Products | Voyager Rare Books Maps & Prints

Sunset at Blandings – P.G. Wodehouse

Published by Chatto and Windus for the Book Club Associates, a first printing 1978. Octavo, 213 pages illustrated endpapers, diagrams of Blandings etc. A very good copy.

P.G. Wodehouse died at the age of 93 in 1975 having written one hundred books been a highly acclaimed Hollywood scriptwriter, written the lyrics to 300 published songs etc. This is his final unfinished work, 16 of maybe 22 planned chapters.

Compiled by Richard Usborne and magnificently supported by the “Work in Progress”, manuscript notes of scenarios and plots found at PGW’s bedside and at home. They make very interesting reading and remind Voyager of our other favourite unfinished work “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” by Dickens.

Usborne also provides a fun chapter on the fictitious Blandings Castle and its surroundings, an essay on the train timetable between Paddington and Market Blandings with the help of a “Bradshaw’s” expert, before Michael Portillo had the idea, and few pages of “Notes to Text”’ which will make any reader qualify as a first grade Wodehouse expert.

Unfinished but entertaining

$35.00

Updating cart…

La Grande Bretagne et Ireland – Chatelain – 1717

An original copper engraved map of the British Isles by Zacharie Chatelain and published in Amsterdam in 1717.

A nice example with simple outline simple outline colouring. Engraved area 17 cm by 14cm a good strong plate mark.

Henri Abraham Chatelain (1684-1743) born in Paris but lived variously in Paris, London, the Hague and later Amsterdam. This intriguing map of the British Isles was published as part of “La Science des Personnes de la Cour … “ a monumental work covering religion, astronomy, geography, war and fortifications etc.

Chatelain’s reputation is that of a skilled artist with delicate engraving and an uncomplicated composition. It is considered that Chatelaine primarily used De L’Isle as his reference for maps and we would agree with that view in regard to this little beauty.

Price $280.00 framed in Voyager miniature map style with gilt fillet, burgundy mat and beaded gilt frame.

Attractive 300 year old map of the British Isles

$280.00

Updating cart…

Love and The Luxembourg – Richard Aldington – First American, Fine, Limited and Signed – 1930

Beautiful presentation of Aldington’s lengthy poem a first American edition published by Convici, Friede Inc New York 1930. Limited edition of 475 copies of which this is number 400. The book was designed by Frederic Warde and printed by William Edwin Rudge … signed nicely by Richard Aldington and Frederic Warde.

Large octavo, 53 pages plus the limitation. Bound in stylish burgundy cloth cover boards with gilt flower design to front with gild boarders and gilt designs to spine. Top edge nicely gilt other edges rough cut. Slipcase as issued. A fine copy.

Richard Aldington (1892-1962) was a founding poet of the Imagist movement. He fought on the Western Front during WWI and wrote “Death of a Hero” widely acclaimed. Much can be said about him .. his friendships included Ezra Pound (an early mentor), D.H. Lawrence, W.B. Yeats, T.S. Elliot, Joyce, Hemingway .. says it all … what a period!

Love and the Luxembourg is about his love for American writer Brigit Patmore (For B.) who he was in a relationship with 1928-1936 … he left her for her daughter in law.

Later in life he wrote a brief biography on T.E. Lawrence which suggested various things previously unsaid about the great man’s character. Aldington was never forgiven for this “abuse” and lived the rest of his life out in France.

Aldington a special poet with literary contacts

$60.00

Updating cart…

The Lhota Nagas – Mills – First Edition 1932

First edition, published by MacMillan, London in 1932. Largish octavo, 255 pages nicely illustrated from photographs and drawings with a nice map of the relevant area. Striking blue cloth covered binding with gilt titling to spine and front as well as a lavish gilt image of a Lhota warrior in full dress.

Whilst the author had no formal anthropological training this is widely regarded as the primary source of information regarding the reclusive and inviting Lhota Nagas

Mills addresses the origins of the tribe, their migration, appearance, dress, ornament and weapons. Domestic life among the Nagas and the “Morung” … agriculture and the various unusual associated ceremonies. Hunting, fishing, food, medicine and drugs. Games they play, music and entertainment. The laws and customs by which they abide… war and head-hunting, Slavery and the position of women. Religion and life after death … magic, folk tales and songs. A good chapter on their language and various appendices concerning the Lhota calendar, mensuration and human sacrifice.

John Philip Mills (1890- 1960) was educated at Winchester College and Corpus Christi Cambridge. He spent three years as the Assistant Commissioner at Mokokchung, remote Nagaland in Northern India bordering Assam. During that period he worked on this book. Later in life he was rewarded for his work … back in London he was appointed Reader at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University. In the 1950’s he was President of the Anthropological Institute.

The surprising life of the Lhota Nagas a unique people

$240.00

Updating cart…

The Wreck of the Batavia & Prosper – Simon Leys

A fine first hardback published 2005 by Black Inc, Melbourne. Small octavo, 110 pages, illustrated comprising two separate essays of close to equal length.

The author’s account of the unusual going’s on to do with the wreck of the Dutch East Indies Batavia and the horrid aftermath is good succinct account.

Despite the unusual format of the title …Prosper is a totally different narrative and not a wreck account … deeply personal the author Pierre Ryckmans (here under his pen-name Simon Leys) recalls a summer spent on a tuna fishing boat off Brittany … his introduction to “proper sailing”.

Batavia special and unusual combination … Prosper

$22.00

Updating cart…

Capture of the Mahonesa – Original Hand Coloured Aquatint – Whitcombe 1816

An original hand coloured aquatint by Sutherland after a painting by Thomas Whitcombe (1763-1824) a leading British maritime artist. Published at 48 The Strand, London, 1st November 1816 for Jenkins’s “The Naval Achievements of Great Britain”; surely the greatest ever naval illustrated work.

Printed on thick Whatman paper measuring 30 cm by 21.5 cm with wide borders. Some ghosting from a previous mount as can be seen from the image. Reflected in the price … a desirable collectable naval item.

The action took place on 13th October 1796 off the coast of Spain near Cartgeria. The 22 gun frigate HMS Tepsichore, under Captain Richard Bowen had been shadowing the Spanish fleet. On his return to Lisbon he encountered the Mahonesa under Captain Ayalde. The Spanish offered “battle” and Bowen accepted and won the Mahonesa with little loss on his side. He took his prize to Lisbon but unfortunately had caused so much damage to the ship that it was considered worthless as a prize. This was the first encounter of the Anglo-Spanish War which was to last a further eight years.

Price $190.00 unframed … ask for framing options if you wish.

Thomas Whitcombe exhibited at the Royal Academy (56 times), the British Institution and the Royal Society of British Artists. Many of his paintings of naval engagements are in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

$190.00

Updating cart…

All products

Sunset at Blandings – P.G. Wodehouse

La Grande Bretagne et Ireland – Chatelain – 1717

Love and The Luxembourg – Richard Aldington – First American, Fine, Limited and Signed – 1930

The Lhota Nagas – Mills – First Edition 1932

The Wreck of the Batavia & Prosper – Simon Leys

Capture of the Mahonesa – Original Hand Coloured Aquatint – Whitcombe 1816

Product Categories