W. G. Grace: A Life by Simon Rae

W. G. Grace: A Life by Simon Rae lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Faber & Faber, 1998, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Illustrated endpapers and blanks; Statistical Survey by Bill Frindall;

From the cover: "Grace burst onto the cricket scene in the 1860s with spectacular force, dominated the game until the end of the century, and influences it to this day. He was the world's first sporting superstar, rivalled as a public figure only by Gladstone and Queen Victoria herself; his bearded image, brimming with portly self-confidence, is immediately recognisable. His staggering achievements as both batsman and bowler made him the greatest draw cricket had ever known. Though often depicted as an overgrown schoolboy, W. G. was extremely shrewd and ruthlessly exploited the power his immense popularity gave him. A notorious 'shamateur', he amassed great wealth through cricket, while remaining the standard-bearer for the Gentlemen against the Players for forty years.

Researched in archives from Grimsby (where Grace once scored 400) to Australia, Simon Rae's new biography offers a radical analysis of Grace's career, and reviews the more controversial aspects of his conduct, including verbal and physical altercations, both on and off the field, and his kidnapping of an Australian cricketer from Lord's.

W. G. Grace: A Life provides more than a fresh look at the cricketer. It focuses on Grace's formative family background; his intensely competitive relations with his two famous brothers, 'E. M'. and Fred; his career as a doctor; and his ambitions and bereavements as a father. Drawing on little-known diaries and letters, and unique access to Grace's own library, Simon Rae builds up a convincing psychological portrait of the man behind the most famous beard in English history."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Gently bruised at the spine ends and corners with commensurate wear to the dust wrapper. Text complete, clean and tight.

Green boards with Yellow titling to the Spine. [XX] 548 pages. Index. Bibliography. 9½" x 6¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Biography category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Life Of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd

The Life Of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Book Club Associates, 1999, Hardback in dust wrapper.

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

From the cover: "Thomas More is one of the great figures in English history, but his life and career bear little resemblance to the myth of the saint or of the 'man for all seasons'. In this remarkable new biography Peter Ackroyd reveals a man more troubled and more perplexing than that of any previous account.

More was the most brilliant Englishman of his age, but one who remained guarded and silent in the matters that most concerned him. He was an eminent lawyer who wore a hair shirt and who, in the privacy of his library, whipped himself. More was a man of the Renaissance, the author of Utopia and a supporter of the new learning; but he was also a profound traditionalist who gave his life in the service of the old faith. He was a man of great spirituality and deep piety; yet he was an ambitious and successful careerist who, as Lord Chancellor, dominated the court of Henry VIII.

A magnificent achievement, The Life of Thomas More brings us closer to a man who has remained an enigma for 500 years. It offers a portrait as decisive as Holbein's famous drawing, while also brilliantly recreating the conditions of Catholic England at the end of the fifteenth century."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper. Edges of the text block lightly tanned. Text complete, clean and tight.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [XI] 435 pages. Index. Bibliography. 9½" x 6¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Biography category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Renny's Daughter by Mazo de la Roche

Renny's Daughter by Mazo de la Roche lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Macmillan & Co., 1955, Hardback in dust wrapper.

3rd printing. [First Published: 1951]

From the cover: "In point of time, this book in the chronicles if the famous Whiteoak family, carries on from the events narrated in Return to Jalna, and describes the love story of eighteen-year-old Adeline, daughter of Jenny, the Master of Jalna. The scene noves from Canada to Ireland, then to London and back to Jalna, with Adeline is the central figure, and her cousin Maurice and her uncle Finch, now a famous concert pianist, as her travelling companions. We also renew our acquaintance with Renny himself, his wife Alayne, who alternately adores and antagonizes him; Piers, Pheasant, Meg, Wakefield, and the various children; and Uncle Nick and Uncle Ernest, now in their nineties — the last links with Victorian England, and yet in their fierce old way the champions of the enduring Jalna, which is confronted with a threat of aggression from the new household at Vaughanlands."

Good — in Poor Dust Wrapper. Price Clipped. Unlaminated dust wrapper a little edgeworn and faded with heavier tanning to the spine and wear to the spine ends and corners. Pages lightly age-tanned.

Orange boards with Green titling to the Spine & Upper Board. 358 pages. 7½" x 5".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Fiction — Author: R category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Best Mate: Chasing Gold by Henrietta Knight

Best Mate: Chasing Gold by Henrietta Knight lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Highdown, 2003, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Colour Photographs;

From the cover: "Two images immortalise Cheltenham 2003: the brilliant Best Mate sprinting clear to win the Gold Cup, champion for the second time, and trainer Henrietta Knight and her husband Terry Biddlecombe in a galloping celebration, not just of victory but of life itself.

This is the story of a horse and two people, all of whom have known pain and glory. It is a story about racing; it is also a story about tenderness and love and the attraction of opposites, of how a prim major's daughter met racing's bluff Prince Hal and became one of the leading trainers of her generation. Above all, it is the story of Best Mate, christened the new Arkle, of a champion's journey from a waterlogged field in County Meath to the pages of racing history, and how a horse can capture hearts. No less than the trainer and her husband, Best Mate has known adversity, surviving a traumatic first month of life and, in one of racing's best kept secrets, a damaging injury just months before that epic defence of the Gold Cup.

Working with award-winning Sunday Times journalist Andrew Longmore, Henrietta Knight has produced a unique and unforgettable insight into the making of a champion and the shared dreams that sustain the team around him.

Some horse, some story."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 231 pages. Index. 9½" x 6¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Sport — Horse Racing category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Classic Movie Comedians by Neil Sinyard

Classic Movie Comedians by Neil Sinyard lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Grange Books, 1992, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: "What makes a good movie comedian a classic? The ability to make people laugh certainly, but, as you will discover in this fascinating review of the world's legendary movie comedians, there is more to it than that.

