Travel & Voyages

The Atlantic Ocean (A Bridge Between Two Worlds) – George Kay

Published by the London Museum Press, first edition 1954. Octavo, 208 pages nicely illustrated throughout. Very good condition.

A not at all dated history of the Atlantic .From early Viking days … then Columbus, Cabot, Drake, Raleigh etc. The great islands and Voyager’s favourite St Helena. And in the air … the Alcock and Brown non-stop 1919 from Newfoundland. Slavery. Whaling. The fierce battles of WWII. Quite a subject in one book.

The Atlantic – a very good reference

$25.00

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The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society London – April 1925 – The Great Barrier Reef

Complete edition April 1925 in original blue wrappers. Pages 281-376 after adverts, preliminaries etc with folding map at rear.

The Great Barrier Reef by Colonel Sir Gerald Lenox-Conyngham and F.A. Potts the latter talking about “Life of the Reef”. Irish born Conyngham (1866-1956) was a surveyor and geodesist of some note. He was trained at the Royal Military Academy Woolwich and at Chatham. His study partly emphasises how little was known about the Great Barrier Reef at the time and his remarks and the report of Potts resulted in some lengthy discussion afterwards with interesting references back to Bramble, Stokes, Owen Stanley etc again emphasising the importance of the knowledge gained during those early 19thC voyages.

Further of interest is a lengthy report on Nepal by Brig-General C.G. Bruce and Major Northey with a nice map and excellent photographs.

And, a good study of the North-West extensions of the Jubaland Plain and the drainage of the Upper Nile by John Parkinson

Great Barrier Reef – 1925 Perspective

$90.00

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Australian Rare Books 1788-1900 – Jonathan Wantrup.

Published by Hordern House a first edition in 1987. Five years work by Wantrup.

Thick royal octavo, 468 pages with occasional illustrations and tipped in coloured frontispiece of Sturt leaving Adelaide. Occasional foxing and priced accordingly.

A first edition of Jonathan Wantrup’s book which was predicted to become and has become an essential reference for those collecting Australian Rare books. More than that it is a great potted … to read this book from cover to cover is an education in itself … it should be on the curriculum.

Unlike the rather unwieldy and at time questionable Ferguson bibliography this book provides an excellent reference to the nuances and issues of edition and the like which makes book collecting that much more rewarding. Who would not seek out the Burke & Wills with the “garish” endpapers … “No such copy should be passed by” says the author.

“Wantrup” matured to be an essential reference and a solid read in its own right.

$90.00

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Australian Sea Mysteries – Jack Loney

Self published to a good standard in 1983.

Limited hard bound edition of 500 this numbered 206 and signed nicely by Loney.

Small quarto, 111 pages with dust jacket. Some ageing to page edges and ownership signature on free end paper. Still a very good copy.

Another thoroughly well researched book by Jack Loney. Excellent narrative and illustrations about what happened to the Madagascar, the Loch Maree (what a beautiful ship), the Kobenhavn, the extraordinary mystery of the Mahogany Ship (can it be found?), the twin screw steamer Rosedale and the little Christina Fraser … Loney’s usual unusual presentation … which we like

Sought after signed hard cover … Aussie Sea Mysteries

$40.00

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Fatu-Hiva – Thor Heyerdahl

Published by George Allen & Unwin, London in 1974 a first edition.

Octavo, 381 pages very nicely illustrated. A very good if not fine copy.

This all happened before WWII even though published in the 1970’s … Thor Hyderdahl’s first adventure. Armed with a beautiful new bride he set off to Fatu-Hiva in the Marquesas Group. They built a cabin in the jungle, ate with the last cannibal etc all very interesting and very nicely illustrated with great photographic images considering the period.

Great condition and very exciting Heyerdahl

$25.00

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The Impossible Voyage – Chay Blyth

Published by Hodder and Stoughton, London in 1971 a first edition. Octavo, 215 pages plus list of “stores” compiled by his wife. End paper charts and nicely illustrated from photographs of the preparations, voyage and celebrations. Dust jacket a but ruffled at the spine top and repaired on the inside. Otherwise a very good copy.

As Chay Blyth’s opening a paragraphs highlight the title of the book is a bit silly as his objectives if they were ‘Impossible” were achieved. The explanation of impossibility … “the first ever solo non-stop wrong way round the world sail against wind and current” .. again we are not too sure of that. We had better stop as it is Chay Blyth after all and it is a fantastic achievement. Any voyage that runs low (some refer to it as high) in the Southern Ocean is special and clipping the coastline of Tasmania even better. Highly praised back in England justifies a welcome from the Organist come Prime Minister Grocer Heath.

Chay Blyth makes his mark on the record books around alone .. but the wrong way, against all?

$20.00

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The Atlantic Ocean (A Bridge Between Two Worlds) – George Kay

The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society London – April 1925 – The Great Barrier Reef

Australian Rare Books 1788-1900 – Jonathan Wantrup.

Australian Sea Mysteries – Jack Loney

Fatu-Hiva – Thor Heyerdahl

The Impossible Voyage – Chay Blyth

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