Rare books from Rachel Smith Books

Grant, Captain James Augustus.A Walk Across Africa or Domestic Scenes from my Nile Journey. London, William Blackwood and Sons, 1864. First edition, 8vo, Original green cloth. PRESENTATION copy. Folding map (17 ½" x 35 ½"). The binding's corners have been expertly repaired from being bumped. Some slight shelf wear on the front cover. Half-title is present. The text is clean with no markings other than the presentation inscription, and some tape residue on the dedication and table of contents pages. Small top corner piece of page 443 missing, no loss of text (see photo). Slight darkening to the spine and some wear to the gilt decoration on the front cover. Map in the rear pocket is clean and has no tears. 39 pages of the publisher's advertisements follow the text.Grant's account of his journey across Eastern Equatorial Africa with John Speke to Victoria Nyanza to find the source of the Nile. This was Speke's second attempt to find the source, and in 1859 he invited Grant to join him on the… Read More

WHYMPER, Edward. Travels amongst the Great Andes of the Equator.
London: John Murray, 1892. SIGNED PRESENTATION COPY. WITH: Supplementary Appendix. London: John Murray, 1891. WITH: How to Use the Aneroid Barometer. London: John Murray, 1891. Three volumes. Octavo, original full green cloth gilt, pamphlet in original printed wrappers, unopened.Second edition (issued in the same year as the first) of Whymper's richly illustrated account of mountain adventure in the Andes, by one of the 19-century's premier mountaineers With 20 full-page and 118 in-text wood engravings and four maps (three folding, one loose in a pocket at rear as issued). This copy inscribed by Whymper on the front free endpaper, "To Mrs. Bruce, with the compliments & thanks of the author, Edward Whymper. March, 1895." Accompanied by the first edition of his Supplementary Appendix, and the scarce first edition of his pamphlet on the aneroid barometer.
Interiors fine. Light rubbing to corners of cloth volumes, A fine inscribed set… Read More

Crawfurd, JohnJournal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Courts of Siam and Cochin China.
London 1830, second edition, 2 volumes, Colburn and Bentley. 475, 459 pages. 7 folding plates, 13 woodcuts/engravings, 3 engraved maps (2 are fold-outs), and fold-out glossary.
Very attractive 19th century Dark Maroon Morocco with elaborate gilt. All edges in gilt. Bindings are in very fine condition except for a slight corner bump on the upper right corner of vol. 2. Provenance: ownership signature of Reginald Crawfurd. Text is crisp, clean and without any markings save for some light spotting/offsetting on some of the plates and maps. The large folding map has one tear that has been expertly repaired. A folding plate of the Siamese alphabet and another folding plate of the Pali alphabet. This copy has the folding chart "Vocabularies" following the appendix in volume 2. A fine complete two volume set is scarce in this condition.Crawfurd was trained as a doctor in Edinburgh, and… Read More

A Treatise on Military Finance with an appendix.London 1797. Printed for T. Egerton. In 3 parts plus the appendix, and 4 pages of adverts for military subjects. In Part I, The Present State of the British Forces, includes the history from the period of Henry VII to the present day. Also extensive material on the rates of pay of all the forces for all occasions, and the equipment and clothing to be issued.Part II, Of the purchase and sale of commissions, Detailed information covering aspects of this topic.Part III, contains a report on all the details involved in establishing the army. Subjects covered are: Clothing the army, Widow's pensions, Of the stock purse or non-effective fund, etc.Appendix: extensive data on supplying the needs of the army for the year 1797. The condition of this attractive copy is about Fine. The binding is tight and shows no wear or markings, and the text is clean and bright save for slight browning of the first two endpapers. The book is complete including the… Read More

FOX, Charles JamesA history of the early part of the reign of James the Second, with an introductory chapter.London, Large 4to, First edition. Printed for William Miller. 1808. Pp. xl, 293, [ii], cli. Contemporary Tree Calf, with extensive gilding on the covers and the spine (photos). FINE copy, text block is clean, bright, tight, and without any markings or inscriptions. End papers are marbled with the book plate of John Clerk Brodie. This attractive copy is in exceptional condition.

The Gentleman Angler"Containing short, plain, and easy instructions, whereby the most ignorant beginner may in a short time, become a perfect artist in angling…With several observations on Angle Rods, and Artificial Flies; How to chuse the best hair and Indian Grass; Of the proper times and seasons for river and pond fishing…Together with an appendix, containing the method of rock and sea fishing…By a gentleman, who has made angling his diversion upwards of twenty-eight years." From the preface: "the most perfect and complete of any that has hitherto appeared in print". Topics include the angler's song, laws of angling, infallible bait, recipes for fish dishes, and a glossary of angling terms."The Second Edition, with large ADDITIONS.' London. Printed for A. Bettesworth and C. Hitch. 1736. 12mo, pages [2], vi, 200, [8]. Complete with an index and publishers' advertisements. 19th century half calf with marbled boards. Rebacked with gilt lettering.
Light foxing and browning, attractive binding… Read More

POSTAL ATLAS OF CHINAChina Postal Atlas showing the establishments and postal routes in each province.
Nanking, Directorate General Posts, 1933. Large folio (62 x 38 cm.). Third edition (2nd edition 1919). "The present issue has been corrected up to various dates in 1933. For the first time, the Postal atlas shows telegraph offices, air-mail lines and motor-vehicle routes" (from Preface). Original green cloth with title lettering in gilt on upper cover.
Three preliminary leaves in Chinese, the preface is in Chinese, English and French, and the double page title/map index is in Chinese and English.
30 chromolithographs: double page index map, 26 double page maps (6 with fold-outs), 4 single page maps. 6 page index in Chinese and 2 page index in English. Ex Library copy with usual markings. Minor light rubbing and scuffing to binding, faint speckle to top left corner of upper board (see photo). The text is very clean and bright and appears to have been little used if at all. The condition of the text… Read More

