates consist of 279 coats-of-arms (3 double-page), 364 genealogical tables (101 double-page), six titles, six dedication pages, and three specific family dedication pages.
Ranked to begin with Royalty, this massive work took 20 years to produce, making it necessary to publish a supplement with new peerages. Provenance - Sir John Smith, Bart., F.R.S. of Sydling St.Nicholas, Dorset, whose initials JS are gilt-stamped to the morocco spine labels and engraved bookplates to the front pastedowns.
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Price HK$ 150,000
1764-84 - Engraved and printed for the author, London - First Editions
The most beautifully illustrated and comprehensive record of 18th century Heraldry. A magnificent and extremely rare complete set of six enormous uncut folio volumes, with 658 copperplate engravings (104 of which are double page) many by the master engraver Francesco Bartolozzi a founder member of the Royal Academy. The plates consist of 279 coats-of-arms (3 double-page), 364 genealogical tables (101 double-page), six titles, six dedication pages, and three specific family dedication pages.Ranked to begin with Royalty, this massive work took 20 years to produce, making it necessary to publish a supplement with new peerages. Provenance - Sir John Smith, Bart., F.R.S. of Sydling St.Nicholas, Dorset, whose initials JS are gilt-stamped to the morocco spine labels and engraved bookplates to the front pastedowns.
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Price HK$ 150,000
South - The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917 -
Sir Ernest Shackleton
1919 - William Heinemann, London - First Edition, First Impression
A legendary account of leadership. It was on this expedition that the marooned Shackleton made his famous voyage in a 22-foot boat with five companions through 800 miles of some of the stormiest seas in the world, finally reaching South Georgia and a Norwegian whaling station [Spence].
With 86 full page plates, and large folding map to the rear, many classic photographs existing only due to the stubbornness of Hurley, Shackleton’s photographer, in refusing to leave the plates behind to conserve energy and food.
An exceptionally fine and thus scarce first edition of this large book that is notorious for its poor quality of paper and binding, the silver to spine and covers is bright and sharp, paper toned as is usually the case. Housed in a bespoke blue solander slipcase.
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Price HK$ 50,000
1919 - William Heinemann, London - First Edition, First Impression
A legendary account of leadership. It was on this expedition that the marooned Shackleton made his famous voyage in a 22-foot boat with five companions through 800 miles of some of the stormiest seas in the world, finally reaching South Georgia and a Norwegian whaling station [Spence].With 86 full page plates, and large folding map to the rear, many classic photographs existing only due to the stubbornness of Hurley, Shackleton’s photographer, in refusing to leave the plates behind to conserve energy and food.
An exceptionally fine and thus scarce first edition of this large book that is notorious for its poor quality of paper and binding, the silver to spine and covers is bright and sharp, paper toned as is usually the case. Housed in a bespoke blue solander slipcase.
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Price HK$ 50,000
A Ballad Book -
Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, Sir Walter Scott, David Laing (editor)
1880 - William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London - First Edition
‘I think you do me much honour by preserving my scribbles’ writes the colourful and eccentric Sharpe in the tipped in letter that accompanies his finely bound Ballad Book, re-edited by David Laing, with additions from Sharpe's manuscripts, and which he first printed only 30 copies in 1823, although according to Henderson, the majority of the added ballads in 1880 were of more or less questionable authenticity (ODNB). The final portion of the book prints Sir Walter Scott’s commentary on the original poems, and is taken from correspondence between Scott and his friend Sharpe.
Scarce. Illustrated with a colour frontispiece portrait, woodblock engraving plate and headpiece (as used for the original 1823 edition).
A speculative note regarding the letter - As stated in the editor’s introduction (ix) ‘Mr Sharpe’s own annotated copy’ was carefully followed to produce this work, a copy that was ‘in the possession of Sir James Gibson-Craig’. Gibson-Craig had one of the finest collection of Scottish works ever assembled, and other correspondence from Sharpe to Gibson-Craig did begin with ‘Signor Mio’, leading us to speculate that this letter accompanied the original and rare 1823 printing of which only 30 were produced, and which in this case was later given by Sharpe to Gibson-Craig.
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Price HK$ 5,000
1880 - William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London - First Edition
‘I think you do me much honour by preserving my scribbles’ writes the colourful and eccentric Sharpe in the tipped in letter that accompanies his finely bound Ballad Book, re-edited by David Laing, with additions from Sharpe's manuscripts, and which he first printed only 30 copies in 1823, although according to Henderson, the majority of the added ballads in 1880 were of more or less questionable authenticity (ODNB). The final portion of the book prints Sir Walter Scott’s commentary on the original poems, and is taken from correspondence between Scott and his friend Sharpe.Scarce. Illustrated with a colour frontispiece portrait, woodblock engraving plate and headpiece (as used for the original 1823 edition).
