Crime of the True Variety

Treks and Palavers [Travels in Nigeria]-Richard Oakley – 1938

Before we go further “Palaver” is meant in the truest sense – an improvised meeting which was often held with groups to iron out some difficulty – Oakley was good with a palaver … Voyager likes this book – there is something special about it …

A first edition published by Seeley etc, London [they published a number of high quality serious travel accounts. Thick octavo, 300 pages, good sketch map and numerous full page illustrations from original photographs. No jacket, original red cloth covered binding, top edge stained red as required – very good condition.

A full and interesting account from Captain Oakley who was for a period a Magistrate in the Nigerian Administrative Service. He draws on other key references as well as his own extensive travels and experiences. We like it even more the deeper he gets into Nigeria up towards the Chad border. Surprisingly few good accounts on this African major and their now disappearing underlying culture(s)

Richard Oakley and one of the better accounts on Nigeria.

$60.00

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Outlaws of the Leopolds – Ion Idriess

One of the more difficult to find Idriess books – about Sandamara, also known as Pigeon, a native tracker who set about to drive out the white settlers from the Kimberley’s and King Leopold Range in northern Western Australia.

Published by Angus and Robertson in 1955. Tall octavo, 244 pages, nicely illustrated from period photographs, end paper maps, very good dust jacket. Overall, a very good and worthy copy.

Idriess with important history of the north-west.

$60.00

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Gold Escort Robbery Trails – Noel Thurgood.

Hard to find published by the special Kangaroo Press in 1988. The author passed away before the press.

Octavo, 192 pages, simple map of the region of the criminal goings on re the gold escort. Interesting group of illustrations including images of the main players

The Eugowra gold escort robbery likely the most sensational event in Australian bushranging history. In the year 1862, Frank Gardiner and his band od trusted bushrangers shot it out with the police escort and made off with a King’s ransom of gold and notes. The Forward and Prologue set the scene – the event and the capture. The main game “the trial” makes riveting reading for the colonial historian, gold buff or curious legal mind – theatre

The Biggest gold heist and subsequent trial …

$30.00

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Man Tracks – With the Mounted Police in the Australian Wilds – Ion Idriess – 1935

Published by Angus & Robertson 1935, a fifth edition same year as the first.

Octavo, 330 pages, illustrations from authors and contemporary photographs. Without dust jacket – red cloth covered boards clean – a better than good overall copy. End paper maps.

An impressive Idriess book about the Australian mounted Police up through the Red Centre, the North and North West. Many lively accounts recounted in the normal Idriess way. The photography in this book is special with a number of unique aboriginal images.

Real Crime solved by Police on Horseback

$35.00

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Spy Catcher – Peter Wright – Former Assistant Director MI5

The greatest real expose of the activities of MI5 from technically adept Peter wright. There was Philby and the “thing” the secret of all secret devices hidden within the American Great Seal. The bugging of the Egyptian cypher room. His greatest claim however was that Sir Roger Hollis was the “Fifth Man”.

Wright retired to Cygnet, Tasmania were he and his wife had a few acres and Arabian horses.

The struggle to get published and the various political heaviness are well understood.

Published by Heinemann in Australia in 1987, a first edition. Octavo, 392 pages, illustrated from photographs. Original owner name on end paper, closed tear top dust jacket otherwise a nice copy of this important book.

Spy Catcher – They couldn’t stop him

$35.00

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Tasmanian Rogues & Absconders 1803-1875 – Graeme-Evans

This is volume II and our favourite the middle years, being 1821-1836 … so a subset of the main title.

Self published by Alex Graeme-Evans of Launceston in 1994.

Larger soft cover format, perfect bound. 104 pages, nicely illustrated throughout.

What is it that makes rogues and absconders interesting … a rhetorical question. Much better reading than “everyday folk” … apologies. One thing for sure there were plenty of them … threaded intimately through the history of the Apple Isle.

For every rogue there seems to have been at least one absconder

$25.00

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Treks and Palavers [Travels in Nigeria]-Richard Oakley – 1938

Outlaws of the Leopolds – Ion Idriess

Gold Escort Robbery Trails – Noel Thurgood.

Man Tracks – With the Mounted Police in the Australian Wilds – Ion Idriess – 1935

Spy Catcher – Peter Wright – Former Assistant Director MI5

Tasmanian Rogues & Absconders 1803-1875 – Graeme-Evans

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