Home of the Fleet: A Century of Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in Photographs by Stephen Courtney & Brian Patterson

Home of the Fleet: A Century of Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in Photographs by Stephen Courtney & Brian Patterson lands on the shelves of my shop.

Stroud: Sutton Publishing in association with the Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth, 2005, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: RICHLY ILLUSTRATED with photographs from the Royal Naval Museum and Historic Dockyard Collections and exclusive, newly commissioned photographs, Home of the Fleet will appeal to anyone who is interested in Britains naval heritage. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Royal Dockyard at Portsmouth had already experienced sixty years of dramatic change as Britains fleet moved from the sail-powered wooden warships that had triumphed at Trafalgar to armoured and steam-powered modern battleships. In 1905 the Dockyard was chosen to build the revolutionary HMS Dreadnought, featuring engines capable of driving the ship through the water at 22 knots, wireless telegraphy and guns able to throw an 850-lb shell more than 10,000 yd.

The First World War shifted the Dockyards primary focus from the construction of new warships to the repair and maintenance of existing vessels and saw some 1,800 women employed alongside men in every aspect of operations. After years of cutbacks, the rearmament of the 1930s and then the outbreak of the Second World War brought renewed challenges to the Dockyard and the wider Portsmouth community, as bombing raids killed 930 people and injured 2,837 more.

The war years gave way to the uncertainties and massive changes engendered by the onset of the Cold War. Hard times followed in the 1970s as defence cuts resulted in redundancies. The Falklands War of 1982 prompted a major review of Britains naval priorities, however, and turned the Dockyard into a hive of activity once again. In accordance with Government policy of putting dockyards and bases under commercial management control, the Dockyard was taken over by Fleet Support Limited in 1998. As the new millennium approached it was announced that shipbuilding would return to Portsmouth with the construction of the new Type 45 destroyer. Portsmouth is now ready to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [X] 172 pages. Index. Bibliography. 10¾” x 7¾”.

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Empire of the Seas: How the Navy Forged the Modern World by Brian Lavery

Empire of the Seas: How the Navy Forged the Modern World by Brian Lavery lands on the shelves of my shop.

London: Conway, 2009, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Facsimiles; Colour Photographs; Maps;

From the cover: The year 1588 marked a turning point in our national story. Victory over the Armada transformed us into a seafaring nation and it sparked a myth that one day would become a reality that the nations new destiny, the source of her future wealth and power lay out on the oceans.

This book tells the story of how the navy expanded from a tiny force to become the most complex industrial enterprise on earth; how the need to organise it laid the foundations of our civil service and our economy; and how it transformed our culture, our sense of national identity and our democracy.

Exploring deeper into the themes raised by the television series, Brian Lavery documents the progress of the Royal Navy from late Tudor times to the First World War. He discusses its relationship with the state and the British people, analyses the tactics and initiative that created dramatic victories, and the failures and incompetence that lead to disaster.

Rising through the administrative brilliance of Pepys, Anson and Lord Sandwich and the inspirational leadership of Blake, Hawke and Nelson, the Royal Navy became the most powerful force in the world. But the conviction of Britains navy as undisputed ruler of the waves encouraged a sterility in strategic thinking and complacency during the long peace of the nineteenth century leading to the bruising experience of the Battle of Jutland.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper.

Red boards with Silver titling to the Spine & Upper Board. 272 pages. Index. Bibliography. 10″ x 8″.

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Give Me the Daggers by Catherine Gavin

Give Me the Daggers by Catherine Gavin lands on the shelves of my shop.

Hodder & Stoughton, 1972, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Signed by the author on the title page unverified and reflected as such in the lack of premium. Illustrated by way of: Maps to the endpapers and blanks;

From the cover: Catherine Gavin has already made an international reputation for herself as the chronicler of nineteenth century Europe. Her last two books carried forward her great saga to the Great War, to the triumphs and calamities of the war at sea and, in the Great Wars aftermath, to the Turkish campaigns of Kemal Ataturk. Her crowning achievement is her new novel, Give Me The Daggers, whose powerful theme derives from the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the lightning spread of Communism through Finland to the western world. While great historical movements and historical events form a strong background to this magnificent narrative, the foreground is occupied by a titanic individual struggle: between Tom Fleming, wounded, decorated and invalided out of the Canadian army (a man scarred by war but unafraid) and Boris Heiden, a complex and courageous man driven by inward forces into a campaign of destruction which is both ideological and entirely personal. For Heiden becomes a Communist because he is a misfit in the Imperial Russian society into which his father was born. A man in advance of his time, he sees how the Revolution can succeed through the middle classes as well as the proletariat, and he skillfully uses such weapons as drugs, student unrest, and control of mass communications in his campaign for an idea and against a man Tom Fleming.

If these men are the protagonists in the human struggle of wills implied in Lady Macbeths desperate command Infirm of purpose give me the daggers, Nancy Macpherson, a tough and lively girl, is a heroine who knows what she wants and is prepared to wait for it, unlike the beautiful Sandels sisters to whom Tom Fleming is attracted and who so nearly cause his downfall. Other outstanding characters both fictional, and factual like General Gustaf Mannerheim play decisive parts in what will surely be recognised as a magnificent novel of action and of ideas.

