Search

London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1926. Full calf, 8 1/2 inches tall. A splendid binding by Bayntun with gilt raised bands, twin labels and floral gilt tooling framing the panels. Twin gilt fillets frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Extra-illustrated with 16 engraved plates. An entertaining account of the Restoration of the monarchy and life of King Charles II. A sparkling copy.

London: Constable and Company, 1905. Full calf, 8 1/4 inches tall. A splendid bright full calf by Bayntun of Bath with gilt raised bands, sparkling twin labels and gilt framed panels. Gilt dentelles and all edges. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Illustrated with 20 full page plates, including extra-illustrations, some hand-coloured.
An entertaining work in a lovely binding.

London: Macmillan and Co., 1881. 4 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A bright full vellum with very fine gilt tooling to the panels and twin labels. Twin gilt fillets and corner tools frame the boards. Pink edges. Bookplate. Neat ink inscription on the first blank dated 1883. Maps. Some speckles on the boards but generally clean with a nice patina. Hugely popular as an historian in his day Green is now considered overly romantic, passionate and patriotic but still highly readable. A fine set.

London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1908. Full calf, 8 1/2 inches tall. A striking binding by Bayntun with gilt raised bands, twin labels and smart gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt dentelles and all edges. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Finely printed by Humphreys on hand-made paper. Translated from "Vie des Dames", these biographies of the most influential women described in Brantôme's memoirs of the illustrious men and women whom he had known, written down towards the end of his life at the beginning of the 17th century. A fine copy in English.

London: John Murray, 1863. 3 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A sparkling Victorian full calf with gilt raised bands, triple labels and ornate gilt panels. Yellow edges. Armorial bookplate. 2 portrait frontispieces. Chip to the foot of volume 1. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Charles consolidated the growing Burgundian State into one continuous Kingdom upsetting several European powers and instigating the Burgundian wars in which he died on the battlefield in 1476. An exceptionally good looking set.

London: Chapman and Hall, 1845. 2 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A handsome Victorian calf binding with the classic gilt raised bands, twin labels and very fine gilding to the panels. With a neat ink inscription 'Constance Bellingham, the gift of her affectionate father (The Earl of Gainsborough) of Exton House and the bookplate of Sir Henry Bellingham of Castle Bellingham, County Louth. Foxing to the preliminaries, then perfectly clean. A very scarce set of the first edition.

London: Macmillan and Co., 1890. 2 volume set, 9 1/2 inches tall. A splendid binding in full polished calf by Riviere with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine gilt tooling to the panels. With gilt dentelles and top edges, the remainder deckled. One of just 9 tall copies on handmade paper signed by Smalley. There is a letter from the author to the publisher, Macmillan, and also the latter's bookplate. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Smalley was an American journalist, most famous for his war reporting, in the United States and subsequently Europe, becoming the Times U.S. correspondent in London.

London: John Murray, 1853-54 & 1871. 8 volumes, 9 inches tall. The Earl Stanhope was styled Viscount Mahon between 1816-1855, the later volume precedes the text of the 7 volume set and is uniformly bound in an elegant half crushed morocco by Roger De Coverley, one of the greatest binders of the period. The bindings have gilt raised bands, splendid gilt centre tools and gilt top edges. There is some foxing to the preliminaries, then perfectly clean. Stanhope was an antiquarian politician and much respected historian.

Oxford: The University Press, 1852. Full calf, 9 inches tall. A very handsome binding with gilt raised bands, fine gilt framed panels and gilt prize block of Rugby School on the upper board. Foxing to the preliminaries, then perfectly clean. A neat ink inscription on the first blank, Rugby School 1857. First printed in 1677, the Dukes were Scottish nobles who led successful campaigns during the Thirty Years War.

London: John Murray, 1858. 7 volume set, 7 inches tall. A most attractive Victorian full calf binding with gilt raised bands, twin labels and extra gilt panels. Gilt corner tools and fillets and a blind fillet frame the boards. A couple of edges are badly scuffed, otherwise in fine condition. Philip Henry Stanhope, 5th Earl Stanhope, Viscount Mahon was a politician, antiquarian and historian, this history of England being his greatest work.

VENEZIA (Venice): Giovanni Gatti, 1784. 4 volume set, 7 1/2 inches tall. A very beautiful Italian full 18th century tree calf. With triple labels and charming gilt centre tools. Blue speckled edges. Frontispiece and engraved vignette to each title page. Sadly there is staining throughout the fourth volume which has not affected the shape or thickness of that volume or indeed of its binding. A fine Italian printing in the original language.

Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood, 1852. 2 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A splendid Victorian full calf binding with gilt raised bands, twin labels and ornate extra gilt panels. Gilt and blind fillets and corner tools frame the boards. Colour frontispiece. An inscription on the first blank has been erased. Colour frontispiece. Francesco Sforza was the great 15th century military leader who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan.

London: George Bell & Sons, 1902. 2 Volume set, 7 1/4 inches tall. Smart half red morocco by Maclehose of Glasgow with gilt raised bands, neat gilt framed panels and gilt top edges. A sparkling little set of one of the great American historian's South American histories.

London: Thomas Tegg, 1835. 8 volume set, 6 1/2 inches tall. A delightful little set in a classic early Victorian full calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and extra gilt panels. Gilt and blind fillets frame the boards. Bound by Cleaver of Baker Street, Portman Square and with their ticket. Engraved title pages to all the volumes.

Edinburgh: Thomson, 1814. Full calf, 5 3/4 inches tall. A splendid and rare little volume with the binder's ticket of J. Carfrae of Edinburgh. A superb little Regency binding with gilt raised bands, fine gilt tooling to the panels, red label and a series of gilt fillets and a blind roll framing the boards. The chart is present and correct though a little creased and frayed. David Steuart was Lord Provost of Edinburgh and a spirit dealer, whose great literary work quickly passed into oblivion.

London: Henry Colburn & Co., 1849. 2 volume set, 9 inches tall. An unusual and very elegant half crushed morocco with three raised gilt bands and ornate gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt top edges. The early 16th century King of France, great patron the the Arts. In his enthusiasm for the Italian Renaissance he brought many great Italian artists to France including Leonardo da Vinci. Under his reign several of the finest French Renaissance buildings were constructed including the great chateau at Chambord. Miss Julia Pardoe was an English poet, novelist, historian and traveller. Her most enduring works are her French histories which continued to be printed into the twentieth century.

London: Henry Colburn & Co., 1849. 3 volume set, 9 inches tall. An unusual and very elegant half crushed morocco with three raised gilt bands and ornate gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt top edges. The Sun King, Louis XIV, was king of France from 1643 until his death in 1715, the longest reign of any sovereign at 72 years and 110 days. Miss Julia Pardoe was an English poet, novelist, historian and traveller. Her most enduring works are her French histories which continued to be printed into the twentieth century.