In this highly engaging volume the reader has an opportunity to consider the very different qualities brought to the silver screen by such luminaries as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon, Laurel and Hardy, W. C. Fields, and the Marx Brothers. These are the pioneers whose comic vision has delighted audiences and inspired comedians ever since.

Through his characterization of the Tramp, Chaplin spoke without words to millions of people, providing poignant commentaries on the society of the day, while Keaton mesmerized with his visual ingenuity and haunted face. As with Lloyd's high-rise stunts, or Langdon's childlike helplessness, each aspect of the great comedian's performance succeeds in extracting a response from the viewer. This book surveys the broad diversity of comic devices and styles employed by the giants of the cinema: for instance, Laurel and Hardy's inevitable escalation of events into mayhem, the cutting edge to Fields's misanthropic wit, and the aggression at the root of the Marx Brothers' quick-fire gags.

Binding these strands together is the thread of comic genius: the ability to imitate life and ridicule it, to persuade generations of movie-lovers to suspend their disbelief for a while, indulge their imaginations… and enjoy it.

In his authoritative and entertaining text, accompanied by over 250 vivid illustrations, Neil Sinyard examines the diverse magical gifts of the classic movie comedians, providing an essential addition to any movie-goer's library."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper. Text complete, clean and tight.

Black boards with Silver titling to the Spine. 176 pages. Index. 12" x 9¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Cinema category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Conservative Party: The First 150 Years by Sheila Moore

The Conservative Party: The First 150 Years by Sheila Moore lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Country Life Books, 1980, Hardback in dust wrapper.

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

From the cover: "The Conservative party is often thought of as backward-looking and male-dominated, yet it has produced the first woman Prime Minister of a Western country. Believed by many to be against social reform, the Conservatives have, in fact, initiated and passed more progressive legislation than any other party. The Conservatives' habit of quarrelling only in private is another myth, as witness a whole series of bitter public rows over free trade, the Liberal — Conservative coalition in 1922, appeasement, Suez and Rhodesia.

This history of the party, brilliantly researched and written by Sheila Moore, and fascinatingly illustrated, reaches beyond these and other paradoxes to the roots of Conservatism — the leaders, the MPs, the rank and file, the party machine. She shows how, since the word 'Conservative' was first used in 1830, these different elements have reacted to the major issues of the day and hammered out a remarkably consistent yet flexible attitude to foreign affairs, war, economics, social problems, the Crown and so on.

But it is the Conservatives themselves, in all their amazing variety, who are the real subject of the book: the committee room ladies with their teapots, the members of the Conservative working-men's clubs, the Young Conservatives, the party managers who run the organisation, the society dynasties in the great houses, where until 1939 so much was decided over the brandy and cigars. And of course the leaders: Peel, the statesman; the dazzling Disraeli; Lord Salisbury, astute, aloof; the intellectual Balfour; glum Presbyterian Bonar Law; Baldwin, calm, dependable; the gigantic figure of Churchill; courageous tragic Eden; the unflappable Macmillan; tenacious Edward Heath; Margaret Thatcher, competent and commanding. All these people have contributed their vigour and idealism to the history of Britain and have made the Conservative party over the last 150 years one of the leading forces in the world."

Introduction by: Margaret Thatcher & Lord Blake

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 176 pages. Index. 12" x 9".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Political category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Birth of Venus: Love and Death in Florence by Sarah Dunant

The Birth of Venus: Love and Death in Florence by Sarah Dunant lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Little, Brown, 2003, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Signed by the author on the title page — unverified and reflected as such in the lack of premium.

From the cover: "Alessandra Cecchi is not quite fifteen when her father, a prosperous cloth merchant, brings a young painter back from Northern Europe to decorate the walls of the family chapel in their Florentine palazzo. A child of the Renaissance, with a precocious mind and a talent for drawing, Alessandra is intoxicated by the painter's abilities.

She is drawn into the life of a city where the new freedoms of the mind rub shoulders with the old sins of the flesh. On the streets she discovers a stalking evil at large and witnesses the rise of the fundamentalist monk Savonarola. Alessandra and her native Florence are caught between the Medici state, with its luxury, learning and dazzling art, and the hell-fire of Savonarola and the violence of his followers. And through it all the painter — and his art — exerts an increasingly powerful and erotic pull.

The Birth of Venus is a tour de force from one of Britain's most innovative thriller writers. It brings alive the history of Florence at its most dramatic period, telling a compulsive story of love, art, religion and power through the passionate voice of Alessandra, a remarkable heroine with the same vibrancy of spirit as her beloved city."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Leans slightly. Pages very gently age-tanned.

Orange boards with Black titling to the Spine. 412 pages. 8" x 5¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Fiction — Author: D category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

George Sand: A Woman's Life Writ Large by Belinda Jack

George Sand: A Woman's Life Writ Large by Belinda Jack lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Chatto & Windus, 1999, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: "George Sand (Aurore Dupin, 1804-1876) was France's best-selling writer, rivalled in her time only by Victor Hugo. Yet she was known as much for her excessive life as for her plays, stories, and enduring novels like Indiana, Lelia and Mauprat. The daughter of a prostitute and an aristocrat, Sand grew up acutely aware of social injustice and prejudice. Convent-educated, she became a mischievous, flamboyant rebel: her long, troubled romance with Chopin was just one of many affairs with well-known figures, but her most desperate love was for a beautiful actress. Legendary for her cigars and scandalous cross-dressing, she also enjoyed tender, fraught, female relationships with her grandmother, mother, daughter and beloved granddaughter.

Sand was at the centre of French intellectual and artistic life: her circle included Liszt and Delacroix, Balzac and Flaubert, the great friend of her later years. A believer in equality of the sexes, she thought marriage 'a barbarous institution'; a socialist, she acted as Minister for Propaganda after the Revolution ok 1848. No one quite matches George Sand — she remains unique, powerful, vital and mysterious. In this rich new biography Belinda Jack gives the full flavour of her personality and delves beneath the surface of Sands life and her age, to show how her art both reflected and shaped her life. Here is an unforgettable portrait of a remarkable writer — and an extraordinary woman."

