Maritime

The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800 – C.R. Boxer

Published by Hutchinson, London 1n 1965, a first edition. The author Charles Boxer was the Professor of Portuguese at Kings College, London at the time – he would likely have been the Dutch Professor also .. if they had had one.

Large octavo, 326 pages, illustrated throughout, very good dust jacket, a lightly embossed stamp on title,. A very good copy of a special work now hard to find.

Not your usual narrative, this book looks at the reasons behind the rise of the Dutch as a major seafaring nation from the mid 1600’s for over a century. Peace was signed after an eighty year war with Spain in 1648 and for the Dutch the seagoing expansion was near to phenomenal in terms of speed and ambition. Useful appendices include a chronology 1568-1795 which provides a framework …

The author Charles Boxer was an incredibly colourful character. Born into a military family (although his mothers family had been early sheep farmers in Tasmania). He enlisted and found himself in Japan in the 1930’s. Then a full blown spy in Hong Kong at the beginning of War II, imprisoned by the Japanese for three years. He married the most beautiful woman in Hong Kong , Ursula Tulloch, but left her for a life with the equally glamorous American writer Emily Hahn. Back in England his depth of knowledge was recognised in receiving the Lisbon sponsored Professorship which he made is own.

The Dutch … their power at sea and what was behind it …

$40.00

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Sea Change – Alone Across the Atlantic – Peter Nichols

Published by Viking a first edition 1997. Octavo, 238 pages. Very good if not fine condition.

A different sailing book. There are no pictures or maps here. Maybe therefore it is not surprising that the writing is special. Peter Nichols sailed with his wife. Sadly, they separated after a west to east Atlantic crossing. This book reflects on his single-handed return voyage in the 27-foot engineless “Toad” which had a habit of springing leaks.

Interspersed throughout are references to classic sailing accounts … Chichester, Blyth, Moitessier, Knox-Johnston, Ridgway et al.

Interesting for an experienced maritime reader most useful of an introductee.

Nichols a personal challenge – knowledgeable author.

$25.00

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Around Tasmania in a Whaleboat 1986 – In the Wake of James Kelly – Ben Cuthbertson [Signed by the Author]

170 years after James Kelly’s famous voyage in a whaleboat around Tasmania, Ben Cuthbertson, sailor, marine enthusiast, maritime historian set out to replicate the event.

In this his personal, self published account he describes the adventure from the outset and during the voyage compares his with that of Kelly which makes the whole much more enjoyable.

Octavo, soft cover, 80 pages, some illustrations, published the year of the voyage. Fine condition. Signed boldly by the author bottom of title page.

Cuthbertson around Tassie in the style of the great seaman James Kelly of Hobart Town.

$35.00

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Pacific Odyssey [Three Years in the Pacific - Easter Island, Samoa, Tuvalu etc] – Gwenda Cornell – 1985

Published by Adlard Coles, London in 1985 a first edition soft cover. 218 pages, double page map and black and white illustrations.

A super Pacific voyage taking in Easter Islands, Samoa, the birth of Tuvalu and the nose flute playing in Tonga. Three years in all were spent in the Pacific in what would be a six year round the world adventure.

A sailing adventure to die for and a well written narrative.

$25.00

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Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe – 1790 – Two Volume Illustrated Edition.

The full title of one of the world’s most famous books … “The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventure of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner: Who lived eight and twenty years all alone in an uninhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River Oroonoque, Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all the Men perished but himself: With An Account how he was at last as strangely delivered by Pyrates. Written by Himself.” …

The Second Volume is separately titled … “The Farther Adventures of Robinson being the Second and Last Part of his Life” … to which is appended George Chalmers’s “Life of Daniel Defoe”

Two volume large octavo set bound in contemporary calf, re-backed beautifully by Perry. Pagination Volume 1 .. viii,[iii]-iv, 493 pages – 9 full page plates: Volume 2 … [2],vi, 483 pages – 7 full pages plates. A very good and desirable Robinson Crusoe set.

This is the first edition of the Stockdale version with, by far, the best illustrations. Engraved frontispieces and plates by Thomas Stothard.

Robinson Crusoe the most popular, delightful and extraordinary of all of Daniel Defoe’s works. Loved by Dr Johnson who challenged anyone to put it down easily. By 1790 the text of Robinson Crusoe had become abused by other publishers, reduced and amended. Here, Stockdale reverted to the original text of Defoe to which he added the finest illustrations yet seen in the work.

Most may know that Defoe was a great follower of William Dampier the first person to circumnavigate the World twice and eventually three times. Dampier was embroiled in the strange goings on resulting in the leaving of Scotsman Alexander Selkirk on Juan Fernandos Island, off the coast of Chile. He also, rather strangely, was pilot on the vessel that was to pick Selkirk up many year later. The story of Selkirk’s solitary life there, goats etc is the basis of Robinson Crusoe. Defoe had the island transported to the mouth of the Orinoco, for marketing purpose one presumes.

Early and preferred illustrated Stockdale Volumes of Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe – 235 Years old.

$980.00

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The Founding of Hobart – A Diary Recounting the Events on the Derwent 1803-1804 – Frank Bolt

The author of this fine book, Frank Bolt, was surprised that he could not find any book on the very early period of the settlement of Hobart. So he carried out his own research and effectively self published this work.

Large octavo, 320 pages, illustrated, with folding plan, printed to a high standard. A first edition 2004 and fine, like new, condition.

An unusual work in structure … Bolt explain his approach well in the lengthy Preface. Having assembled all of the exiting evidence his challenge was how to present it … landing on the idea of creating a faux diary of events on a nearly day by day basis. It work very well. After a further introductory “Prologue” the diary runs from page 38 through to page 279. Within this there are separate brief “cut-aways” regarding the “difference between the initial Risdon Settlement and the final Settlement at Sullivan’s Cove and “the Cargo of the Collin’s Expedition”.

Notes on Sources are kept until the end and are extensive and useful as well is a list of the Pioneers of Hobart Town. And, Meehan’s Plan of circa 1811.

Hobart the early days revisited

$50.00

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The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800 – C.R. Boxer

Sea Change – Alone Across the Atlantic – Peter Nichols

Around Tasmania in a Whaleboat 1986 – In the Wake of James Kelly – Ben Cuthbertson [Signed by the Author]

Pacific Odyssey [Three Years in the Pacific - Easter Island, Samoa, Tuvalu etc] – Gwenda Cornell – 1985

Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe – 1790 – Two Volume Illustrated Edition.

The Founding of Hobart – A Diary Recounting the Events on the Derwent 1803-1804 – Frank Bolt

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