A speculative note regarding the letter - As stated in the editor’s introduction (ix) ‘Mr Sharpe’s own annotated copy’ was carefully followed to produce this work, a copy that was ‘in the possession of Sir James Gibson-Craig’. Gibson-Craig had one of the finest collection of Scottish works ever assembled, and other correspondence from Sharpe to Gibson-Craig did begin with ‘Signor Mio’, leading us to speculate that this letter accompanied the original and rare 1823 printing of which only 30 were produced, and which in this case was later given by Sharpe to Gibson-Craig.
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Price HK$ 5,000
Fire and Sword in the Sudan -
Rudolf C. Slatin Pasha, Major F.R. Wingate (translator), R. Talbot Kelly (illustrator)
1896 - Edward Arnold, London - Second Edition
A nice example of Slatin’s magnificent autobiography, one of the most important and captivating tales of the Sudan ever written.
With wonderful provenance, including a card ‘To my dear old friend Bill Spencer in remembrance of ‘happy days’ in the Sudan from The Author’ which is also signed by Reginald Wingate (aka Wingate of the Sudan who translated this work). Together with a 1931 Christmas card, with tipped in portrait, from Slatin, in Meran, Northern Italy, and a long hand-written note sending his best wishes ‘dear old boy’ and hoping to meet in 1932 ‘somehow - somewhere in good health and spirit’, sadly the year Slatin passed away, signing off Inshallah!, and a number of relevant newspaper clippings.
If Slatin was looking for adventure as he rode his camel into Sudan’s Darfur province in 1881 he got it in spades when one of the most spectacular wars of the 19th century broke out. Under the leadership of their leader known as the Mahdi, a vast native army arose to throw off their Egyptian overlords and cast out its foreign governors. Suddenly what had seemed to Slatin like a well-ordered military career in a quiet back water became a savage struggle of survival between natives and foreigners. Slatin was captured and enslaved. Gordon was surrounded at his capital in Khartoum and beheaded, his head being presented to Slatin. England eventually arose in outrage and sent out an army to retaliate. But it did not arrive before the young Austrian had undergone a series of adventures, survived cruelties too numerous to mention and escaped across the desert one step ahead of his enraged captors.
Fire and Sword in the Sudan records the life story of one of the 19th century’s most gallant soldiers, a man who after escaping from brutal slavery, was awarded military honours by Queen Victoria and returned to the Sudan to assist the very people who had held him in captivity.
A bright and sharp copy, illustrated throughout with black and white photographs, together with two folding maps, this timeless account remains one of the most important and captivating tales of the Sudan ever written.
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Price HK$ 10,000
1896 - Edward Arnold, London - Second Edition
A nice example of Slatin’s magnificent autobiography, one of the most important and captivating tales of the Sudan ever written.With wonderful provenance, including a card ‘To my dear old friend Bill Spencer in remembrance of ‘happy days’ in the Sudan from The Author’ which is also signed by Reginald Wingate (aka Wingate of the Sudan who translated this work). Together with a 1931 Christmas card, with tipped in portrait, from Slatin, in Meran, Northern Italy, and a long hand-written note sending his best wishes ‘dear old boy’ and hoping to meet in 1932 ‘somehow - somewhere in good health and spirit’, sadly the year Slatin passed away, signing off Inshallah!, and a number of relevant newspaper clippings.
If Slatin was looking for adventure as he rode his camel into Sudan’s Darfur province in 1881 he got it in spades when one of the most spectacular wars of the 19th century broke out. Under the leadership of their leader known as the Mahdi, a vast native army arose to throw off their Egyptian overlords and cast out its foreign governors. Suddenly what had seemed to Slatin like a well-ordered military career in a quiet back water became a savage struggle of survival between natives and foreigners. Slatin was captured and enslaved. Gordon was surrounded at his capital in Khartoum and beheaded, his head being presented to Slatin. England eventually arose in outrage and sent out an army to retaliate. But it did not arrive before the young Austrian had undergone a series of adventures, survived cruelties too numerous to mention and escaped across the desert one step ahead of his enraged captors.
Fire and Sword in the Sudan records the life story of one of the 19th century’s most gallant soldiers, a man who after escaping from brutal slavery, was awarded military honours by Queen Victoria and returned to the Sudan to assist the very people who had held him in captivity.
A bright and sharp copy, illustrated throughout with black and white photographs, together with two folding maps, this timeless account remains one of the most important and captivating tales of the Sudan ever written.
More details
Price HK$ 10,000