Travel & Voyages

Spring on an Antarctic Island (Bylot Island) – Katherine Scherman

First edition published by Victor Gollancz, London in 1956. The author and a group of naturalists and scientists visit remote Bylot Island, north of Baffin Island well within the Arctic Circle.

Octavo, 329 pages, end paper maps, illustrated from photographs taken on the expedition. A small chip top of dust jacket, otherwise a fine copy.

The party flew by light aircraft to Pond Inlet a remote Hudson Bay Company outpost on the northern shores of Baffin Island. Some explorations in the locale and then off further north to Bylot with Eskimo guide Idlouk. They set up camp near the Aktineg glacier. Bylot sparsely populated with a few friendly Eskimo group is a cold mountainous place with its own unique flora and fauna. Image the Arctic Willow which last eight years but never gets higher than five inches.

Bylot a unique environment – an authentic account.

$35.00

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Together Alone (In the Pacific) – Ron Falconer.

Published by Bantam in 2004, an only softcover. A super story about a great man and his family.

Ron Falconer born in Scotland joined the RAF, became an architectural draftsman and then designed and built his one boat. A special yacht he named Fleur d’Ecosse. He went sailing, alone, perhaps, we are told, 50,000 miles. He met the beautiful Anne and he took her to the Caroline Atoll in the northern reaches of French Polynesia. There they had a family, built their Robinson Crusoe style house and lived the life we all dream of.

Octavo, 255 pages, with maps and a handful of nice images from photographs taken in their heavenly Paradise.

We think Ron now lives in France but until recently lived at Moorea … and could be heard singing at the Kareka Bar … he has a super voice in the Simon and Garfunkel sort of style … check him out on Youtube,

A Scotsman in Paradise with the voice of an Angel.

$25.00

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The Narrative of the Jannette Arctic Expedition – First Edition 1882

True first edition published by subscription only. With maps, portraits, engravings and the splendid decorated cloth covers which make the book a treasure. A hint of even toning, inner hinges tender, otherwise a very good copy in bright and clean decorated boards.

Longer title … “Our Lost Explorers: The Narrative of the Jeannette Arctic Expedition as related by the Survivors, and in the Records and last Journals of Lieutenant De Long, Revised by Raymond Lee Necomb, Naturalist of the Expedition. Also, an Account of the Jeannette Search Expeditions etc.”

Set out from San Francisco in July 1879 with supplies for three years sponsored by the owner of the New York “Herald” who also sponsored Stanley to search for Livingstone. The objective was to approach the North Pole through the Bering Straits. She was lost for two years caught in ice near Wrangel Island and eventually crushed. The crew escaped but 13 survived out of 33. Three new islands were discovered and named although they have always been regarded as Russian territory.

The Janette lost in the Arctic in the 1880’s

$190.00

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Call to the Winds – P.G. (Bill) Taylor – First Edition 1939

Important and scarce aviation book. “Bill” Taylor’s heroic flight with Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm.

First edition Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1939. Octavo, 227 pages, with period photographs of the aircraft “Southern Cross” including the damaged engine and propeller and the life saving thermos flask. Signature on front paste down. Very good copy with an almost impossible to find dust jacket.

Patrick Gordan Taylor (1891-1966) later knighted one of Australia’s greatest aviators. Participated in several major flight firsts with Sir Charles Kingsford, Charlie Ulm and later Richard Archbold. Known affectionately as “Bill” … Taylor joined the British Royal Flying Corps in 1916 with No 66 Squadron. After the war he returned to Australia and the start of commercial aviation activities.

The core of this book is about a 1935 flight, in the Southern Cross, with Kingsford Smith and Ulm from Australia to New Zealand with the view to establishing a mail service between the two countries. Mid Tasman the starboard engine failed. They decided to return to Sydney but encountered high winds. The port engine began to overheat and was running out of cooling oil. Bill Taylor climbed outside the aircraft along the wire below the wind strut, with a thermos flask, drained oil from the broken starboard engine and transferred it to the port engine. He did this six times before they made a safe landing back in Sydney.

Aviation Heroics – Bill Taylor with Kingsford Smith and Ulm – outside the Southern Cross over the Tasman

$180.00

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Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado New Zealand – Zane Grey – First edition 1926

First edition, published by Hodder & Stoughton, London in 1926.

Quarto, x,228 pages bound in the original blue cloth covered boards with gilt titling and leaping fish to front. A little age to spine ends otherwise a super copy for a book near 100 years old. Heavy at circa 2kg so likely not suitable for Overseas.

Zane Grey (1872-1939) famous for his interest in and writing about great fishing adventures rather than his profession – dentistry. He was also handy with the camera and the many illustrations are from photographs taken by the author. Additional sketches by Frank Phares.

Fishing for some big guys … Marlin, Swordfish and the Mako Shark and maybe less butch for Taupo and Trout on quieter waters.

Zane Grey is the man with the “fush” in New Zealand ..

$120.00

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To Greenland’s Icy Mountains – Eve Garnett – First Edition 1968

A semi fictionalised account of Hans Egede, Explorer and Missionary who in the early 18thC went in search of the descendants of 10thC Christians who went to the West Coast of Greenland.

Egede was in Greenland between 1797-1718. The author makes Egede’s story come alive as if it was yesterday.

Published by Heinemann, London in 1968, a first edition. Octavo, 190 pages, well illustrated with frontispiece portrait, sketches by the author and images from appropriate photographs, maps and charts. Good condition albeit front free end paper excised.

Inspirational Greenland Story

$25.00

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Spring on an Antarctic Island (Bylot Island) – Katherine Scherman

Together Alone (In the Pacific) – Ron Falconer.

The Narrative of the Jannette Arctic Expedition – First Edition 1882

Call to the Winds – P.G. (Bill) Taylor – First Edition 1939

Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado New Zealand – Zane Grey – First edition 1926

To Greenland’s Icy Mountains – Eve Garnett – First Edition 1968

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