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. Pages lightly age-tanned.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [XIV] 412 pages. Index. Bibliography. 9½" x 6¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Biography category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach

Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Heinemann, 1999, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Colour Plates;

From the cover: "Amsterdam in the 1630s: considered by its inhabitants to be the wealthiest city in the world. For do they not possess the richness of art, literature, music and the refinement of society, in addition to commercial wealth?

The painters of the time are busy: the city's inhabitants intend to guarantee their immortality with gold. Sitting for such a portrait is Sophia Sandvoort, beside her elderly husband Cornelis. They are surrounded by objects showing her husband's piety, yet he has not been able to resist including a tulip, its petals full and on the point of dropping. For Cornelis, like many of his fellow Dutchmen, has made money from the speculation on this exotic flower and its bulbs.

As the painter, Jan van Loos, starts to capture Sophia's likeness on his canvas so a slow passion begins to burn. And as the execution of the painting unfolds, so a slow dance is begun between the household's inhabitants. Ambitions, desires and dreams breed a grand deception, and as the lies multiply, events move towards a thrilling and tragic climax."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Leans. Pages lightly age-tanned.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 259 pages. 8¾" x 5½".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Fiction — Historical category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Dashwoods of West Wycombe by Sir Francis Dashwood

The Dashwoods of West Wycombe by Sir Francis Dashwood lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Aurum Press, 1987, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Facsimiles; Maps to the endpapers and blanks; Genealogical Tables;

From the cover: "Ten generations of Dashwoods have lived at West Wycombe. This book is the intriguing, lively account by the 11th Baronet of the house and the family's careers, connections, eccentricities and remarkable achievements.

Their story begins in the seventeenth century with the merchant Dashwoods and their trading ventures in the City of London. The 1st Baronet was created in 1707, but it was his son, Francis, 2nd Baronet (later Lord le Despencer) who brought the name of Dashwood to the fore. A man of enormous energy and enthusiasm, he travelled to Italy, Asia Minor and Russia before founding the renowned Hell-Fire Club in 1748. The club, which included among its members John Wilkes, scandalized the nation with rumours of revelry and sexual frolics. Fun-loving sybarite he undoubtedly was, but Sir Francis also had a distinguished parliamentary career, which included a term as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Later Dashwoods, Sir John and Sir George, also served long periods as Members of Parliament. The 7th Baronet, Sir Edwin, took part in the Battle of Sobraon and led explorations in New Zealand. This spirit of adventure is evident in the present Baronet, whose eventful life has included a spell as a travelling salesman in the United States, involvement in industry and politics, the buying of farms in Australia, Canada and North America, and a successful career in Lloyd's — not to mention near escapes from polio and from a rock fall while restoring the famous Caves at West Wycombe.

The story of the Dashwoods is inextricably interwoven with that of West Wycombe. This remarkable house with its colonnades, porticoes and temples, its magnificent lake and gardens (described by Benjamin Franklin as 'a paradise'), is still much as it was when completed by the 2nd Baronet in the 1770s, owned by the National Trust and restored and maintained by the unflagging efforts of Sir Francis. Today West Wycombe is — unusually — a glorious historic house still enjoyed and lived in as a family home."

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. Leans. Text complete, clean and tight.

[VIII] 248 pages. Index. Bibliography. 9½" x 6¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Biography category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Samuel Johnson by W. Jackson Bate

Samuel Johnson by W. Jackson Bate lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1977, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: "This all-embracing narrative of Samuel Johnson's life, character, and work brings into brilliant focus the most fascinating, influential figure of England's cultural world in the latter half of the eighteenth-century. With complete authority and compelling perception, Walter Jackson Bate builds the dramatic and touching story of a loving man who, endowed with an erratic, unprepossessing personality, lived on the edge of painful poverty for fifty years, was beset by trial and tragedy, illness and fears, and yet, through fortitude and his monumental genius, made his life a triumph. His enormous and lasting contributions to thought and letters make him the rival of Shakespeare in our literary inheritance.

Bate intends more than a biography. His purpose is to shatter the stereotypes of Johnson that have too long persisted and to reveal Johnson quintessentially as a modern man speaking to modern men and women, offering a guide and lift to the human spirit. In this book that purpose is achieved."

Good+ — in Good+ Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper with some nicks to the tail of the spine, short closed tears and folds to the head of the lower panel. Spine gently bowed. Pages lightly age-tanned.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [XXII] 646 pages. Index. 9½" x 6¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Biography category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Painting Towns and Cities: In Watercolour and Other Media by Michael B. Edwards

Painting Towns and Cities: In Watercolour and Other Media by Michael B. Edwards lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

David & Charles, 1992, Hardback in dust wrapper.

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

From the cover: "Fascinating subjects in towns and cities are often overlooked by painters who travel far and wide in search of the ideal country landscape. Yet there are intriguing and challenging subjects to be found on your very doorstep. Towns and cities are places of intrigue, vibrancy, colour and variety. From your local town to an exotic holiday location they provide ideal opportunities for creative painting and a continual source of inspiration for all artists.

Painting Towns and Cities is packed with information to enable you to paint town and cityscapes successfully. Covering the basics of materials and equipment, perspective and composition, Michael Edwards goes on to discuss the variety of light, colour and texture you will find in any town and city. Each place also has its own character and atmosphere which change continually according to weather, season and the time of day. The author explains how to capture these elements successfully in water-colour, oils and acrylics.

Whilst writing the book the author made three special painting 'visits', to Vancouver in Canada, Cambridge in England, and Boston in the United States. He explains how he captured the essence of each city on paper and canvas, and suggests ways of approaching an unfamiliar city. A gallery of artists who specialise in the city and townscape allows you to examine different techniques, styles and approaches, with commentary from the author.

Beautiful finished paintings and step-by-step sequences combine in this book which offers you the true 'freedom of the city' — the ability to capture with confidence and style the infinite variety of town and city life."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper.

