Books

Zeppelin-Weltfahrten Picture Card Book

A fascinating piece of German aeronautical history ephemera. rom the first airship in 1899 to the trips of the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin. 264 black and white images.

The fascination of the zeppelins, the silvery shimmering, sedate floating kings of the sky, has remained unbroken to this day. In the heyday of the Zeppelin era, during the 20s and 30s, the zeppelins opened up almost every continent on earth for well-heeled travelers. This is impressively demonstrated by this book published in 1932, into which extremely interesting photos on the subject of the Zeppelin could be glued.
The book which provides information about the technology and development of the zeppelins ... A picture album made with collectable photographs sold in the 1930's. 24cm x 34cm I card lacking.  read more

Code: 16729

Rare 1st Edition 'Reveries or Memoirs Upon The Art of War', Printed in 1757

An important classic. First Edition in English. (8-1/4 x 10-1/2 inches) leather bound of 195 pages, and a page of advertisements for other books by the publisher. 40 copper plates, some fold out, on 34 pages. First edition in English of a classic 18th century military work by Saxe (1696-1750) the renowned soldier. The book is divided into 2 parts, the first examining the raising, feeding, clothing, exercising, paying, encamping, and moving of an army, and the 2nd covering the strategic aspects of combat, including attack and defence in various terrains. A nice rare copy with former owner's and name plate, Thomas Best of Park House, Boxley, Kent. Added some original Letters, upon various Military Subjects, wrote by the Count to the late King of Poland, and M. de Folard, which were never before made public: Together with His Reflections upon the Propagation of the Human Species. Translated from the French. This is the first edition in English of a classic military work by one of the world's most famous soldiers. At the age of twelve, Dresden-born Maurice de Saxe (1696?1750) entered the Saxon army, beginning a long and successful military career that culminated in his promotion to Marshal of France, where he retained full command of the main army in Flanders directly under Louis XV. Again and again, de Saxe achieved enormous victories over his enemies, becoming one of the greatest military leaders of the eighteenth century. Combining his memoirs and general observations with brilliant military thinking, Reveries on the Art of War was written in a mere thirteen days. Introducing revolutionary approaches to battles and campaigning at a time of changing military tactics and leadership styles, it stands as a classic of early modern military theory.
De Saxe's Reveries offered numerous procedural innovations for raising and training troops. His descriptions for establishing field camps were soon standard procedure. His ideas advanced weapon technology, including the invention of a gun specially designed for infantrymen and the acceptance of breech-loading muskets and cannons. De Saxe heightened existing battle formations by introducing a specific attack column that required less training, and he rediscovered a military practice lost since the ancient Romans ? the art of marching in cadence. He even delved into the minds and emotions of soldiers on the battlefield, obtaining a deeper understanding of their daily motivations.
Written by a military officer of great acumen, Reveries on the Art of War has deeply impacted modern military tactics. Enduringly relevant, this landmark work belongs in the library of anyone interested in the history, tactics, and weapons of European warfare. We show a wax miniature of the books owner, Thomas Best, in full military uniform. The miniature is held as part of the Victoria and Albert Museum Collection.  read more

Code: 21247

A Very Interesting & Beautiful French Leather Book on the Royal Marines And French Marines 1815 to I863 Les Marines de la France et de L'Angleterre 1815-1863 by Raymond, M. Xavier

From the Royal Artillery Regimental Library, then transferred to the Royal Artillery Mess in Shoeburyness

An absolute gem of reference work volume comparing two branches of the marines of both nations. Printed by Librairie De L. Hachette Et. Cie, in Paris, in French.

Former Regimental Library and Mess books of military reference and interest are very collectable indeed.

Tri-colour leather with gilt tooled lettering to the spine and gilt stamped compartments, marble and leather sides . A few scuffs to the leather spine, cloth boards lightly rubbed. Marbled endpapers, with a regimental bookplate of the Royal Artillery to the inside cover

7inches x 5 inches  read more

Code: 24426

Thousands of Historical Books Available, With Up to 50 New Additions Every Day.

Some years ago The Lanes Armoury bookshop dept. made a special appearance, with a most kind and complimentary reference, in “The Sunday Times Culture Magazine’, within its bookshop section, in March 2006, and we continue to trade in our specialist books as much now as we did then, despite the demise of many of Britain’s fine bookshops. Mark’s interest in historical books was partly honed by his good school friend, with whom he shared a study at college in the 1960’s just into the early 70’s, Robert Foyle, of, probably, the world’s most famous bookshop family, Foyles of London. We cannot begin to emulate Foyles, but we do have many thousands of books, and as books are our largest single selling line we have just too many pass through our hands to even begin to list them all in stock, but we do try to list all our 1st Editions if possible. Please email us if you seek a particular item you don't see available. We are, as usual, actively seeking rare old books with a historical interest, we had an urgent request for a very rare and valuable [50k+ gbp] numbered & signed subscribers edition "The 7 Pillars of Wisdom", by T.E. Lawrence, and we found a superb one in April, after a 10 year search. and it was sold within hours.