Good+ in Good+ Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper with a short closed tear to the head of the upper panel, nicks to the head of the spine. Leans. Text complete, clean and tight.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 336 pages. Index. 8¾” x 5¾”.

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give me the daggers catherine gavin hodder stoughton 0340156392

give me the daggers catherine gavin hodder stoughton 0340156392 b

History of English Education from 1760 by H. C. Howard Clive Barnard

History of English Education from 1760 by H. C. [Howard Clive] Barnard lands on the shelves of my shop.

University of London Press, 1969, Hardback in dust wrapper.

2nd Edition, 6th (revised) impression. [First Edition: 1947 as A Short History of English Education from 1760 To 1944] Illustrated by way of: Chronological Tables;

From the cover: This account of educational development from the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution to the present day surveys the building-up of the administrative structure of the educational system, the growth of educational theory and practice, the evolution of institutions such as schools, colleges and universities, the work of individual teachers and educationists, and the progress of curriculum change and in teaching techniques, all of which are seen against the background of the social and economic conditions from which they are inseparable. Clearly and precisely written, and including many references to enable general statements to be followed up by the reader, this book has proved its value to teachers and teachers in training, to education officials, and to all interested in the interpretation of the present educational situation in its historical context.

Good in Good Dust Wrapper. Unlaminated dust wrapper a little edgeworn and faded. Edges of the text block lightly tanned. Scattered pencil underlining and marginlia with the chapter numbers of the contents page struck through in pen. Text complete, clean and tight otherwise.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [XVII] 364 pages. Index. Bibliography. 8¾” x 5¾”.

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The Captain by Jan De Hartog

The Captain by Jan De Hartog lands on the shelves of my shop.

Atheneum, 1966, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Maps to the endpapers and blanks;

From the cover: This is a novel of the sea and it is on a grand scale. Its setting is, chiefly, the Murmansk run during the Second World War, surely one of the crudest tests to which men and ships have ever been put, and on one of the crudest of seas.

Its major theme is the making of a captain, that process by which in war as in peace a man is measured by the sea, by ships, by his fellows and by himself until it is shown that he has what it takes to stand responsible, after God, for the little world of a ship and the souls it contains.

Alongside this theme are others, similarly compelling: the search of a young man for a way to express his love in a world gone mad; the effort of a woman to raise a child in a way that will enable him to find his own truth; the struggle of men to preserve themselves and yet achieve brotherhood. Above all, there is the grip of this epic drama, told by a master of story who is also a seeker after truth and an explorer of the soul.

There have been many stories of the sea and of war and of the making of a captain, but few indeed with the sweep, the power, the majesty and the illumination of this one.

Good+ in Good Dust Wrapper. Unlaminated dust wrapper a little edgeworn and faded with a stain to the reverse, heavily at the spine. Gently bruised at the head, tail and corners of the binding. Pages very gently age-tanned. Hinge starting at the last blank.

Blue boards with Silver titling to the Spine. 434 pages. 8½” x 5½”.

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Clive Woodward: The Biography by Alison Kervin

Clive Woodward: The Biography by Alison Kervin lands on the shelves of my shop.

Orion, 2005, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Colour Photographs;

From the cover: Madman or genius? Clive Woodward rocked English rugby when he arrived at Twickenham in 1997 and set about transforming the sport. Heads rolled and millions were spent as the former England centre, with 21 caps and two Lions tours to his name, upset almost everyone he met. His demands were legendary and his confidence boundless. His lateral thinking hovered on the edge of madness inspired by the philosophies of a crazy Brisbane dentist and the macho sales environment of Rank Xerox in the 1980s. No one understood him and few outside Team England trusted him. But he didnt care. Confirmation of his methods came on a rainy night in Sydney in November 2003, when England won the World Cup.

A year later, having been knighted and celebrated across the country, he walked out of English rugby in disgust and began training as a football coach, with the ambition of running the national team. In between, he led the British and Irish Lions on their disastrous tour in the summer of 2005.

In this intimate and revealing portrait, the first comprehensive biography of the man, those closest to Woodward reveal what hes really like. Alison Kervin has talked to his family and childhood friends, those who have worked for him, guided him, coached him and played with him. Featuring interviews with leading psychologists, business associates and his closest friends, as well as players and coaches past and present, this is the study of a winner. It explains what he did, why he did it and how opinions on him changed so much after the World Cup and the Lions tour.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper.

Red boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [X] 358 pages. Index. 9½” x 6¼”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Heart of India by Mark Tully

The Heart of India by Mark Tully lands on the shelves of my shop.

Viking, 1995, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Contains a glossary of terms.

From the cover: Born in Calcutta, educated in England, for more than twenty years Mark Tully was the BBC Chief of Bureau in Delhi and his name and his voice became synonymous with the country he had made his home. For years he sent back dispatches interpreting that sub-continent to the outside world, but the truth of India is remarkably resistant to reportage.