Grey boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 128 pages. Index. 11¼" x 8".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Crafts, Hobbies & Pastimes — Art category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Airlift: Military Air Transport - The Illustrated History by Richard Townshend Bickers

Airlift: Military Air Transport - The Illustrated History by Richard Townshend Bickers lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Osprey Aerospace, 1998, Hardback in dust wrapper.

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

From the cover: "From the first tentative steps to use aircraft to supply ground troops during World War One to the outbreak of World War Two the development of military air transport was a slow process.

As World War Two progressed the need for powerful, specifically-designed aircraft became apparent. Not only were forces supplied from the air — the famous 'Hump' route from India to Burma and China — but combat troops were parachuted, with all their equipment, to specific target zones. The most famous of these was the airborne assault on Arnhem and culminating in the massive airborne attack in support of the D-Day landings.

Post-war military air transports were designed not only as troop and freight carriers but for more specific tasks, such as ferrying strategic missiles to various silo sites around the globe. Later the massive Lockheed C-141 Starlifter and the Lockheed C-5A Galaxy would be carrying troops and even main battle tanks almost to the edge of the battlefield.

This comprehensive and highly illustrated book traces the development of military air transport. The text is enhanced with first-hand accounts of both glider and powered transport aircraft missions. Illustrations, in colour and black and white, have been carefully researched from military libraries and private collections from around the world."

Very Good — in Good Dust Wrapper. Heavy knock to the head of the spine with the dust wrapper rubbed at the same. Dust wrapper has a light, vertical, crease to the upper panel. Text complete, clean and tight.

Green boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 208 pages. Index. 10¾" x 8".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Transport — Air category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Bodyguard To Charles by Michael Varney with Max Marquis

Bodyguard To Charles by Michael Varney with Max Marquis lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Robert Hale, 1989, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: "In 1963, when Prince Charles was a fifteen-year-old schoolboy at Gordonstoun, Michael Varney, a young police constable from Norfolk, entered the Royal Protection Group of the Metropolitan Police and was assigned to Charles as bodyguard. He was to remain his 'shadow' for the next six years.

Closer to Charles than anyone else during those formative years, he built up a close relationship with the young prince, and watched his gradual transformation from shy, often lonely, boy to self-assured and responsible adult. During his school career and later at Trinity College, Cambridge, Mike Varney had the task of extricating Charles from a number of embarrassing or potentially explosive situations, which he recounts with wry humour in the text.

Bodyguard to Charles gives a new and vivid insight into the character of a young man learning to cope with his unique situation as heir to the throne."

Very Good — in Good Dust Wrapper. Dust wrapper has a wrinkled appearance otherwise pleasant. Leans. Text complete, clean and tight.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 192 pages. Index. 8¾" x 5¾".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Biography category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Book of Secrets: Who Am I? Where Did I Come From? Why Am I Here? by Deepak Chopra

The Book of Secrets: Who Am I? Where Did I Come From? Why Am I Here? by Deepak Chopra lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Rider, 2004, Paperback.

A Later Printing.

From the cover: "Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you are here? Or what life is all about?

This remarkable book by one of the world's greatest leaders in the field of mind-body medicine, Dr Deepak Chopra, considers such key questions about existence and shows how the answers may be closer than you think. Weaving together stimulating ideas, subatomic physics and personal philosophy, Dr Chopra explores fifteen 'secrets' that embrace the nature of being, the relationship of humankind to the universe, death and creation, issues of good and evil, change and transformation, and — ultimately — the meaning of life itself.

The Book of Secrets will help you unlock the mystery of your own existence, showing you how your very next thought, feeling or action can begin to uncover the deepest secrets. With the guidance in this book, learn how to look at life as it really is, seeing it from a still point inside. Take one more step towards your own enlightenment."

Good. Leans slightly. Light reading creases to the spine. Text complete, clean and tight.

270 pages. Index. Trade Paperback (9¼" x 6").

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Spiritualism category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Comic Postcard in English Life by Frederick Alderson

The Comic Postcard in English Life by Frederick Alderson lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

David & Charles, 1970, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: "The coloured postcard, bearing a view or a joke, first appeared late in the nineteenth century. The heyday of the coloured cards was the Edwardian era, and they uniquely evoke its 'nuttish' style, expansive outlook and glamour. But the cards have remained widely popular, and this book, based largely though not exclusively, on the productions of a Yorkshire firm which has been in the trade from the beginning, shows how vividly they reflect the changing tastes and preoccupations of the twentieth century.

The lavish illustrations and lively commentary offer a humorous view of the fashions, crazes, morals, pleasures and endurance — in peace, in wars and in the Welfare State — of the average English man and woman. The way in which censorship has become less rigorous and yet humour has basically not changed is in itself a fascinating study. This book is for all who enjoy laughing at others and at themselves — and for those who know that social history has its lighter side."

Very Good — in Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper with a small patch of loss to the head of the upper panel, light scuffing to the lower. Text complete, clean and tight.

Red boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 112 pages. Index. 10" x 7¾".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Social History category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

A Word in Time by Philip Howard

A Word in Time by Philip Howard lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Sinclair-Stevenson, 1990, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: "Time, like an ever-burbling stream, bears us towards the second millennium. A Word In Time maps the state of the English language as we roll towards the year 2000, chattering and tapping our VDUs. Which of the new phrases that are coming into our vocabulary, from dead parrot to dead-cat bounce, look like having a long shelf-life? Why do we take our modern catch-phrases and proverbs from television? Where do the fashionable new names of the Nineties like Pamella and Kylie come from, and what can they mean? What should we think of the Eurojargon that calls a cow an 'adult bovine animal', and the tabloid headline insults such as bimbo and Argies? Is the English of the Nineties really a dismal wasteland of cliché and impenetrable jargon, as the Prince of Wales agonizes. This survey of English in the Nineties covers the field from pronunciation to spelling, and from grammar to etymology of the new slang. It deals with big matters such as the divergences between American and British English, and small matters such as the change in idiom of when we say 'a' and when we say 'an'. Is the notion that you must never split an infinitive as old-fashioned as the notion that you should never strike a lady? And should you call her a lady in the first place, anyway? The map of English is changing even as we draw it. This chart for the lex of the Nineties entertains as it instructs; it is up-to-date, reliable, sometimes controversial, but never solemn."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper.

