Crime of the True Variety

The Traitors – The Double Life of Fuchs, Pontecorvo and Nunn May – Alan Moorehead – First edition 1952

First edition published by Hamish Hamilton, London in 1952 …. Hot for the beginning of the spy era. Octavo, 222 pages, illustrations from relevant photographs. A very good copy apart from a some loss of the dust jacket in one area top left – balance complete and clean and protected.

Moorehead’s desirable book on the trifecta of traitors; how they were caught and the disappearance of Pontecorvo. The bomb confused them it all happened very quickly …

Interesting readable true spy goings on.

$30.00

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Treks and Palavers [Travels in Nigeria]-Richard Oakley – 1938

Before we go further “Palaver” is meant in the truest sense – an improvised meeting which was often held with groups to iron out some difficulty – Oakley was good with a palaver … Voyager likes this book – there is something special about it …

A first edition published by Seeley etc, London [they published a number of high quality serious travel accounts. Thick octavo, 300 pages, good sketch map and numerous full page illustrations from original photographs. No jacket, original red cloth covered binding, top edge stained red as required – very good condition.

A full and interesting account from Captain Oakley who was for a period a Magistrate in the Nigerian Administrative Service. He draws on other key references as well as his own extensive travels and experiences. We like it even more the deeper he gets into Nigeria up towards the Chad border. Surprisingly few good accounts on this African major and their now disappearing underlying culture(s)

Richard Oakley and one of the better accounts on Nigeria.

$60.00

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The Missing Macleans – Geoffrey Hoare – First Edition 1955

It was May 1951 and Donald Maclean invited a stranger, Roger Styles [aka Guy Burgess], to his home for dinner with his wife and family. Afterwards they went outside and never returned.

Two years later the other Maclean in this true story likewise disappeared with her children when in Geneva as if in a puff of smoke.

Some understand the background of Maclean and his defection. On the other hand, the deserted wife who had been planning a life in the US played a good hand of cards and surprised everyone, even those close, when she joined Donald behind the Iron curtain.

The author Horae is no ordinary journalist – he knew the Macleans with some intimacy and had access to letter and evidence through the confidence of Melinda Macleans mother. This firs hand evidence makes this account that much more credible and excruciatingly interesting.

First edition published by Cassell, London in 1955. Octavo, 182 pages, illustrated from photographs. A very good copy.

Solid account of the traitor Donald Maclean and his loyal wife Melinda

$35.00

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Outlaws of the Leopolds – Ion Idriess

One of the more difficult to find Idriess books – about Sandamara, also known as Pigeon, a native tracker who set about to drive out the white settlers from the Kimberley’s and King Leopold Range in northern Western Australia.

Published by Angus and Robertson in 1955. Tall octavo, 244 pages, nicely illustrated from period photographs, end paper maps, very good dust jacket. Overall, a very good and worthy copy.

Idriess with important history of the north-west.

$60.00

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Reminiscences of an Australian Pioneer – Robert Barton [Uncle of Banjo Patterson] – 1917

Barton’s reminiscences – a “squatter of the olden days”. Born in 1842 in the central West belonging to the first generation to follow the original land-takers in the west.

Barton, was an uncle to Banjo Patterson and spent his life in New south Wales and Queensland. His portrait as frontispiece is rather dull but his life was not.

By 1840 the squattocracy was firmly ‘landed’ and well-to-do. Barton looks back positively to the convict origins of his family’s assigned men. As a young man in his twenties the bushrangers Frank Gardiner and Ben Hall bushranging gangs were part of his life. Later he is confronted by the trade union movement and striking shearers.

First edition published by Tyrrells, Sydney in 1917. Octavo, vii, 288 pages with portrait of author. Original purple cloth rather standard binding, spine faded as usual with the plum coloured dye. Pages toned but clean and some age to ends, ownership details on front ends and the odd helpful annotation from an informed early owner – likely first. Scarce and worthwhile copy.

One on the best Australian Pioneering stories

$140.00

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Nemarluk – King of the Wilds

Nermarluk (1911-1940) was an aboriginal warrior who lived near Darwin at Moyle Plain. He was a fighting man well over six foot tall. He was the head man of the Chul-a-mar.

In 1930 he was imprisoned at the Fannie Bay jail but escaped swimming the eight km across the Darwin Harbour to Cox Peninsula. This account represents the last three years of his life when he was tracked by Bul-Bul, who had been brought in by the Northern Territory police to finally capture him.

1951 Edition Published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney. Octavo, 213 pages, evenly toned, still war paper and some age in ends, very good dust jacket … all up a good copy of one of the harder to find Idriess reality based books.

Rare Idriess in the Northern Territory and the brave but dangerous Nermaluk

$40.00

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The Traitors – The Double Life of Fuchs, Pontecorvo and Nunn May – Alan Moorehead – First edition 1952

Treks and Palavers [Travels in Nigeria]-Richard Oakley – 1938

The Missing Macleans – Geoffrey Hoare – First Edition 1955

Outlaws of the Leopolds – Ion Idriess

Reminiscences of an Australian Pioneer – Robert Barton [Uncle of Banjo Patterson] – 1917

Nemarluk – King of the Wilds

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