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London: Rivington et al., 1811. Full morocco, 12 inches tall. A spectacular binding by Bedford in full red morocco with gilt raised bands, superb floral gilt tooling to the panels and triple gilt fillets framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With the bookplate of Joseph Spencer Graydon. With 18 magnificent woodcuts, mostly of the early English monarchs. This is the most well known work of the 16th century John Rastell, being a chronicle dealing with English history from the earliest times to the reign of Richard III. Rastell was also the first English printer of polyphonic music. A wonderful copy of this entertaining history.

London: Ackermann, 1815. Full morocco, 9 1/2 inches tall. A magnificent copy in full navy blue morocco for Sawyer with gilt raised bands, very fine gilt tooled panels and top edge gilt. Triple gilt fillet framing the boards. With 2 maps, 1 folding and 17 superb hand coloured aquatints by Thomas Rowlandson.

London: Fellowes, Rivington et al, 1857. 12 volume set, 8.75 inches tall. A classic Victorian full calf binding with gilt raised bands, twin labels and most attractive floral gilt tooling to the panels. An exceptionally handsome set of this great work.

London: Printed for the Ballad Society by Taylor, 1871. Hertford: Austin, 1874-1889. 6 volumes, 9 inches tall. A beautiful late Victorian half morocco with gilt raised bands, gilt pallets, titles and top edges. With the bookplate of West Dean Library (West Dean House, near Chichester, Sussex). Some foxing. A magnificent collection of ballads, originally formed by Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, enlarged by successive owners, among them, by John, Duke of Roxburghe, after whom the collection is named. 3 further volumes were printed up to 1899. Any decent runs are scarce, but especially so in a fine binding. Illustrated with delightful cuts throughout.

London: Longman et al., 1839. 6 volume set, 9 inches tall. A splendid early Victorian full diced calf with gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels and sparkling labels. The diced boards are framed within a gilt fillet. Finely illustrated with folding maps. The is some blotchiness to the boards, overall a superb clean set of these celebrated early histories.

Paris: Cellot, 1768. 7 volume set, 8 inches tall. A fine 18th century full mottled calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and floral gilt tooling. Pink Edges. Decorated with a portrait of Racine, 12 plates designed by Gravelot. A splendid set, in the original French, of the works of one of the great French dramatists.

London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1892. 2 volume set, 11.25 inches tall. Magnificent full red morocco with bold and very unusual gilt tooling to the spine and upper boards and gilt top edge. Blind tooled pigskin endpapers. Number 153 of a Deluxe limited edition of 210 examples on japanese vellum. Embellished with portrait and 16 fine plates by Louis Chalon.

London: W. and W. Strahan, 1769. 3 volume set, 11 inches tall. First edition, tall quarto, in a very bright full 18th century calf. With gilt raised bands, twin labels and splendid floral gilt tooling to the panels. Triple gilt fillets frame the boards and pink edges. Other than a mark to one headcap and a tailcap a fine set in excellent condition. This classic history covers the life of the great Holy Roman Emperor 'with a View of the Progress of Society in Europe, From the Subversion of the Roman Empire, to the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century'.

London: Chatto and Windus, 1896-1903. 17 volume set, 7.75 inches tall. A very neat set finely bound in half crushed morocco by Zaehnsdorf with wide gilt raised bands, gilt floral centre tools and gilt top edge. 'The Library Edition'. Charles Reade, most well known for 'The Cloister and the Hearth', was a hugely popular Victorian novelist. Arthur Conan Doyle declared 'The Cloister and the Hearth' to be his favorite novel and Oscar Wilde called it Reade's "one beautiful book, after which he wasted the rest of his life in a foolish attempt to be modern".

London: Jennings and Chaplin, 1831,32 & 33. 3 volumes, 10 inches tall. A splendid collection of the 3 Italy volumes of 'The Landscape Annuals' for 1831, 32 & 33, all are large-paper copies and in pristine condition. Bound in their published full green morocco by F. Westley and with the binder's ticket. With gilt raised bands, blind rolls and corner tools framing the boards, dentelles and all edges gilt. With a total of 74 superb engraved plates on India paper of city views by J.D. Harding and Samuel Prout as well as engraved frontispieces and title page vignettes to each volume.

London: Her Majestys Stationery Office, 1954, 1956, 1960 & 1961. 3 volume set bound in 4 volumes, 9 1/2 inches tall. It is very unusual to find this great title in a fine leather binding. This set is in a very smart half crushed morocco by Maltby's of Oxford with gilt raised bands, twin labels and neatly gilt framed panels. With gilt top edges. Bookplate. All first editions. Roskill's masterpiece is the celebrated, official history of Britain's war at sea in the Second World War. It is still considered the definitive work on the subject and is packed with photographic illustrations and folding maps and plans. There is some tiny loss to the bottom corner of the first volume's text block extending, otherwise in pristine condition.

Paris: Chez les Libraires Associes, 1809-1810. 13 volumes bound in 14, 7 inches tall. A delightful English full calf with gilt raised bands and dense gilt tooling to the panels. From the library of Charles William Vane (formerly Stewart), third Marquess of Londonderry, and with his elaborate bookplate. Vane served with distinction throughout the Peninsula War. His dashing and dandified portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence is at the National Portrait Gallery. He amassed magnificent libraries in his various Country Houses. On the first blank there is the neat ink inscription 'Frances Anne Vane Tempest'. There is some mottling to the spines and some abrasions to the boards, particularly to volume 1. Being an English binding the title is in English whereas the text is in the original French.

London: Chapman & Hall, 1887. Full morocco, 8 inches tall. Bound to the finest quality by Leighton of Soho with gilt raised bands and neat gilt tooling to the panels and boards. Dentelles and all edges gilt. Bookplate of Leopold de Rothschild. Colour title page and 6 further colour plates.

London: Dilly, 1793. Full straight grain morocco, 9.5 inches tall. A fine example of the work of one of the greatest bookbinders of the late 18th century, with his bookplate. With his typical twin gilt raised bands, triple fillet framing the boards, dentelles and all edges gilt. Portraits.

London: William Baynes et al., 1824. 12 volumes bound in 6, 6 1/2 inches tall. A sparkling early Victorian full calf with gilt raised bands, triple labels and extra gilt panels. Double gilt fillets and corner tools framing a gilt armorial block on each board. Folding maps. Covering Scotland, Charles V, America and India, this is a spectacular little set of Robertson's celebrated histories.

London: Cadell et al, 1830 & 1834. 2 volumes, 8 inches tall. very fine full crushed morocco by Holloway. With gilt raised bands, exceptionally attractive gilt tooling to the panels and boards, gilt dentelles and all edges. Bookplate. Profusely illustrated throughout with engraved vignettes by J. M. W. Turner, Thomas Stothard, and others. These titles are frequently found in fine bindings of the period and these are of a particularly high quality.