Black boards with Silver titling to the Spine. [XII] 273 pages. Index. 8¾" x 5¾".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Etymology category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Thorburn's Mammals with An Introduction by David Attenborough and Notes by Iain Bishop by Archibald Thorburn

Thorburn's Mammals with An Introduction by David Attenborough and Notes by Iain Bishop by Archibald Thorburn lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Ebury Press and Michael Joseph, 1974, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Colour Plates;

From the cover: "Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) is now recognized as an outstanding illustrator of animals and birds of western Europe, combining scientific accuracy and exactness of detail with artistic merit. His four-volume British Birds, first published in 1915-16, is not only a classic of ornithology but also a collector's piece, and the publication of 82 magnificent watercolour plates from it, with an introduction and new text by James Fisher, was welcomed by ornithologists and laymen alike.

Now a new generation has the opportunity of enjoying another Thorburn classic, his British Mammals, originally published in two volumes in 1920-1. In this new, single-volume edition, the 50 splendid watercolour plates show almost all the species of mammals native to the British Isles. To Thorburn's original text, here reproduced in its entirety, David Attenborough has provided a valuable introduction. lain Bishop has added a useful bibliography and up-to-date reports on a few species not illustrated by Thorburn and those not recorded from the British Isles in his time."

Introduction by: David Attenborough

Very Good — in Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper. Gently faded at the spine. Price Clipped. Text complete, clean and tight.

Brown boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 128 pages. Index. 10½" x 7¾".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Natural History category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Bloomsbury, 2000, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: "After twenty-five years of 'sex, drugs, bad behaviour and haute cuisine', chef and novelist Anthony Bourdain has decided to tell all. From his first oyster in the Gironde to his lowly position as a dishwasher in a honky-tonk fish restaurant in Provincetown (where he first experiences the real delights of being a chef); through the kitchen of the Rainbow Room atop the Rockefeller Center and drug dealers in the East Village; to Tokyo, Paris and back to New York again, Bourdain's tales of the kitchen are as passionate as they are unpredictable, as shocking as they are funny. This unforgettable book, a bestseller in the United States, will change the way you view restaurants — for ever."

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. Pages lightly age-tanned.

Black boards with Red titling to the Spine. [X] 307 pages. 9½" x 6¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Biography category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Book of Celtic Saints by Elaine Gill

The Book of Celtic Saints by Elaine Gill lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Blandford, 1995, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: "This intriguing representation of the lives and deeds of some of the venerable, sacred characters from the distant era of early Christianity sees Courtney Davis at his very best. His ability to stimulate, fascinate and inspire through his superb renditions of Celtic scenes and imagery is now appreciated throughout the world.

If you yearn for greater knowledge of, or empathy with, the spirit of this almost forgotten age, The Book of Celtic Saints will — with Elaine Gill's authoritative and informative text complementing the illustrations — supply this, by interpreting the ancient traditions for today's reader. Providing a timely reminder of saintly qualities in these material days, this book reveals eternal ideals through its words and beautiful pictures."

Very Good — in Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper with a nick to the head of the spine and again to the foot of the lower panel. Gently faded at the spine. Text complete, clean and tight.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 128 pages. Index. Bibliography. 11¼" x 8¾".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my History — Church category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Golf Characters by Chris Plumridge

Golf Characters by Chris Plumridge lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Stanley Paul, 1989, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: "Golf is acknowledged to be a great test of character and everyone reacts differently to the challenges of the game. Golf professionals are no different from the weekend amateur in the many ways in which they cope with the fortunes and injustices that make up a round of golf. However, unlike the amateur, the professional is closely observed by thousands of spectators and often millions of television viewers. Both his elation in moments of success, and his despair when disaster strikes are noted and analysed by spectators and correspondents around the world. This constant scrutiny lays bare the character of any successful golfer, and impresses on every follower of the game an image of the man and his personality. It is this image which has been marvellously captured by John Ireland in his portfolio of GOLF CHARACTERS. Here are the most charismatic golfers of modern times: The Golden Bear', Jack Nicklaus; 'The White Shark', Greg Norman; 'The Man in Black', Gary Player; the incomparable Seve Ballesteros, and many others. Here are some of the leading ladies of the game today: Nancy Lopez, Jan Stephenson, and Britain's champion, Laura Davies. Here, too, are some of the best-loved heroes of the fifties and sixties; many of them still enjoying life on the Seniors' Tour: Arnold Palmer, Peter Thomson, Roberto de Vicenzo, and the colourful Billy Casper.

To complement the caricatures, leading golf author Chris Plumridge has added his own pen portraits which give even deeper insight into the men and women behind the legends. Together, John Ireland and Chris Plumridge provide a unique contribution to any golfer's library in a book which will undoubtedly be much sought after by golf collectors in years to come."

Introduction by: Tony Jacklin

Very Good — in Good Dust Wrapper. Dust wrapper snagged at the head of the spine, otherwise pleasant.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 95 pages. 13½" x 9¾".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Sport — Golf category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Fatherhood: Men Write About Fathering by Edited by Sean French

Fatherhood: Men Write About Fathering by Edited by Sean French lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Virago, 1992, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: "This was the question put to sixteen poets, novelists, journalists and essayists. Unlike motherhood, fatherhood must always be something of an assumption and perhaps for this reason it is an idea that everyone must create for themselves. Does fatherhood, as the poet Michael Hofmann suggests, aspire to the condition of motherhood, or is it, as Roger Scruton provocatively argues, something radically and necessarily opposed, representing a concept of law and authority that has been under threat since the enlightenment?