The price shown below is an illustration of the average price of one of our modern, hardback historical books, of course our antique leather bound books can vary in price enormously from £50 to £5,000, depending on age, but more importantly, on rarity  read more

Code: 23677

A Fabulous Set of The Rifle Brigade Chronicle, Yearbooks Still Over 100 Available. Priced Per Volume!

A unique set of original regimental year books published during the past 120 years for and on behalf of the officers and men of the rifle Brigade. Over 100 copies [out of around 500 we had] still remaining, bound in regimental green cloth, up to 1967, and containing unique and hard to find information on the Rifle Brigade from the past century. One has a very special reference being supplied by Buckingham Palace [sold seperately]

For example;

The Rifle Brigade Chronicle for 1916 (Twenty-Seventh Year) compiled and edited by Colonel Willoughby Verner (London...
Title: The Rifle Brigade Chronicle for [various years]
Author: Colonel Willoughby Verner
Edition: 1st edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: John Bale, Sons & Danielsson
Date published: various
====
THE RIFLE BRIGADE CHRONICLE FOR 1938 (FORTY-NINTH YEAR). Hardcover – 1 Jan. 1939
by Major H. G. (edit). Parkyn (Author)
=====
THE RIFLE BRIGADE CHRONICLE
Published by The Rifle Brigade Club and Association, Peninsula Barracks., Winchester (1965)

Buyers may email first direct to enquire for their preferred year, although we have duplicates of years some years are lacking. Some years contain the only known surviving records of the names of the men that served in the regiment. We had originally over 400, all the years of editions published, and 5 original copies per year.  read more

Code: 23385

Two Original Medieval Pages From Sir John Froissart's Chronicles Of France Printed in 1495, of the 14th Century, From The Printing Personally Ordered By King Henry VIIth Of England.

Two original loose pages from the original medieval 1495 printed book, mounted and bound in folio form, within cloth hard back binding with gold titles, 13 x 9 inches. Original medieval pages taken from the book printed in Paris in 1495 by Verrard. This particular printing [that these pages came from] was personally ordered in book form by King Henry VIIth of England from Anthoine Verard in Paris, and his copy now resides in the British Museum. Froissart's Chronicles were initially in manuscript form with fine illustration but were first transformed in to book form in Paris in 1495. Full and complete copies of this book, published by Anthoine Verard in 1495, and as was ordered by King Henry, can now achieve six figure sums. Froissart might be called the great interviewer of the Middle Ages. The newspaper correspondent of modern times has scarcely surpassed this medieval collector of intelligence. He traveled extensively in the various countries of Europe; he conversed with gentlemen of rank everywhere; and he had the remarkable knack of persuading those about him to divulge all he wanted to know. He learned the details of battles from both sides and from every point of view. He delighted in the minutest affairs of every cavalry skirmish, of the capture of every castle, and of every brave action and gallant deed. He lived from 1337 to about 1410, and wrote chiefly of contemporaneous events. The Chronicles are universally considered as the most vivid and faithful picture we have of events in the 14th century. As a picture of the most favorable side of chivalry, the work has no equal (Adams, Manual of Historical Literature, 334-35). There has never been any difference of opinion on the distinctive merits of this great work. It presents a vivid and faithful drawing of the things done in the 14th-century. No more graphic account exists of any age. No historian has drawn so many and such faithful portraits? (Britannica). The Chronicles were originally circulated in manuscript form, with the first printed version appearing around 1498 in Paris. Froissart was one of the greatest of the medieval European writers. In his own century, -the fourteenth it is not easy to see anyone who can be put beside him as a prose-writer. But the literary language of the day was still predominantly verse, and prose was still regarded as something of a utility medium. Because
of this and because Froissart is known principally for his descriptions of warfare - the greatest and most famous chronicle of French and English medieval history. Jean Froissart (1338-C.1410) is the supreme annalist of medieval chivalry, historian, poet, traveller, friend of Chaucer, and by far the most entertaining source for our knowledge of the Hundred Years’ War. It is as much a profane romance as a history book. It is filled with delightful stories and adventures reported first-hand.
Froissart was born in Valenciennes. At the age of 18 he came to England where he entered the service of Queen Philippa of Hainaut, acting as her secretary and private diplomat. In 1366 he set off again on his long travels, settling for a time in the Duchy of Brabant. Much of his great chronicle was probably written in his home town of Valenciennes, and he continued it over his life to the events after the murder of Richard II in 1399.
Froissart began writing Book I sometime after 1370, possibly at the request of Robert de Namur, to whom the earliest version was dedicated. It covers the period from 1322 to 1377, including the accession of Edward III, his campaign in Scotland and his marriage to Philippa of Hainault, the battle of Sluys, the Siege of Tournai, the Breton war of succession, the Battle of Crécy, the Siege of Calais, the battle of Neville’s Cross, the battle of Winchelsea, the battle of Poitiers, Etienne Marcel’s merchant revolt in Paris, the Black Prince’s campaigns in the south of France, the peace of Brétigny, the death of king John II of France, the battle of Cocherel, the battle of Auray, the Castilian Civil War, the battle of Chizé, the deaths of the Black Prince and Edward III and the accession of Richard III. We show in the gallery three hand coloured illustrations that have been used to illustrate the various versions of his works in manuscripts or books. One shows the execution of Hugh the Younger Despenser.  read more

