Non-fiction

Mon Voyage Aux Terres Australes – Journal Personnel du Commandant Baudin illustre par Lesueur et Petit

A special book, in the French language, published by Imprimerie Nationale, Paris in the year 2000. Large octavo, 467 pages original illustrated softcover. Very high standard of colour illustration.

Illustrations include 2 sketch plans, 2 maps, 4 charts and 10 facsimiles of original manuscripts, plus 96 colour plates with 195 illustrations – including 5 insects, 5 animals, 96 fish and marine animals, many relating to Australia. Also some views and many coastal views and 10 magnificent portraits of aboriginals. Very good near fine condition.

The journal of Baudin commences in March 1800 at Le Harve. Baudin had been given command of an expedition to map the South West and South coast of Australia. He had two ships, Geographie and Naturaliste the latter captained by Hamelin. They had a total of nine naturalists on board. By May 1801 they has reached the West Coast of New Holland. Moving east they famously met Flinders at Encounter Bay. They sailed to Sydney and down to Van Diemen’s Land and reached the d’Entrecasteaux Channel and then Maria Island by November 1801. It is claimed that more than 2,500 new species were discovered on the voyage.

Incidentally, it is now claimed that naturalist Francois Peron later wrote a report for Napoleon on ways to invade and capture the British Colony at Sydney Cove.

Even if you have limited French this book is worthwhile for the magnificence of the illustrations.

Baudin his Journal in French as it should be …

$80.00

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The Islands of the Pacific – from Old to New – James Alexander – First Edtion 1895

James Alexander was the son of Hawaiian missionary William P Alexander. Published by the American Tract Society, New York in 1895. A substantial work, octavo 503 pages and appendices. Illustrated throughout with nice pictorial covers in good condition.

After three chapters of general introduction there are discrete chapters on The Society Islands, Austral Islands; Peal Islands; Hawaiian Islands; The Marquesas; Harvey Islands; Samoa; Micronesia; Tonga; New Zealand; Fiji; Melanesia; Pitcairn and Norfolk. An interesting chapter in retrospect on the “Future of the Pacific Ocean”.

The appendices provide good information on the Ancient Polynesians, Languages, European Appropriations and a list of active Missionaries and where they were. The seventy illustrations include simple but useful maps, and images form early photographs albeit sometimes posed.

Alexander covers some ground … and some ocean … in this well structured book.

$60.00

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Studies in Murder – Edmund Pearson

An unusual Modern Library edition given the factual content. A nice 1950′s copy with slightly chipped dust jacket. Top edge stained blue to match jacket as required.

True crime by American criminologist Pearson famous for his analysis of the Lizzie Borden Murders and the Hauptmann Case. We have catalogued it also under fiction because of his easy story telling style

Edmund Lester Pearson (1880-1937) was a highly regarded write of real crime … he was also a librarian to Congress which is why he had time to research and write no doubt!

Person Understood the motive …

$40.00

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A Sort of Life – Graham Greene – First Edition 1971

Published by the Bodley Head, London a first edition 1971 in very good condition.

Autobiography of Greene’s earlier years. He was almost permanently drunk during his final year at Oxford and seems quite proud of it … and he touches on a bit of spying and some writing success and failure and borrowing money from his mother. First Edition.

A sort of Life – we could all aspire to

$30.00

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Brown Men and Women or The South Sea Islands in 1895 and 1896 – Edward Reeves – First Edition 1898

Published by Swan Sonnenschein & Co, London in 1898. Large octavo, 294 pages with sixty illustrations and a large folding map (in excellent condition) . Bright gilt embossed image on front boards, original maroon cloth covered binding in very good condition.

Edward Reeves was a New Zealand missionary who spent many years on various islands in the South Pacific. He gives forthright observations on native culture and recounts his own experiences on Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tahiti, Society Islands etc.

The folding maps is of Tongatabu. The images are a bit peculiar at times, in particular the “cannibal feast in the making” … looks more like Hollywood to us. Regardless, we find the book honest and useful despite the unsatisfactory title

Reeves in the Pacific with his camera in the 1890’s

$80.00

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Isles of Illusion (Letters from the South Seas) – Edited by Bohun Lynch – First Edition 1925

First edition published by Small. Maynard and Co, Boston in 1923.

Octavo, 331 pages, browned because of nature of paper otherwise very clean internally. Gilt title to front board still bright and clean, spine somewhat sunned. A pretty good copy.

The author of the many emotional and illuminating letters was to remain anonymous and Lynch refers to him as Asterisk in the lengthy introduction. We learn there that the author, real name Robert James Fletcher (1877-1965), was an Oxford graduate and man of taste. The letters result from over seven years in the New Hebrides and it was tough for Fletcher.

J.G. Bonhun Lynch (1884-1928) has some success as a novelist. Based on the quality of the letters, English publisher Constable convinced Asterisk (Fletcher) to publish a novel which he did titled “Gone Native a Tale of the South Seas” … it was semi-autobiographical.

Fletcher wrote many letters before Gone Native

$50.00

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Mon Voyage Aux Terres Australes – Journal Personnel du Commandant Baudin illustre par Lesueur et Petit

The Islands of the Pacific – from Old to New – James Alexander – First Edtion 1895

Studies in Murder – Edmund Pearson

A Sort of Life – Graham Greene – First Edition 1971

Brown Men and Women or The South Sea Islands in 1895 and 1896 – Edward Reeves – First Edition 1898

Isles of Illusion (Letters from the South Seas) – Edited by Bohun Lynch – First Edition 1925

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