Every father must also be a son and Mervyn Jones writes of being the son of Ernest Jones, the father of British psychoanalysis, Noah Richler about the pains of emulating his father, Mordecai. Gabriel Josipovici searches for an absent father while Laurie Flynn travels to Scotland and Julian Henriques goes to Jamaica to discover the countries that bred the passions of their now deceased fathers.

Tim Hilton reflects that 'paternity teaches you about the ends of life', but whatever the lessons, and whatever the results as the traditional family structure shifts and stretches, the pieces collected here run the gamut of anger, sorrow, delight, resentment, frustration and love. The emotional minefield of fathering has never been so arrestingly explored."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper.

Black boards with Red titling to the Spine. 120 pages. 9½" x 6¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Anthology category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Great Railway Journeys of the World by Miles Kington, Brian Thompson, Michael Palin, Michael Wood, Eric Robson, Ludovic Kennedy, Michael Frayn & Dennis Marks

Great Railway Journeys of the World by Miles Kington, Brian Thompson, Michael Palin, Michael Wood, Eric Robson, Ludovic Kennedy, Michael Frayn & Dennis Marks lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

British Broadcasting Corporation, 1985, Hardback in dust wrapper.

4th printing. [First Published: 1981] Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Facsimiles; Colour Photographs; Maps;

From the cover: "Long train journeys give the traveller time for observation and reflection. In Great Railway Journeys of the World, seven distinguished writers and presenters each take a different journey and give an original and dramatic perspective on the modern world.

First, Brian Thompson travels leisurely through southern India, from the noise and heat of Bombay to the calm of Cochin via Bangalore and Ootacamund. Michael Wood goes north from Cape Town on the Blue Train, the most luxurious train in the world, and then through spectacular scenery to the Victoria Falls. His journey is a unique and compelling portrait of modern southern Africa. Michael Frayn's journey across Australia includes rides on the legendary Ghan into Alice Springs, and a three hundred-mile trip across the Nullarbor Plain on the longest straight railway line in the world.

Ludovic Kennedy crosses the United States by the historical overland route — from . New York to Chicago on the Broadway Limited, and then, in the tracks of Robert Louis Stevenson, he takes the San Francisco Zephyr via Denver and Promontory Point. The journey ends in Los Angeles. Miles Kington travels through South America from Lima to La Paz, crossing the highest railroad in the world — 60 tunnels, 45 bridges, and zigzagging all the way up to 15,000 feet in the Peruvian Andes. Later he unexpectedly encounters a Bolivian revolution in the wayside town of Viacha. As a boy, Michael Palin (of Monty Python fame) spent hours on Sheffield's Midland Station train-spotting. In his great railway journey, he fulfils a dream and travels from London to the Kyle of Lochalsh on the west coast of Scotland, a route steeped in railway history. Finally, Eric Robson meanders through France, rides rack-and-pinion up and down the mountain railways of Switzerland and goes on to Vienna and through the Iron Curtain to Budapest.

The book is illustrated with evocative photographs in both colour and black and white, and will appeal not only to those who enjoyed the television programmes but to all railway buffs."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper. First blank lightly creased at the foredge. Text complete, clean and tight otherwise.

Olive boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 191 pages. Index. 8¾" x 7½".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Transport — Rail category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Archers: The History of Radio's Most Famous Programme by William Smethurst

The Archers: The History of Radio's Most Famous Programme by William Smethurst lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Michael O Mara, 1996, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: "The Archers is the longest-running radio serial in the world and certainly the best-loved. How did it start? Whose idea was it? How did it achieve its pre-eminent place on British radio?

Its first trial episodes were heard on the Midland Home Service in 1950 but, appropriately for a mighty oak, its seed had been long in germination. In this definitive account of how the programme was born and how it evolved William Smethurst, who for eleven years was first writer and then editor of The Archers, has delved deep to write a book no Archers fan should be without.

Smethurst reveals the behind-the-scenes dramas that listeners never heard, and the truth behind many rumours and legends which have long puzzled Archers addicts. What was the real reason why Grace Archer was killed in 1955? What happened to Doris Archer's secret sister? Why did radio chiefs complain about Dan Archer's 'indelicacies'? What was the plot that nearly killed Peggy Archer? Why was Princess Margaret unhappy at Grey Gables…?

Over forty-five years The Archers has presented 'an everyday story of country folk' attempting to reflect the reality of farming life through characters whom we get to know as intimately as members of our own family. This is the story of how that was achieved. Unauthorized by the BBC, William Smethurst's detailed research and many interviews with those who have worked on The Archers has enabled him to write a highly entertaining 'insider's' story of a broadcasting phenomenon.

The Archers: The True Story is illustrated throughout and includes historic photographs specially taken by Picture Posts star photographer Bert Hardy in the 1950s, most of which have not been reproduced in book form before."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Price Clipped. Dust wrapper very slightly rubbed at the edges.

Pictorial boards. 256 pages. Index. 10" x 7".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Radio category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Mourinho: Anatomy of a Winner by Patrick Barclay

Mourinho: Anatomy of a Winner by Patrick Barclay lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Orion, 2005, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Colour Photographs;

From the cover: "Jose Mourinho is a winner. Upon realising in his late teens that he would never be a star footballer, he resolved to become the top coach in the world and at 42 — an age when a star player might still be adjusting to the distinct skills of coaching — he has achieved his ambition.

Mourinho is not slow to sing his own praises. When he arrived in England from Portugal, having turned Porto into the champions of Europe, he called himself a Special One. And, as Patrick Barclay's portrait reveals, false modesty has never been part of his make-up. Yet Mourinho proved his point within a year of his appointment at Chelsca by guiding the club to their first English championship in half a century.

Whether operating with relatively limited resources at Porto or, due to Roman Abramovich's billions, the most lavish budget in the history of football, Mourinho treats his job the same. Outrageous ego, sensitive man-management, a rare gift for coaching and an infinite capacity for hard work — Mourinho has the lot.

