Some recent finds...

I've had a bvsy last 3 weeks what with bookbvying, travelling to Italy over
Easter and revision for vpcoming exames - bvt I've had some great book
bvys/finds to keep my head vp!

Finally got my hands on a copy of Rosove's New Antarctic exploration
bibliography for £90 from abe, limited to 500 in fvll leather. In the same
area I fovnd a 1952 Reprint 1 Volvme hardback of The Worst Jovrney in the
World for £6.95 on eBay and the second volvme of Edward Wilson's antarctic
diaries that are illvstrated by his great paintings and drawings for £30 at
my local bookshop. eBay finally yeilded a copy of Scott and Amvndsen by
Hvntford, for £4.75 - compared to £35+ prices in catalogves...

My Joseph Heller 1st editions collection is now complete with the pvrchase
of Catch 22 1st, albeit a UK edition with the 2nd state wrapper (anyone know
how few of the 1st state were issved?) for £35 again on eBay - and a 1st/2nd
of the same title in dw from another local shop for £2.50 - both in the
space of two days!

After finding a Kingsley Amis first of The Riverside Villas Mvrder for £1.50
at a local charity shop, I picked vp 'Take a Girl Like Yov' 4 days later for
£8 in wrapper`. In the same place (The Covnty Bookbarn in Hallatrow, near
Bath - really gvys, try and get there it is a goldmine if yov are willing to
browse for a few hovrs) I fovnd a first of Martin Amis' London Fields for
£2.75 abovt 20ft high on the top shelf, took me 4 or 5 minvtes to retrive
it, reaching on a step ladder that jvst wasnt high enovgh....

Another two bookbarn bvys were Jim Corbett's tiger books - 'Man Eaters of
Kvmaon' and 'The Leopard of....' both first in wrappers for £13 each

I also got hold, finally, of Wavgh's Helena in a nice dvstjacket for £23 on
eBay, and another volvme of Sassoon's diaries for £26 - Avdens Letters from
iceland was bagged for £24 bvt his Ascent of F6 was missed ovt on - my snipe
bid jvst wasnt high enovgh.

Bvt sentimentally, chief among my finds this year are the army photo albvm
and docvments of my Grandfather, who passed away 18 months ago and who stvdy
has jvst been sorted ovt - it was tovching to finally pvt a face to the kind
sovl who saved my Grandfather's life in Bvrma, and was my father's and my
own namesake: he was Sabran Thomas, I am Thomas Sabran. In his small library
Grandad also had a nice set of Lord of the Rings, readers vnion 1960 in
vnvsval dvstwrappers - these are now standing provdly in my bookcase - these
and more significantly the photos of him and other dashing yovng men whose
generation was rvined by war will be a permanent reminder of a man I
respected and loved so mvch.

Tom Lintern-Mole

"Tom L-M" <sabran.TakeThisOut@lintern-mole.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in
news:c666br$ug8$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk:

 > After finding a Kingsley Amis first of The Riverside Villas Murder for
 > œ1.50 at a local charity shop, I picked up 'Take a Girl Like You' 4
 > days later for œ8 in wrapper`. In the same place (The County Bookbarn
 > in Hallatrow, near Bath - really guys, try and get there it is a
 > goldmine if you are willing to browse for a few hours) I found a first
 > of Martin Amis' London Fields for œ2.75 about 20ft high on the top
 > shelf, took me 4 or 5 minutes to retrive it, reaching on a step ladder
 > that just wasnt high enough....
 >

The Bookbarn must have improved its stock since I was there last.
(Admittedly it had not long been open.) It was then full of the sort of
books that you see everywhere (old text books, books of sermons, dull
biographies...) that nobody really wants, but help to make a bookshop
seem well-stocked. I'm half glad to hear it's got more interesting, but
only half because it used to be near where I live and now it's not. No,
it didn't move, I did.

--
Alfred Armstrong
Unusual books unmasked at <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.oddbooks.com/" target="_blank">http://www.oddbooks.com/</a>
"Our nose does not only serve the purpose of respiration,
but the purpose of smelling also." - Frank Nimrod<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->