Summers, A. Leonard.

What’s Wrong With England ? A Timely Exposure and Scathing Indictment of Amazing British Foibles, Ludicrous Conventions, Archaic Laws, Inefficiency, Apathy, Sloth, Smug Complacency, Sickly Sentiment, Hypocrisy, Humbug, Chaos and Confusion Responsible for Britain’s Degeneracy! Pepper Papers seasoned with Sage, Salt and Vinegar. A Faithful Record of Conditions Prevailing in Post-War Britian. Please thee or offend thee, friends or foes, I depict thy crazy world just as it goes.

London, Robert Hayes, Limited, No Date (c. 1928) 12.5 cm x 19 cm. 123 pages. Original Hardcover. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Slight tanning to pages. Endpapers dicoloured. Bookseller’s stamp on endpaper (W. & G. Foyle, Ltd, Charing Cross Road).

Shaw, Rev. Stebbing.

The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire. Complete Set of two Volumes (all published/fully restored). With an original Plan of Wolverhampton, A large map of Staffordshire, Engravings of Boscobel House, The Pedigree of Turton, Etchings of Kings Bromley, Pipe Ridware House, Lichfield, Site of Blythbury Priory, Mavesyn Ridware, Cathedral of Lichfield, View of Freeford, etc. etc. Volume I – Containing the Ancient and Modern History of Thirty Parishes in the Hundred of Offlow, arranged Geographically, with an Appendix of the most curious Charters &c. Illustrated with sixty-two copper plates and a copious Index / Volume II – Part1 (all published) – Containing the Prefatory Introduction, commencing with a Series of Original Letters from Plot’s time to the present; General and Natural History &c. Ancient and Modern History of the remaining Parishes in the Hundred of Offlow and the Whole of Seisdon, arranged Geographically with an Appendix of curious Charters and other additions and Corrections &c. Illustrated with fifty copper plates and a copious Index. Compiled from the Manuscripts of Huntbach, Loxdale, Bishop Lyttelton, and other Collections of Dr.Wilkes, the Rev. T.Reilde. Including Erdeswicke’s Survey of the County and the approved parts of Dr. Plot’s Natural History. The whole brought down to the present time. Interspersed with Pedigrees and Anecdotes of Families, Observations on Agriculture, Commerce, Mines and Manufactories and illustrated with a very full and correct new map of the County, “Agri Staffordiensis Icon” and numerous other plates.

London, J.Nichols and Son, 1798-1801. Large-Folio. Volume I: Folded Map of Staffordshire by W.Faden, Portrait of Rev. Shaw (detached), XXIV, (2), 125, XXXVIII, 434, 38 pages / Volume II, Part I: A Plan of Wolverhampton, XXXII, 290, 20 pages. With a double-page plan, a large, folded county map (coloured), 82 engraved plates, numerous vignettes within the text and 3 folded pedigree – tables. Modern Hardcover. Exceptionally restored. This work is difficult to handle if not in a sturdy binding ! Original Edition in professionally rebound halfleather with gilt lettering on spine and extra-strong boards, suited for this heavy set. This masterpiece of underestimated english local history is of great interest because of its fold out maps and numerous large folio etchings.

Langland, William.

The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman. According to the version revised and enlarged by the author ca. A.D. 1377. Edited by the Rec. Walter W. Skeat.

Tenth, revised edition. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1962. 11,5 cm x 17 cm. XLVIII, 216 pages. Original Hardcover. Very good condition with some minor signs of external wear. From the library of swiss – american – irish poet Chuck Kruger.

Binns, Stewart.

The British Empire In Colour.

London, Carlton Books, 2002. 22 x 26cm. 159 pages, with colour photographs and illustrations throughout. Original hardcover with dustjacket in protective Mylar. Excellent condition, as new.

[Chatham, William Pitt 1st Earl of] Rosebery, Lord.

Chatham: His Early Life and Connections.

London, Arthur L. Humphreys, 1910. 23.8cm x 17.2cm. XII, 526 pages. Original Hardcover. Lower spine rubbed – Otherwise in very good condition with only minor signs of external wear and some clear signs of foxing.

White, Gilbert.

The Natural History & Antiquities of Selborne in the County of Southampton. With Illustrations in Colour by George Edward Collins, R.B.A.