Witnesses to the phenomenon include Sir Bobby Robson, under whom Mourinho got his big break. Robson and Everton manager David Moves are just two of those who have helped Barclay to build this unique picture of an extraordinary man who had such a dramatic impact on the game in his first season in England and looks set to dominate football for years to come."

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper with a small ding near the spine to the upper panel. Text complete, clean and tight but a little age-tanned.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 210 pages. Index. 8¾" x 5¾".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Biography category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Captaincy by Graham Gooch with Patrick Murphy

Captaincy by Graham Gooch with Patrick Murphy lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Stanley Paul, 1992, Hardback in dust wrapper.

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

From the cover: "Graham Gooch is the most influential and successful England captain since Mike Brearley. He is the first England captain since Peter May in 1957 to win three Tests against the West Indies, the most powerful side in the world — and remarkably all his successes came in a period of only seventeen months.

In this book Gooch analyses the crucial elements in those three historic victories, underlining the importance of planning and dedication, qualities readily associated with him. He looks at the particular assets needed for successful captaincy — the need for respect from his team, the necessity of sympathetic man-management, the importance of getting the very best out of each player, and how to assimilate individualists into the team framework.

Gooch looks at the different demands on a captain on tour, in limited-overs cricket and in dealing with the media, very much a modern challenge for a Test captain. The whole gamut of captaincy is covered — the need to pick a balanced side, the times when a particular eleven is selected for a specific game, the problems faced in selecting a squad, how to judge a declaration, how to approach a run chase, the way in which you can coax that little extra from your players by dint of personal example.

Gooch also considers the respective captaincy skills of many Test captains during his long career, paying particular tribute to the two who have most influenced his thinking — Keith Fletcher and Mike Brearley. Written in conjunction with BBC Radio's Patrick Murphy, the book, which includes Gooch's account of England's fine showing in the 1992 World Cup, is a timely reminder of why Graham Gooch has matured into one of England's most important captains since the war."

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

Green boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 197 pages. Index. 9½" x 6¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Sport — Cricket category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Weather by John Lynch

The Weather by John Lynch lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Firefly Books, 2002, Paperback.

First in this, paperback, edition. Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Colour Photographs; Diagrams; Maps;

From the cover: "Our life is intricately linked to the weather… it is our friend and our enemy in equal measure-the weather is at the heart of our existence.

Perhaps because we can't always predict it, and certainly can't control it, our fascination with the weather never seems to wane. The Weather takes the reader on a thrilling voyage to the heart of this phenomenon that, even in an age of air conditioning and artificial environments, is still central to the everyday life of the planet. From hurricanes to sandstorms, monsoons to avalanches, solar storms to the jet stream, this book showcases and explains the most fascinating, dangerous and dynamic forces of the weather, including:"

• weather pioneers and their discoveries
• spectacular weather events from around the world
• unseen weather phenomenon recreated with stunning computer graphics
• the science of meteorology and "sky watching"
• over 220 colour photographs that witness the forces of weather.

Introduction by: Donal Maclntyre

Very Good.

240 pages. Index. Bibliography. 11" x 10".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Meteorology category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Great Rift: Africa's Chaning Valley by Anthony Smith

The Great Rift: Africa's Chaning Valley by Anthony Smith lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

British Broadcasting Corporation, 1988, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Colour Photographs; Maps;

From the cover: "THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY cuts a swathe through Africa. Running south from the Lebanon for 6,500 kilometres to the Mozambique Channel, the Rift is the greatest rupture on the earths land surface. It is the only geological feature that can be seen clearly from the moon and its complex system of faults and escarpments has been evolving for some 40 million years.

The geological movements which created the Great Rift have resulted in a rich diversity of terrain and wildlife, from the lush rain forests which clad the volcanic mountains, home of the magnificent mountain gorillas, to the spectacular double chain of lakes which, enriched by minerals, throng with millions of flamingos. The plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara, formed by fertile volcanic ash, support the largest concentration of big animals found anywhere on earth, notably wildebeest, zebras and gazelles. The Rift Valley is also home for dozens of creatures found nowhere else, such as the elusive Simien fox and the giant mole rat of the Ethiopian Highlands. Further north, the Rift Valley deepens and widens, and the lakes and open plains give way to ocean waters, where an astonishing variety of fish inhabit the colourful Red Sea coral reefs. It may even be that mankind itself evolved in the Great Rift, where hominid fossils have been discovered dating back nearly 4 million years.

Anthony Smiths superbly illustrated book, containing over 130 full colour photographs, accompanies a major BBC television series, and presents a complete picture of the Rift's spectacular story."

Very Good — in Good Dust Wrapper. Heavily faded at the spine of the dust wrapper otherwise a very well presented copy.

Brown boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 224 pages. Index. 10" x 7¾".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Travel — South Africa category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Diary of a Facelift by Toyah Willcox

Diary of a Facelift by Toyah Willcox lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Michael O'Mara, 2005, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Colour Photographs;

From the cover: "Like many women in her mid-forties, Toyah Willcox felt an increasing distance between the lively, energetic person she knew herself to be, and the tired, lined face that stared back at her in the mirror. And working in an industry which places such a high value on the marketability of 'youth', she knew that at some point she would have to confront her options. After a few years' experimenting with diet and Botox, she vowed to take the plunge. She would have a facelift.

But what actually happens after you make that decision? How do you find a surgeon? What does the procedure itself involve? And what is the recovery really like? As many people embarking on this journey have discovered, Toyah found that the subject is still shrouded in secrecy and hypocrisy, for all the media's obsession with it. So, in this astonishingly brave, honest, occasionally gruesome and frequently hilarious account, she is making public her intimate, personal diary of the transformation. In so doing, she has given us a wise and witty insight into the nature of celebrity, ageing and beauty in the twenty-first century."

