William Golding books inspiring light. “At the moment of vision, the eyes see nothing.” writes William Golding in his novel of The Spire. A book which deals with the construction of the 404-foot high spire and is loosely based on Salisbury Cathedral. Indeed visitors to the tallest tower in Britain have carefully trod in semi- darkness. That is until … Read more
Book Collecting Rare and Antique Books have recently acquired four signed Kinglesy Amis books from the Dr Philip Murray Collection. It is a great opportunity to remind ourselves of the obsession of book collecting, or biblomania. Murray gamely recognises that it “is the only form of collecting other than kleptomania that has a medical name attached to it”. … Read more
Remembering the First World War The memorial for The Battle of the Somme have been a remarkable and sobering reminder of the fall out from war. The battle took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916 on both sides of the River Somme in France. It was one of the largest of World War I. … Read more
C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) A Remarkable Life The William Nicholson’s play “Shadowlands” is currently touring the UK portraying the remarkable romance between C.S. Lewis and an American called Joy Davidman. It provides opportunity to be learn more about the personal life of the bachelor academic and author and to be reminded of the works of C.S. Lewis. His … Read more
Looking after your book collection When it comes to rare and antique books condition is crucial so it’s important to look after a book collection carefully. Here are a few tips in how to preserve your treasured books: Storage: Keep your books upright on a shelf – unless they are large folio sized and then it’s … Read more
Rare and Antique Books at the London International Book Fair Last weekend (27 & 28 May), Rare and Antique Books exhibited at the PBFA London International Book Fair – ILEC Conference Centre. These are our highlights of what was a successful two days. Firstly it’s fair to say that, as booksellers, book selling is what … Read more
Starting off a book collection. A question often asked is “Where do I begin with book collecting?” There is no straightforward answer but firstly you have to love what you collect! Starting off a book collection begins with finding an area of interest and keeping focused – it is very easy to get distracted with … Read more
The unique Jean de Brunhoff One of the most beloved characters in children’s literature is Babar the Elephant. Created from bedtime stories that his wife used to soothe an ill son, Jean de Brunhoff went on to write and illustrate six books which have delighted children since their publication in the 1930s. Brunhoff managed to convey important … Read more
Kipling’s Original Jungle Book The release of a new film about The Jungle Book has generated a good deal of interest in Rudyard Kipling’s tales of the jungle and allows an opportunity to reflect on the original story and influences behind this classic tale. Inspiration: It seems as if becoming a father inspired Kipling to write … Read more
What makes a rare book? A question that is often asked. Why do some books sell for hundreds of thousands of pounds, while others are valued for pennies? Does that box in the attic contain collectable books that are worth anything? Firstly, from a book collectors point of view a rare book has to be … Read more
We have a varied collection of rare and antique books -many are signed or limited editions. We offer free international delivery.