CHARLES BABBAGE
THE NINTH BRIDGEWATER TREATISE. A FRAGMENT
John Murray, London 1838. 2nd edition. pp vii, [1], xxii, [1], 24-270, [12 adverts]. The advertisements were published in February 1838. Original publisher's brown pebbled cloth with paper label on the spine. Re-backed with the original spine laid down. Paper label in poor condition with piece missing (see photo). Binding is good +, but lightly scuffed and has two corners bumped. Front end paper is Inscribed by Benjamin Herschel Babbage, (the author's son), to "Oscar Clayton from his sincere friend Benjamin Herschel Babbage July 1838". The text is bright and clean with no discoloration. Seven pages have a few comments by the reader in pencil, otherwise the text is unmarked. A very good family copy inscribed by Benjamin.

Osborn, Captain SherardJapanese Fragments, With Facsimiles of Illustrations by Artists of Yedo.
London, 1861 First Edition. Publisher Bradbury and Evans. Octavo. Pp. 139. Fine condition in modern full calf with extensive gilding to covers and spine. Complete with all 27 illustrations: Six full-page colored plates, Eleven full-page B&W woodblock plates, and Ten B&W woodblock prints within the text. The text is flawless, no inscriptions, spotting, or tears, and is clean, bright and tight. The bindings have no wear or damage and all of the edges are in bright gilt. This is a pristine copy in a very attractive Fine binding by Bayntun of Bath.

Samuel Howitt"The Angler's Manual; or, Concise Lessons of Experience, which the proficient in the delightful recreation of angling will not despise, and the learner will find the advantage of practising, containing useful instruction of every approved method of angling, and particularly on the management of the hand and rod in each method. Embellished with twelve plates, designed and etched by S. Howitt."
Liverpool, G. G. Harris for Samuel Bagster, 1808. Octavo, Pp. iv, 28: First edition, 12 engraved plates of various fish and plates depicting fishing scenes. Original printed boards with printed label on re-backed spine. Damp stains on boards and several plates (see photos). Text and plates are clean without spotting. A short tear expertely closed on one plate. An inscription gifting to " W. Wilcox from Mr. Woods April 16 1832". Corner pin holes on 4 of the plates. A good copy of a classic work on fishing with very attractive plates of fishing scenes.

Alken, HenrySporting Discoveries, or the Miseries of Driving, in a series of seven plates, Being Hints to Young Sportsmen, By Ben Tally-Ho.
London 1817. Published by S. and J. Fuller. One, and perhaps the rarest, of the "Sporting Discoveries" series. Worldcat locates only 1 copy at Yale University. Seven colored aquatint plates, in very good condition, and are still sewn together. The top paper wrap is detached and in poor condition…the bottom wrap is missing. Plates are housed in an attractive cloth clam-shell case.

Halma and van der AaNovissima et Accuratissima Romae Veteris et Novae Tabula Topographica Delineatore Ionne Baptista Falda.After the drawings and map by the architect Giovanni Battista Falda da Valdugga. Originally published in 1667. It contains an amazing amount of detail consisting of: the Coliseum, Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica, many streets, bridges, various piazzas, and several allegorical scenes including one of St. Peter. The 473 locations are described by the numerical keys on each side of the map. A very good copy, at one time folded over and stubbed into a large folio, and now expertly removed. A scarce map (WorldCat finds only one copy) published [1695] in Leiden.

Jack KerouacThe Dharma Bums. A very nice copy of this classic from the Beat Generation. Viking, New York 1958, pp. 244. First Edition with unclipped dust jacket. Text is clean, unmarked and tight. The original black cloth covers lettered in silver and green are unmarked, and the book is in FINE CONDITION. The dust jacket is in very good condition, with only slight scuffing and the inside of the front flap has a faint pink mark over the price, See photo.

Wilfred Thesiger in Africa. A Unique Collection of Essays & Personal Photographs. Signed by Alexander Maitland, Thesiger's Official Biographer and one of the contributors.First edition London: Harper Press and Pitt Rivers Museum. 2010. 4to. Original Khaki boards, spine lettered in gilt, mid-brown endpapers, Dust Jacket, pp [8], 280. Various color and monochrome illustrations taken by Thesiger.FINE condition. Published for the Thesiger Centenary Exhibition at the Pitt Rivers Museum, 2010.

Wallace, Alfred Russel
The Revolt of Democracy.
Cassell and Company, London 1913, 1st edition. With the Life Story of the Author By James Marchant. Pp [6], vii-xlv, 82. Publisher's red cloth with lettering in gilt. Includes the scarce DUST JACKET. Condition of the cloth boards are as new with the gilt being very bright. The DJ is Near Fine with having a nick at the top of the spine. The text block is tight, clean, with no signatures or other markings, except on the bottom edge there is a black line. This appears to be a remainder mark made with a felt tip pen. If this book was a remainder in 1913, which is doubtful, it wouldn't be marked with a modern felt tip pen. This copy would be FINE except for light spotting around the margins on many pages (see photo).
The first 65 pages is the Life Story of Wallace by Marchant. This is followed by Wallace's account of a needed "Revolt of Democracy" to address the wages/wealth imbalance in society. His opening paragraph sets the tone of his message and is as… Read More