London, Macmillan and Co., Limited. 1911. 19,5 cm x 26 cm. 476 pages. Original Hardcover. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Spine only slightly chipped to bottom. Minor stain on backcover.

Heraldic Illustration of the 18th century – Guillim, John / [ Edward Le Davis ] / [ Michael van der Gucht].

A Display of Heraldry. By John Guillim, pursuivant at Arms. The Sixth Edition [on fine paper]. Improv’d with large Additions of many hundred Coats of Arms, under their respective Bearings, with good Authorities from the Ashmolean Library, Sir George Mackenzie, &c. With his Tract of Precedency, containing all his Rules, Observations, Arguments, and chief Instances. To which is added, “A Treatise of Honour Military and Civil”, According to the Laws and Customs of England, By Capt. John Logan. Illustrated With the Arms, Crests, Supporters, and Motto’s of the Royal Familly, and Nobility: The Arms of the Sees of the English Bishops, and several of the Gentry. Together With the proper Habits of the different Degrees of the Nobility of England, and the Emblems of the chief Orders of Knighthood in Europe; all fairly engraven on Copper Plates. Also An Exact List of the Baronets, from their first Creation to this present Time; and most of their Arms Blazon’d. With an Account of the Customs, Government, and Privileges of the City of London, the other Cities of England, and Shire-Towns of each County, and their Arms. Likewise A Supplement of Scarce tracts relating to the Office of Arms, taken from Authentick Copies. And A Dictionary, explaining the several Terms used by Heralds, in English, Latin and French. With proper Tables to the Whole. [With 17 full-page, original portraits, engraved by Edward Le Davis and flemish engraver Michael van der Gucht / With 295 engraved crests / coat of arms, displayed on 47 pages].

London, R. and J. Bonwicke and R. Wilkin in St.Paul’s Church-Yard / And J. Walthoe and Tho. Ward, in the Temple, 1724. Folio (26 cm x 39 cm). Frontispiece, [5], 20 pp. [″The Introduction”], [1], 460 pp. [″A Display of Heraldry”], [2], 275 pp. [″Observations upon the Laws and Customs of Nations”], 58 pp. [″Honour Civil of the City of London”], 24 pp. [″Dictionary used by Heralds”], [11] pp. [″Alphabetical Table of the Names of the Nobility and Gentry”]. Illustrated and complete with 17 portraits of courtyard and apparatus and 47 plates, engraved on wood, reproducing a total of hundreds of coats of arms with coats, crests, lambrequins, helmets and coins. Very many coats of arms in the 2-columned text. Hardcover / Original 18th-century binding with modern restauration (rebacked) to the highest standards. Superior example of this publication ! Unusually excellent condition with only very minor signs of external wear. Frontispiece and last page of the work with minor crease. Two corners torn (two pages following the title), corner of page 185 torn and page 92 of the second part of the book with longer lesion within text (no loss of text). Endpapers and pastedown with some minor spotting. All these descriptions of faults sound worse than they are. Interior text, plates and portraits overall in unbelievably clean and excellent condition. Name of pre-owner in ink on title and verso frontispiece (″J.Stilwell”).

Collins, Leonora.

London in the Nineties [Victorian London in Photographs]. Edited by Leonora Collins.

London, The Saturn Press, 1950. Quarto (21 cm x 27 cm). 96 pages with many photographs. Original Hardcover with the rare dustjacket. Excellent condition with some minor signs of wear only.

Tollemache, Lionel A.

Old and Odd Memories.

London, Edward Arnold, 1908. 23cm x 15cm. 328 pages. Original hardcover in protective Mylar. Excellent condition with only minor signs of age-related wear including some mild foxing. Inscribed and signed by Lionel A. Tollemache on the endpaper: “To Winnie – Lionel A. Tollemache” / Further inscribed by the recipient ‘Winnie’ who passed on the book as gift: “…+ then to my two dear American friends, the Davenport Wests from Cousin Winnie”.

Hunting, Penelope.

Cutlers Gardens.

[London], The Standard Life Assurance Company, 1984. 19cm x 25cm. 107 pages. Original, illustrated Softcover. Excellent condition with only minor signs of wear.