Biography/ autobiography

The Life and Surprising Adventures of Captain Talbot – First Edition n.d. but 1803 [Shortcomings but Exceedingly Rare – and Fine Binding].

Title continues – “Containing a Curious Account of the Various Changes and Gradations of this Extraordinary Character; from the Time of His First Going to Sea as a Cabin Boy; Until His Taking of Command of the Washington War Ship; – Also, His Various Engagements during the American Wars and Singular Escapes in His Different Stages of Life – The Whole Forming a Complete Series of Singular Incidents and entertaining Adventures”.

Printed by Barnard and Saltzer, Fleet Street for Tegg and Castleman.

Octavo, 147 pages, missing tow leaves ¾ and 21/22 provided separately as a modern copy but no bound. Reference authority Sabin 94236.

The whole rather aged but likewise very genuine for this work. Someone has gone to the bother of preserving it in an extra fine binding, half calf over marbled boards, decorated spine, separate red leather title.

Captain Silas Talbot [1751-1813] was the stuff of adventure books. He was 12 when he became the cabin boy mentioned in the title. Went on to fight in the Siege of Boston and the Battle of Rhode Island in the Revolutionary War and at the Battle of Puerto Plata harbour in the French War. He captured the 8 gun galley Pigot from the English and turned it against them – for which he received the silver sword. Hist adventures as presented here tad more various and exciting than just war!

Captain Talbot and the American Wars so scarce accept its deficiencies.

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$140.00

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A Strange Career – The Life and Adventures of J. G. Jebb [South America and Mexico] – 1895

John Gladwyn Jebb led as an adventurous life as could be possible. This book was compiled by his widow and carries the introduction of adventure writer H Rider Haggard.

Jebb’s adventures began as a military man in India. Soon he was conducting privately funded explorations into Central and Southern America. Involved in numerous business dealings… helped to start White Line … was in involved in armaments. He moved to the US and the Wild West … bear hunting, gold mining and a few conflicts with local bandits and native Americans. Off to Mexico to make his fortune gold mining (made it and lost it) and much of the later part of the books is about his times in Mexico.

Published by Blackwood, Edinburgh in 1895 octavo, 271 pages, frontispiece of the great man, illustrated by John Wallace. Pictorial boards nice but a little rubbed. Overall, still a particularly good copy of a rather hard to find book.

Inspiration for Rider Haggard – John Jebb Adventurer

$50.00

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Reminiscences of Thirty Years’ Residence in New South Wales and Victoria – R Therry – First Edition 1863

Few know that this is quite a controversial book. Irish born Roger Therry [1800-1874] had arrived in New South Wales in 1829. For the next thirty odd years he served various Governor’s with distinction and praise. He rose to be a Judge of the Supreme Court and had served at both Sydney and Port Phillip. He retired back to England in 1859 and wrote this long and readable account.

This is a true first edition [a re-run included a small map] very thick octavo, 514 pages after preliminaries. Bound in original heavily embossed full deep red cloth covered boards. Original spine relayed, new end papers by Perry. A little age but really a nice copy of this scarce work.

Re the controversy. Therry had 100 copies made up and sent 300 to New South Wales. Unfortunately, some did not like his references and it soon became a talking point for the wrong reason. The book no doubt contains some factual errors [there are a lot of facts] but it was the pseudo slander that got under the skin of some. Therry re-purchased the remaining Australian stock!

“Judgely” writing may not sound entertaining, but this book is easily read and full of facts and stories that make it more interesting the more you get into it. We may all know about Hargraves and the discovery of gold in 1851, but did you know it was really Strezelecki in 1839 and with Clarke in between. The didn’t announce the earlier discoveries lest it would cause a stampede and riot among the convict class.

Therry writes in a compassionate way – his account of the discovery of a massacre of an aboriginal group suggests many new settlers were horrified and the culprits were brought to justice.

John McCarthur had a hand in the editing which is why his family are treated well and add to the supposed factual errors

Therry looking back over the important goings on over thirty years in Australia.

$180.00

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John La Farge – Artist and Writer – Cecilia Waern – First edition 1896

A first edition of this scarce book published by Seeley, London in 1896.

Large octavo, 104 pages with 8 colour and 28 black and white plates. Bound in heavy green cloth covered boards, quarter leather with gilt lines. Some rubbing to the spine and foxing in the extreme ends – very clean from frontispiece onwards, except some foxing around the tissue slips that remain. [generally, whoever came up with the tissue slip idea needs talking to.]

Carries the bookplate of A.A.R. Boyce CBE FRAS FRGS Australian artist among many things. he was prolific with the wood and lino cut and likely self produced the bookplate.

La Farge lived in New York, Greenwich Village. He was a prolific artist, in many forms, from an early age. He did illustrations for editions of Tennyson and Browning. His work in stained glass is memorable – Trinity Church Boston being a fine example. He patented a new technique of layering glass colour which was stolen by Tiffany resulting in a lawsuit [it is America].

He was also a traveller with an eye to his art. he spent time in Japan and wrote much on their style of art. But, it was his journey through the Pacific and in particular his observations and artwork connected to Samoa that we most admire.

A worthy copy of a book that commands some dollars in the rare book world.

John La Farge – an American artist of many talents.

$120.00

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Wind Aloft Wind Alow – [Single-handed crossings of the Atlantic under sail and then under power.] – Marin-Marie

Translated from the French, this edition 1947 by Peter Davies, London. Octavo, 322 pages. Book and jacket have received a scrunch in the top right, internally very clean. Jacket now in Brodart, a good copy. Nicely illustrated, some from the authors accomplished paintings

Marin-Marie was the appointed “Painter to the French Ministry of Marine”. This is his super account of the Atlantic crossings first by sail in the Winnibelle and the under power in the Arielle. Sail occupying two thirds of the book. At the time he was the first to go it alone all the way across under power.

A book full of the marine … quite technical in places re automatic steering, engines etc

Marin-Marie twice across sail and power…. super read

$25.00

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Sarah Bernhardt – William Embodden

A first US edition published by Macmillan, New York in 1975.

Quarto, 176 pages, and a very good copy of a excellent work on Bernhardt, not the least for the introduction by Sir John Gielgud.

Nicely illustrated throughout from period photographs. Includes our image of Sarah as Frou-Frou.

Accompanied by a useful appendix listing the plays in which she acted chronologically and a healthy bibliography.

Sarah Bernhardt – well-presented and exceptional images.

$40.00

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The Life and Surprising Adventures of Captain Talbot – First Edition n.d. but 1803 [Shortcomings but Exceedingly Rare – and Fine Binding].

A Strange Career – The Life and Adventures of J. G. Jebb [South America and Mexico] – 1895

Reminiscences of Thirty Years’ Residence in New South Wales and Victoria – R Therry – First Edition 1863

John La Farge – Artist and Writer – Cecilia Waern – First edition 1896

Wind Aloft Wind Alow – [Single-handed crossings of the Atlantic under sail and then under power.] – Marin-Marie

Sarah Bernhardt – William Embodden

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