Naval - Military - Pre-20th Century | Archive | Voyager Rare Books Maps & Prints

The Fate of Franklin – Roderic Owen

Title continues …The Life and Mysterious Death of the Most Heroic of the Arctic Explorers. May be the key summary work on this never finished story. The author a descendant of Sir John Franklin.

First edition thick octavo published by Hutchinson of Australia in 1978. 471 pages, illustrated throughout with a number of maps and charts including end paper maps. A very good copy.

Well constructed with a fair bit of early background including his term as Governor of Tasmania and the part played by Jane Franklin then and later to the very end. Set out in three sections … “The Man who Ate His Boots”; “the Whipping Boy and “ The Heart That Can Feel for Another”. Three journeys to find the North-West Passage … the final tragic attempt in the Erebus and Terror continues to mystify both fiction and non-fiction book writers and lovers.

Franklin and his voyages to the Arctic in super detail

$60.00

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Byron’s Journal of His Circumnavigation 1764-1766 – Edited by Robert E. Gallagher

Another well produced book by the distinguished Hakluyt Society and in our view one of the better ones for its special illustrations and fold out maps.

John Byron of Wager fame (the poets Grandfather and Voyager hero) came in for some criticism regarding his circumnavigation of 1764-1776. The were some controversies and there were “secret instructions”.

Sent by the Admiralty in HMS Dolphin to search for Pepys’s Island and the Southern Continent and then up to the North Pacific to find the “other end” of the North West passage. He re-discovered the Falkland Islands (but was beaten by Bougainville) and when in the Pacific decided for his own reasons to go in a more direct route and hence all around the globe back to England..

His journal is at the mecca of all journals marine, the National Maritime Museum, London. And, here it is published with super supporting items by editor Robert Gallagher. Much about the giants of Patagonia.

Printed by the Cambridge University Press for the Hakluyt Society in 1964. Octavo, 230 pages with, as mentioned, numerous illustrations and maps and charts many folding or multiple folding. A particularly good thoroughly clean copy.

John Byron first the Wager then the circumnavigation in the Dolphin; one of the great naval heroes of the 18th Century.

$50.00

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The Siege of Chitral, 1895 – Much Sounding of Bugles – John Harris

We have swapped the title and subtitle around as for us the former belittles somewhat the history of the event.

Books were written by officer attendees in the last decade of the 19thC … such as Younghusband and these works provide good primary reference for the author. However, his total body of “reference’ is much more than we anticipated and as a result here we have what is the definitive account.

Larger octavo, 248 pages, endpaper maps, period photographic images, a very good copy bar an ownership label on front paste down.

Chitral as if you had been there but without the pain.

$40.00

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Hornblower and the Hotspur – C.S. Forester – First Edition 1962

First edition published by Michael Joseph, London in 1962. Octavo, 266 pages, blue cloth covered boards, very good dust jacket, top page edge toned otherwise very clean.

The tenth volume in the Hornblower series and we make it third in chronological order. The last finished Hornblower novel “Crisis” being incomplete at Forester’s death.

Set in 1803 with war with France imminent Hornblower is promoted to Commander and given the Sloop HMS Hotspur. Sent off to enforce the blockade at Brest … does his usual super job not without difficulty and danger. Cornwallis considers him for promotion to Post-Captain … a position achieved when he executes his plan to deliver false documents to the French … it all had a bearing on “Trafalgar”.

Hornblower’s career develops with bravery and cunning

$40.00

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A Cursory Sketch of the State of the Naval, Military and Civil Establishments, Legislative, Judicial, and Domestic Economy of This Kingdom, During the Fourteenth Century. – Bree John – Self Published London, 1791

Published in London in 1791 with a particular account of the campaign of King Edward the Third, in Normandy and France, in the years 1345 and 1346, to the taking of Calais: collected merely from the ancient manuscripts in the British Museum, and elsewhere. Volume I, [all that was published].

First Edition, printed for the author, and sold by J. Debrett (and others), 1791, quarto, pages xxxvi, 381, (30) – index and errata, pages 385 and 386 misnumbered 335 and 381.

Bound in delightful full antique tree calf, raised bands and gilt decoration to spine, gilt lettered leather labels. Contents bright and clean, binding tight and firm, a very good to better copy.

There are two sections concerning the Navy:

1) Of the General State of the Navy of England during the Fourteenth Century; and more particularly of the naval armament collected by King Edward the Third for his expedition against Normandy and France: and first of the appointment and succession of the Lord Admirals of England; and

2) Of the Size, Tonnage, and Construction of the Ships; their Complement of Men, Victualing, the Number of Officers, their Pay, and that of the Mariners and Soldiers, on board the Navy of England, during the Fourteenth Century.

A most interesting historical record in very good condition in a quality tree calf binding.

John Bree (c1734-c1796) was Rector of Rysholme in the County of Lincoln. He was a Oxford graduate – B.A. 1753, M.A. 1759 and a devout historian of the 14th Century. He must have spent years compiling the information required for this very interesting work, unmatched for its detail. His departing got in the way of any further volumes that may have been intended. Nevertheless, the book is complete and stands on its own.

$590.00

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Marine Paintings and Drawings in the Peabody Museum – Brewington

First edition of a monumental piece work. One of 750 numbered copies this being numbered 383.

Published by the Museum, Salem, Massachusetts in 1968. Large thick octavo, 530 pages with close to 2,000 plates, many large and in colour. Weighs 3.2 kgs so not a bedtime read. A postage supplement at cost will be required for this heavy item.

The Peabody Museum at Salem houses one of the world’s largest collections of marine art … includes many Chinese artists as well as the leading western names. Includes views from the great era of discovery as well as naval encounters, whaling etc. Very good condition. A previous owner has made a couple of neat additions in the end paper including a simple but charming Chinese junk … a needlework item.

Super marine art reference – hours of nautical pleasure.

$80.00

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Naval – Military – Pre-20th Century

The Fate of Franklin – Roderic Owen

Byron’s Journal of His Circumnavigation 1764-1766 – Edited by Robert E. Gallagher

The Siege of Chitral, 1895 – Much Sounding of Bugles – John Harris

Hornblower and the Hotspur – C.S. Forester – First Edition 1962

A Cursory Sketch of the State of the Naval, Military and Civil Establishments, Legislative, Judicial, and Domestic Economy of This Kingdom, During the Fourteenth Century. – Bree John – Self Published London, 1791

Marine Paintings and Drawings in the Peabody Museum – Brewington

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