Very Good+ — in Very Good+ Dust Wrapper.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 224 pages. Index. 8¾" x 5½".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Biography category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Test Cricket Lists: The Ultimate Guide to International Test Cricket by Graham Dawson & Charlie Wat

Test Cricket Lists: The Ultimate Guide to International Test Cricket by Graham Dawson & Charlie Wat lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Robinson, 1998, Paperback.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: "TEST CRICKET LISTS is the ultimate guide to international Test cricket, including records and results from every Test match, from the first official game (England v. Australia, 1877) right up to 1998. This is more than a superb reference work: it is also a marvellous treasure trove of cricket stories and unusual records, such as the most consecutive maiden overs, the longest bowling spells and the most wides by one bowler. The authors also include brief accounts, with potted scores, of about 120 of the most famous Test matches, as well as the complete list of all Test matches played up to August 1998."

Introduction by: Christopher Martin-Jenkins

Very Good. Pages very gently age-tanned with a faint stain to the bottom corner of the last few leaves.

468 pages. 10" x 7¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Sport — Cricket category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Geordie: Fighting Legend of the Modern SAS by Geordie Doran with Mike Morgan

Geordie: Fighting Legend of the Modern SAS by Geordie Doran with Mike Morgan lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Sutton Publishing, 2007, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: "The final assault was at 20. 00hrs. It was pitch black, but the moon came out which helped us. We all carried our own gear, weapons and ammunition, but each also carried spare rocket projectiles for a bazooka-type rocket launcher… when we got started on the main push it was very difficult climbing, with much scrambling over the rocks… We had to balance the need for stealth and quietness with the pressing need to make solid progress to reach our objective at the plateau above before first light. If we didn't, we were dead'.

GEORDIE DORAN ranks as one of the most remarkable fighting soldiers of the twentieth century. Growing up in Jarrow during the Depression years of the 1930s, Geordie worked briefly in a local factory. The lure of adventure prompted him, in 1946, to sign up as a private soldier. It was the first step in a career spanning 40 years in which he saw active service in Germany, Cyprus, the Korean War and Suez; he became an expert in jungle warfare in Malaya and in Borneo, as well as on special operations in the deserts of Oman and Yemen.

Returning to England in the early 1970s, Geordie was interrogated by Special Branch about his secret activities in Yemen. Not long after, a serious road accident put paid to his frontline soldiering career but he found a new and vital role in the SAS, as a permanent staff instructor with 23 SAS (TA) training new recruits. He left the SAS in 1972, but could not settle to civilian life. He found himself a job as a storeman in the SAS Quartermaster's stores — a job which lasted another 12 years until ill health kept him from marching to the nearest barracks to join up once more."

Introduction by: Chris Ryan

Very Good — in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper. Previous owners' inscription to the first blank.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [XX] 252 pages. Index. 9½" x 6¼".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Biography category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

French Leave by John Burton Race

French Leave by John Burton Race lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Ebury Press, 2003, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: "Escaping the stresses and strains of everyday life is something many of us can only dream of. But for two Michelin star chef John Burton Race the dream became a reality when he swapped the pressures of running a highly successful London restaurant for a farmhouse in south-west France.

Based on the highly acclaimed Channel Four television series of the same name, French Leave is a memoir of this year. The result is a warm and witty portrayal of the French and their way of life and the fantastic collection of recipes developed and discovered while there. But it is also a highly personal journey of discovery as Burton Race faces the challenge of helping his large family adjust to their new lifestyle and embarks on his own quest for a new kind of life. One of Britain's finest chefs, Burton Race's biggest challenge is taking on the French at their own game, in their own backyard — as he samples the pleasures and pitfalls of truffle-hunting, cheese-making and becoming a chocolatier.

Lavishly photographed, with over 100 recipes created exclusively for the book, French Leave captures the true essence of France and the author's passion for its beauty, people, food and wines. Entertaining, informative and thought-provoking, it is an indispensable companion for Francophiles the world over. And most of all, to all lovers of good food — and life."

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.

Blue boards with Silver titling to the Spine. 304 pages. Index. 10" x 7½".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Cookery — French category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!

Dickie Bird's Britain by Dickie Bird with Keith Lodge

Dickie Bird's Britain by Dickie Bird with Keith Lodge lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.

Hodder & Stoughton, 2002, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Colour Photographs;

From the cover: "Dickie Bird's Britain is about the people and events and places that make Dickie unashamedly proud to be British. On a Bank Holiday weekend he is delighted to be on Scarborough sands, or at York Races, but he is as much in his element discussing poultry rearing with the Duchess of Devonshire.

Welsh male voice choirs and Highland caber tossers are all grist to his mill, as much as pigeon racing and monster vegetable competitions. Yet a remote village church can always lure him in, if it's open.

Dickie refreshes his memory by visiting Hambledon, the cradle of cricket, and where the MCC ladies are now included in the fixture list; then it's on to the arena that gives him the most pleasure of all, to Lords, the mecca of cricket.

Some of those Dickie meets on his travels are celebrities, who, like him, have reached the top of their professions — sports heroes such as Sir Steve Redgrave or media stars like Michael Parkinson — but so many more are ordinary, but very special folk: Macmillan Nurses or the proprietor of his favourite Pennine transport cafe. Each encounter will as likely as not remind him of some ripe anecdote from his thirty years behind the stumps. But everywhere he goes, the nation s favourite umpire manages to bring out the best in the people he encounters, with his quirky curiosity and his ability to winkle out the genuine individualists and the passionately committed who make up the many-faceted face of Britain in the twenty-first century.

Dickie Bird earned the respect of everyone involved in the cricket world and has become a household name. However, Dickie Bird's Britain will appeal not only to cricket lovers, but to anyone who enjoys an uplifting, heart-warming read."

Very Good+ — in Very Good+ Dust Wrapper.

Pictorial boards. 256 pages. 10" x 7¾".

This book will be eventually reach my delightful website...(added to my Travel — British Isles category.) but get 60% off buying from this very blog blog... Buy it now for just £2.60 + P&P! Of course, if you don't like this one there are plenty more available here!