Imbued with his love for India and informed by his vast experience of India, Mark Tully has -woven together a series of stories of extraordinary depth and eloquence. All the stories are set in Uttar Pradesh and tell of very different lives. Of a barren wife who visits a holy man and subsequently conceives but is it a miracle or something more worldly? Of a sons carefully laid plot to take revenge against his fathers murderer, -with a surprising twist when his case comes to court. Of a daughter, persuaded by her friends to spurn an arranged marriage, whose romance ends in blackmail. Of a mans inability to overcome the conventions of caste and go into business, which leads to his wife breaking purdah and taking control of the family.

In these and in other stones Mark Tully delicately probes the nuances of life in India, taking us to its very heart.

Good+ in Good+ Dust Wrapper. A little faded at the spine of the dust wrapper. Gently bruised at the head of the spine and the top corners of the boards with commensurate wear to the dust wrapper. Leans slightly. Edges of the text block lightly spotted. Text complete, clean and tight.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [XII] 241 pages. 9½” x 6¼”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

Who’s Who of Cricketers: A Complete Who’s Who of All Cricketers Who Have Played First-class Cricket in England with Full Career Records by Philip Bailey, Philip Thorn & Peter Wynne-Thomas

Who’s Who of Cricketers: A Complete Who’s Who of All Cricketers Who Have Played First-class Cricket in England with Full Career Records by Philip Bailey, Philip Thorn & Peter Wynne-Thomas lands on the shelves of my shop.

Guild Publishing, 1984, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: Every cricketer who has played in a first-class match in the British Isles, including the members of touring sides, is included in this book. Biographies and complete career figures are given for about 12,000 cricketers.

Only since 1976, when the Association of Cricket Statisticians produced a generally accepted list of first-class matches, has the book been possible, and since then the three authors, all leading Association members, have been engaged on the task.

Research has included the study of books, annuals, periodicals, newspapers (both British and overseas), birth and death registrations, church records, telephone directories and County scorebooks. The number of visits, letters and telephone calls made to archivists, cricket clubs, cricketers and cricketers relatives runs into several thousand.

The result is that the authors have collected a mass of information never before published, and at the same time have been able to correct errors which have occurred in other reference books.

The Whos Who of Cricketers will remain a standard work and the essential authority on the lives and records of all first-class cricketers to play in the British Isles.

Very Good in Good Dust Wrapper. Unlaminated dust wrapper a little edgeworn and faded with a tear to the head of the spine, a small mark to the lower middle. Text complete, clean and tight.

Green boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 1144 pages. 10″ x 7½”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams

Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams lands on the shelves of my shop.

Picador, 1997, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: Nicholas Coughlan is twelve when God speaks to his father, William, telling him to give up his job and devote his life to painting. Nicholas and his mother are left alone and adrift, as his father sporadically disappears to the other side of Ireland, where he daubs his canvases in the Atlantic light, obeying what he ardently believes to be Gods command.

Across the country, on an island off the west coast, lives Isabel Gore with her parents and her brother, Sean, whose spellbinding musical gift has been silenced by a seizure which has left him unable to walk or speak. Isabel is sent away to convent school in Galway, but burdened by guilt at the fate of her brother, she takes the first opportunity to make what looks like an escape.

Nicholas and Isabel were made for each other, but how will they ever know it? Four Letters of Love is a novel about destiny, acceptance and the tragedies and miracles of everyday life. Most of all it is an unforgettable tale about the illuminating power of love, and how all our stories meet in the end.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Gently bruised at the head of the spine and the top corners of the boards with commensurate wear to the dust wrapper. Top edge of the text block lightly spotted. Text complete, clean and tight.

Black boards with Silver titling to the Spine. 342 pages. 8¾” x 5½”.

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The Information by Martin Amis

The Information by Martin Amis lands on the shelves of my shop.

Flamingo, 1995, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: But he had other information to process, the kind that only comes when life is turning, the kind you have to be there to get, because no one will ever tell you about it. And if they did you d never listen.

There arent many ways for one writer to hurt another. Even if the literary world were as hopelessly corrupt as some people like to think it is, a writer cannot seriously damage a rival. This is the unwelcome conclusion reached by Richard Tull, failed novelist, when he contemplates the agonizing success of his best friend (and worst enemy) Gwyn Barry. A scathing review, a scurrilous profile? Such things might hurt Gwyn Barry, but they wouldnt hurt him. So Richard Tull is obliged to look elsewhere, to the weapons of the outside world seductions and succubi, hoaxes, mind games, frame-ups, sabotage -until at last Richard finds what he is looking for: a true professional someone who hurts people in exchange for cash.

In The Information Martin Amis returns to the big picture of Money and London Fields. The book takes in the whole of society, with the possible exception of the middle classes. . This leaves us with the very rich, the very desperate, and the very bohemian. Comedy, the author has said, is the only genre with any future: it is all thats left. So The Information is a comedy that goes where comedy shouldnt normally go, into the territories abandoned by romance, by satire and by tragedy.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Price Clipped. Gently bruised at the head of the spine and the top corners of the boards with commensurate wear to the dust wrapper. Text complete, clean and tight.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 494 pages. 8¾” x 5½”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!