Non-fiction

The Intelligence and Deception of the D-Day Landings – J Haswell

Published by Batsford, London in 1979. Larger squarish octavo, 208 pages, illustrated from the period of the “event” and a good double page sketch map of the goings on … very good if not better condition.

The D-day Landings probably the most complex exercise ever attempted. Not only was the depth of the intelligence gathering of a new level so also was the deception planning – an element that may have been the overriding factor.

The definitive book if you are interested in Military History and this military operation, of June 4th 1944, which thankfully changed the course of WWII.

D-Day a day that changed the course of history – fully explained.

$30.00

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Under the Southern Cross – Horace Leaf [Intro by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Spiritualism Down under etc] – First Edition 1923

Scarce book and impossible to find with its dust jacket (albeit chipped). A super copy.

Horace Leaf (1886-1971) was a serious spiritualist, clairvoyant with and interest in psychometry and healing. He was a friend and associate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – who writes the introduction. The pair worked together to find the missing Agatha Christie and made contact with Lenin when he was on the other side.

Conan Doyle had done his own tour of the Antipodes and had wanted Leaf with him – Leaf couldn’t make it. Afterwards, Conan Doyle persisted with Leaf to make a trip down under … Leaf didn’t think he had the financial wherewithal … Conan Doyle responded by saying he had left five hundred pounds in Australia for Leaf.

The book is a very interesting read. Published by Cecil Palmer, London in 1923. Thick octavo, 263 pages, illustrated from photographs taken on tour. All in excellent condition – accept that there are three strange pin style holes right through the rear board and the last group of pages – strange and almost unnoticeable – could be some strange experiment has taken place?

Leaf arrives in Western Australia and makes himself busy and then off to the Gold Fields; on to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane before a boat to New Zealand, north and south islands. Returning to Sydney he makes a trip to Tasmania [the only addition to the Conan Doyle route].

This all sounds like a regular travel trip but not so. Along the way we have interesting psychic goings on with some startling occurrences particularly the Melbourne readings. Interesting positive references to aboriginal character. Near the end we have a journey up Mt Wellington Hobart to a tea house to have the leaves read by a psychic – who passes the test – this must have been at the Springs Hotel which burned down in the 1967 bush fires.

Leaf wrote Conan Doyle’s obituary published in “Ghost Stories” in October 1930. Unfortunately, Leaf may indirectly have exacerbated Conan Doyle’s health leading to his move to the “other side”.

Psychic tour of Australia by Conan Doyle Associate.

$120.00

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Rough Water – Stories of Survival from the Seas – Clint Willis

A worthy soft cover published by the aptly named Adrenaline Books, New York in 1999. Octavo, 356 pages, fancy wrap card covers add to sturdiness. Very good to better copy.

Interesting mix of fact and fiction from Shackleton, Knox-Johnstone, Trumbull on the raft with Patrick O’Brian and Wauk (Caine Mutiny – let’s not forget Bogie!) then on to cold water and David Lewis etc. Glossary and bibliography at the end all help those new to the water.

Survival at sea all from your armchair

$25.00

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Rare Large Sized Microscope Size – Lantern Fly – China

No date or maker but this presentation was a specialty in the late Victorian / Edwardian era. Reference authority “Bracegirdle” shows a number of “outsized” examples but none quite like this.

In modern terms known as the spotted lantern fly. The insect is on the move and a potential threat in Australia – modelling has shown that it could survive well in western and north-western Victoria. When we say a threat, it was endemic to China and Vietnam but moved into South Korea in 2006, Japan in 2009 and the USA in 2014 … so the move is on.

Here the little blighter is beautifully preserved and presented in Canada Balsam … we know that CB was the mounters choice due its quality and the cursive narrative says so.

A microscopical rarity outsized mount of the Spotted Lantern Fly.

$180.00

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Race to the South Pole – Roald Amundsen

Published in 2007 by White Star. This is Roald Amundsen’s account of the achievement of the South Pole … from the Murray translation of the first English.

Here modernised and updated with a few recent images as well as some from that day. Map albeit significantly reduced in scale from the original.

Thick octavo, 636 pages, pictorial boards no separate wrapper as issued. A solid production tightly bound.

A good version of this most important account and not one that will bust your pocket.

South Pole achieved by the Amundsen led team.

$30.00

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Fortunes in Minerals including Uranium [Simple Tests and How to Make Them] – Ion Idriess

An Ion Idriess classic which followed “Prospecting for Gold”. Experts regarded this book as a serious compendium. Includes chemical tests and sections on the use of the blowpipe.

Published by Angus and Robertson, a 1954 edition of the revised edition. Large octavo, 310 pages with some instructive illustrations. A very good copy bar the dust jacket is chipped and aged – now protected in Brodart.

Ion Idriess classic – makes your fortune in minerals – plenty have.

$40.00

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The Intelligence and Deception of the D-Day Landings – J Haswell

Under the Southern Cross – Horace Leaf [Intro by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Spiritualism Down under etc] – First Edition 1923

Rough Water – Stories of Survival from the Seas – Clint Willis

Rare Large Sized Microscope Size – Lantern Fly – China

Race to the South Pole – Roald Amundsen

Fortunes in Minerals including Uranium [Simple Tests and How to Make Them] – Ion Idriess

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