Code: 20579

All Now Sold +++Individual Illuminated Psalter Leaves, 12th to 13th Century

19 remaining Vellum leaves from a Psalter from the reign of King Philip Augustus (1179-1223), with burnished gold initials, from Northern France. Each leaf will be around £2,400 gbp. Twenty plus lines of the finest Gothic angular script on the recto and verso, decorated with initials adorned in gold leaf and pen work ornamentation
in red and blue tempera. Margins filled with floral scrolls, characters and stylized heads or grotesque. This was a way for the scribes of this period to add little individual touches to their work.
A part of the Psalm 73 to Psalm 76, then 79 to 84. Psalm 73 of the Book of Psalms is one of the "Psalms of Asaph"; it has been categorized as one of the Wisdom Psalms".
Probably produced in North-Eastern France, perhaps in the region around Soissons, Noyons, and Lyon, or at least certainly influenced by court productions of this area and manuscripts produced in Ile-de-France, especially those of Abbey St. Victor.
Although the original patron cannot be identified, the lavish use of gold leaf and high quality lead us to suspect that the work was possibly produced for a member of the court.
24 cm height x 16.75 cm width Sample example but generic photos. Email for further enquiries, we had 19 psalter pages remaining from the collection of 29 but all now sold.  read more

Code: 21616

A Super Collection of 300 20th Century Books of Military Interest Arrived This Week!!

Acquired from a former military officer and collector of historical reading matter. Please email us details of any out of print military based book, historical, reference et cetera et cetera, printed in the last century, that you have been looking for, and we may have it within the collection. We have been promised another 500 volumes, including over 30 various books signed personally by Winston Churchill, that he still retains, hopefully they should arrive with us after lockdown sometime in the New Year.

Every Customer Should Expect & Will Receive Our World Renown 5* Star Service, Day In, Day Out, 365 Days of the Year

We have received the greatest honour of being described by almost every visitor to our store in Brighton, as possibly, the very best and most remarkable specialist shop in the country, if not the world. Our standards of personal service, honed through the generations for over 100 years, we hope, are second to none, and every possible effort is made to create the best possible atmosphere and assistance, for every single customer, be it for a single item, or hundreds, in person, or via our website.
No stone is left unturned in order to ensure every single customer’s buying or selling experience is a pleasure and a joy. Thankfully, dozens of you confirm this to us every single day, these days electronically, and for that we cannot thank you enough. Stay Healthy, Stay Safe.  read more

Code: 23458

The Gun Report Volume III No 5 October 1957, Plus 200 Others All £15 Each

We have just acquired over two hundred archived copies of the Gun Report From the 1950's to 1980. All at £15 each or 10 for £100. They are simply wonderful reading, and fabulous reference works, with advertisements and reports that likely will never be seen again. A little bit of history with lots of information, photos and enjoyment, nicely bound. Contact for details on the other 200 issues we have. All sold for £15 each.
Aledo IL World-Wide Gun Report 1957 Soft cover. Very Good Example Magazine. Very good condition, light cover wear. Boutet Gun Designer by F Theodore Dexter, Specialization by Robert A Erlandson, Captain David L Payne by Chester C Heizer, Powder Horns by Chester Williams, Old Time Bullet Seaters by Richard H Chamberlain, 60070-60072, From Rodent Rifle to "Gangster's Gat" by James A Leftwich, Who's Who in the Gun World (Featuring John Roten, Wharton, TX) by Annie Lee Williams, A Restored Flintlock Pistol by Ronald Lister, The Story of the Alamo Part I by Paul C Janke. 48 pages. 11 1/2" X 8 1/2" format  read more

Code: 23062

History of the Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles

Published in 1921 principally the detailed history of the regiment, the men who served and who died in the Great War. The original Westminster City Reference Library copy [offically withdrawn]. A superbly detailed work of one of the famous volunteer regiments of WW1.  read more

Code: 20053