Products | Voyager Rare Books Maps & Prints

Harpoon at a Venture (In the Scottish Islands) – Gavin Maxwell – 1955 Edition

First published in 1952 this is the 1955 Adventure Library edition of the first work by “Ring of Bright Water” author Gavin Maxwell.

Octavo, 254 pages with six maps, including in end papers 23 illustrations from photographs and eight illustrations in the text.

Maxwell had active service with the Special Forces in WWII. After the war he purchased the Isle of Soay off Skye in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. There he attempted to start a Basking Shark fishery … which failed due to lack of finance.

This book covers his exploits in that regard and provides a perfect picture of the Scottish Islands and the adventurous activities that ensue.

Gavin Maxwell with the Sharks before the Otter.

$35.00

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Capsize! – A Story of Survival in the North Atlantic – Nicolas Angel

A first English edition published by Norton, New York and London in 1980. Published the prior year in French.

Octavo, 176 pages nicely illustrated from photographs with charts etc.

The trimaran RTL-Timex capsized in a storm sailing from Bermuda to New York. The crew, under skipper Alan Gilksman, made the raft and a frantic nine days of gales and high seas ensued. Several ships missed them before they were finally recovered … just in time for some crew members who almost perished.

Frightening North Atlantic Experience .. impossible to put down

$25.00

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The Seamans Secrets (1633) – John Davis – Fine Facsimile from John Carter Brown University – 1992

Published by Scholars’ Facsimiles & Reprints, New York 1992. Reproduced from a n original in The John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. Hard to come by.

Longer title … “The Seamans secrets. Divided into two parts, wherein is taught the three kindes of sayling, horizontall, paradoxall, and sayling upon a great circle. Also an horizontall tyde-table for the easie finding of the ebbing and flowing of the tydes, with a regiment newly calculated for the finding of the declination of the sunne, and many other most necessary rules and instruments, not heretofore set forth by any. Newly corrected and amended, and the fifth time imprinted.”

Octavo, very good condition with no jacket as published. Facsimile reprint with a very good historical introduction by A.N. Ryan. Illustrated, one folding at rear, and with tables and charts. Original unpaginated but runs to circa 110 pages … here after 26 page introduction and further reading list, references etc.

John Davis (1550? – 1605) published the first edition of this book in 1595. He made three voyages in search of the North West Passage. He was associated with Sir Humphrey and Adrian Gilbert promoters of English colonisation in North America. Through the Gilbert’s he knew Walter Raleigh and the famous mathematician and cosmographer Dr John Dee.

Nice reproduction of important early maritime navigation book.

$50.00

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The Life and Work of Sydney Long – Joanna Mendelssohn

A first edition published by McGraw Hill, Sydney as part of the Copperfield Art Series, 1979.

Folio, 284 pages in complete dust jacket all in very good if not better condition. With numerous illustrations of the great man’s work including 38 in full colour including folding colour frontispiece.

Sydney Long (1871-1955) was born in Goulburn, New South Wales.

One of Australia’s greatest artists partly inspired by the Heidelberg School. By 1897 he had developed his own style, with possibly his most admired painting being completed that year … The Spirit of the Plains. Painted in a soft colour palette a naked Grecian wood nymph leading a procession of dancing Brolgas … simply wonderful. His paintings in this style, often with low key eroticism, were the foundation of a new art style Australian Paganism and influenced the likes of Norman Lindsay.

Long sold his early works at good prices which financed time spent in London just before WWI where he turned to etching and engraving and held positions of distinction in several Societies.

Sydney Long the definitive work

$120.00

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Views in Australia, or New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land – Lycett Facsimile

Delineated, in Fifty Views, with Descriptive Letter Dedicated with Permission to the Right Hon’ble Earl Bathhurst

This is the only facsimile of the rarely seen Views by Joseph Lycett originally published in London in 1824. A landscape presentation in decorated slipcase (as shown) – fine condition. A heavy item which might require a little more postage … we will try to be helpful.

Lycett was a convict artist of great distinction – he had been sent out for forgery. He was pardoned and later returned to England where he again went about his forger’s ways – he took his own life in prison.

His artistry is unique and charming with 50 images of New South Wales mainly in and around Sydney and also many of Tasmania with some beautiful images of Hobart, the Derwent and the surrounding mountains.

Voyager also has an original Lycett of a Tasmanian view … see our Prints …

Such beautiful images originally from 1824

$80.00

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The Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society (Hannibal’s Route over the Alps and African Exploration ) – October 1886.

A complete issue in original blue wrappers pages 609 – 680, a complete monthly issue with two large folding maps at rear.

Includes an important article reading the route Hannibal took over the Alps, always a matter subject to academic argument.

Also includes important African exploration … the Congo by Colonel Francis de Winton; Exploration of the Tributaries of the Congo between Leopoldville and Stanley Falls George Grenfell and the Last German Expedition of 1884-1886.

Armed with the newest geographical information from contemporary expeditions into the Alps, Freshfield presents theories and brings clarity for historians and geographers into historic events which have plagued mankind since the time of Polybius and Livy. A most captivating report examining the perplexing controversy of Hannibal’s passage over the Alps, and the victories he achieved in the name of Carthage. Accompanied by an exceptional fold-out colour map, this mountaineering report is one of the earliest reports that takes into account the mysteries of the Alps, and its treacherous passes, with regards to Hannibal’s daring.

Hannibal, (247 B.C. – 182 B.C.), was a Carthaginian General, an implacable and formidable enemy of Rome. Although knowledge of him is based primarily on the reports of his enemies, Hannibal appears to have been both just and merciful. He is renowned for his tactical genius. With a relatively small army of select troops, Hannibal set out to invade Italy by the little-known overland route. He fought his way over the Pyrenees and reached the Rhône River before the Romans could block his crossing, moved up the valley to avoid their army, and crossed the Alps. This crossing of the Alps, with elephants and a full baggage train, is one of the remarkable feats of military history. Which pass he used is unknown; some scholars believe it was the Mont Genèvre or the Little St. Bernard.

$90.00

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Harpoon at a Venture (In the Scottish Islands) – Gavin Maxwell – 1955 Edition

Capsize! – A Story of Survival in the North Atlantic – Nicolas Angel

The Seamans Secrets (1633) – John Davis – Fine Facsimile from John Carter Brown University – 1992

The Life and Work of Sydney Long – Joanna Mendelssohn

Views in Australia, or New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land – Lycett Facsimile

The Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society (Hannibal’s Route over the Alps and African Exploration ) – October 1886.

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