Voyaging: Fifty Years On the Seven Seas in Sail Pen Pictures and Paintings, by James William Holmes by Edited by Nora Coughlan

Voyaging: Fifty Years On the Seven Seas in Sail Pen Pictures and Paintings, by James William Holmes by Edited by Nora Coughlan lands on the shelves of my shop.

Hutchinson, 1966, Hardback in dust wrapper.

2nd impression. [First Edition: 1965] Jacket illustration: The Cimba of Aberdeen, owners Alex Nichol & Co. , built Aberdeen 1817. Illustrated by way of: Black & White Plates; Colour frontispiece;

Introduction by: John Masefield

Very Good in Good Dust Wrapper. Edges of the dust wrapper somewhat frayed with slight loss at the bottom corner of the upper panel. Previous owners’ inscription to the first blank. Tanning to the blanks. Text complete, clean and tight.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 207 pages. 8½” x 5½”.

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

An Artist’s Life by Alfred J. James Munnings

An Artist’s Life by Alfred J. [James] Munnings lands on the shelves of my shop.

Museum Press, 1951, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Black & White Drawings; Illustrated endpapers and blanks;

From the cover: SIR ALFRED MUNNINGS is one of the most justly famous figures of our time, not only for his own artistic gifts which earned for him the distinguished rank of President of the Royal Academy, but for being one of the most potent and irksome thorns in the flesh of the so-called modern art world. Certainly, adherents to the time-honoured tradition of representationalism could wish for no more fiery and forthright a champion than Sir Alfred.

A countryman born and bred, the true interpretation of Nature is his single aim. At the outset he lived in East Anglia. He worked hard; he played hard. He began his career as an artist with lithography and poster-design in Norwich, studying every evening at the School of Art there. But it was a visit to Bungay Races that first aroused his interest in racehorses, jockeys in silks, gipsy caravans and all the motley excitement of the racecourse.

To-day, so many people are wont to regard Sir Alfred as an exclusive painter of horses and the turf that they do not fully realise how widely he in fact interprets the English scene. Yet from a study of the text and copious illustrations in An Artists Life, it will be found that if Sir Alfred had not become an artist, he would almost certainly have been a farmer, a naturalist or a writer.

One of the most revealing things about this book is that it contains illustrations of the authors very earliest works long before he began to strive after success. This marriage of text and illustration makes it a valuable contribution to the two worlds of literature and art.

Good+ in Good+ Dust Wrapper. Unlaminated dust wrapper a little edgeworn and faded with fraying at the spine ends and corners. Gently bruised at the head, tail and corners of the binding. Pages lightly age-tanned with heavier tanning to the blanks.

Red boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 328 pages. Index. 9″ x 6″.

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

One and Two Halves to K2 by James Ballard

One and Two Halves to K2 by James Ballard lands on the shelves of my shop.

British Broadcasting Corporation [B.B.C. BBC], 1996, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Colour Photographs;

From the cover: In August, 1995, just three months after becoming the first woman to reach the summit of Everest alone, unsupported and without artificial oxygen, climber Alison Jane Hargreaves was blown to her death on her descent from the 8611-metre (28,250-foot) summit of killer mountain K2.

One and Two Halves to K2 is the story of her husband Jims trip to Pakistan shortly afterwards with Tom (then 6) and Kate (4) to show them Mums last mountain and to share with them some of Alisons experiences in the last days of her life. It is a story that is touching, adventurous and revealing, including as it does extracts from Alisons last diaries, recovered after her death by the Pakistan government.

Above all, though, James Ballards book is a moving testament to an exceptionally talented and courageous woman whose achievements will be remembered with admiration and affection for many years to come.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper. Pages lightly age-tanned.

Blue boards with Silver titling to the Spine. 208 pages. Index. 9½” x 6¼”.

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