Search Results: Titles starting with N from Henry Sotheran Ltd.

1936. London, Hodder & Stoughton, [1936.] 8vo. Original cloth, map endpapers; pp. xvi, 310; 27 plates after photographs, each with captioned tissue-guard, line drawings by Bip Pares; cloth a little bit marked and rubbed, edges a trifle spotted, a very good copy with bookplate on fly-leaf verso. First edition.Both Eric Shipton and H.W. Tilman were members of British expeditions to the Himalayas in the 1930's. During the Ruttledge-led Everest 1933 expedition, Shipton conceived a plan for a small-scale expedition that would not attack "lofty summits of the earth" but would, instead, "wander...through the labyrinth of unexplored valleys". In 1934, with Tilman and 3 Nepalese porters, Shipton pursued this plan by penetrating the Rishi Gorge in the Western Himalayas to reach the Nanda Devi 'Inner Sanctuary'. They thus became the first to reach the foot of Nanda Devi itself, "the greatest mountain in the British Empire" (Ruttledge in his Foreword to the book). Tilman… Read More

1828. London, John Murray, 1828. 4to. Contemporary brown calf, rebacked with new spine in the 20th-century and with new endpapers; pp. xlvii, 631; vi, [2], 515, 25 wood-engravings, 10 steel-engraved plates, with later hand-colouring; outline-coloured map at the end of volume one; binding a little worn in places, internally very clean and fresh. First Edition, rarely seen with colour plates. Reginald Heber (1783-1826) was appointed Bishop of Calcutta in 1823, and travelled widely through the subcontinent to minister to the far-flung protestant community: 'His most notable journey, of a length and difficulty unprecedented for a Church of England bishop, was the one which he undertook across northern India -- up the Gangetic plain, through the mountains of Kumaon and the deserts of Rajputana, and finally visiting Ceylon on his way back to Calcutta by sea. His journal was published as the Narrative of a journey [...] Its popularity was attested by the fact that five editions had been published by 1844,… Read More

London, Lionel Booth, 1854. 8vo. Near-contemporary Eton school prize binding of tan polished calf, spine with raised bands, ornamented in gilt, black morocco lettering-pice, boards with gilt double-fillets, marbled endpapers; pp. viii, 245, very large (70 x 70 cm) folding lithographic Finland map at rear; only light wear to extremities, lower cover with scratches, light offsetting from endpapers, map a little spotted and with two old repairs; a very good copy with Eton presentation inscription on verso of front fly-leaf, dated 1864. First published in Saint Petersburg in French (1827), this is the very rare first edition in English. The editor of the first edition wrote 'The following pages were given to me by the Author, a Russian officer of rank, since diceased. The work was never published, only 250 copies having been printed for distribition among the Author's friends' (title-verso). - We currently stock the 1827 French language edition, printed in Saint Petersburg.

1828. London, John Murray, 1828. Three volumes, 8vo. Near-contemporary brown half-calf over pebble-grained cloth, spined ornamented in gilt and each with two black morocco lettering-pieces, pp. lxvii, 450; vi, [2], 564; vi, [2], 525, [2], viii, 25 wood-engraved plates, only light wear to extremities, very faint spotting internally; an attractive copy of this edition, printed on good quality laid paper. Published in the year of the first edition. Reginald Heber (1783-1826) was appointed Bishop of Calcutta in 1823, and travelled widely through the subcontinent to minister to the far-flung protestant community: 'His most notable journey, of a length and difficulty unprecedented for a Church of England bishop, was the one which he undertook across northern India -- up the Gangetic plain, through the mountains of Kumaon and the deserts of Rajputana, and finally visiting Ceylon on his way back to Calcutta by sea. His journal was published as the Narrative of a journey [...] Its popularity was attested by… Read More

1902. Longmans, Green, and Co., 1902. Large 4to. Original half dark green cloth, over olive green cloth sides, titled in gilt on spine and upper cover, top edges gilt; xiv + pp. pp. 147, with 41 chromolithographed plates by Archibald Thorburn and Millais himself, and 24 other plates, including 6 detailed landscape photogravures; occasional faint spotting, mainly to endpapers, very good. Large paper copy, number 228 of 600 copies only. A celebrated work on British ducks with some marvellous examples of Thorburn and Millais's art. "A beautifully illustrated treatise." by "This celebrated animal artist" (Wood). Chute: "This covers 10 species of duck commonly found, and details their natural history; habits; plumage and shooting." Scarce. Nissen IVB 635; Zimmer p. 346; Anker 340; Wood p. 464; Chute 452.

71973. London, John van Voorst, 1839. 12mo. Contemporary half-calf over marbled boards, rebacked ; pp. [iii]-vi, 393, frontispiece and 2 plates, wood-engraved illustrations in the text; wear to corners, bound without half-title; internally remarkably clean and fresh. Very rare revised and enlarged second edition of 1839. 'From its first appearance Beale's book has been recognised as an essential reference for studies of whales and whaling. It provides for the sperm whale and the British Southern whale fishery, a handbook similar to that supplied for the Greenland Right whale and the Northern whale fishery by William Scoresby junr in his An Account of the Arctic Regions [...] Beale was one of the first observers, if not the first, to provide an accurate description of the sperm whale's appearance, habits, and general biology' (p. v in the 1973 reprint). The work is also notable for providing one of the primary sources used by Melville in the composition of the whaling scenes in Moby Dick. Chavanne… Read More

1912. Privately printed by the author, [1912]. 8vo. Original green cloth, title stamped in gilt to upper cover and spine; pp.144; a little exterior rubbing and light offsetting to endpapers, but nevertheless a very good copy, very bright and unfoxed internally. First Edition. Many of the flies seem very unconventional compared to those used by Halford and Skues, and include such unusual species as crane-flies and spiders.

1810. Edinburgh: Printed for Bell & Bradfute, and W. Laing. 1810. 8vo. 2 vols. 19th century half vellum, marbled boards, spine with double gilt rules, gilt centre tools and two gilt black morocco labels; pp. xii + 562, 598 + [2], 2 engraved plates; a little light browning, a very good set. Second edition, first published in 1789. "William's observations, though chiefly on the geology of Scotland, range widely, and there is so much that is sound in the generalisation and principles that he derives from them that the work might perhaps be said to constitute the first textbook of geology" (Challinor, p. 70).

1891. John C. Nimmo. 1891. Royal 8vo. Original dark green cloth, gilt vignette of grass to front, gilt lettering to spine; pp. viii + 246, 74 colour printed plates ; a little bumping to extremities, foxing to prelims, very good. Third edition. A handsome and comprehensive guide to the varied grasses of the British Isles.

1744. For J. and P. Knapton, and P. Vailant, 1744. 8vo. Later full brown leather, spine with raised bands and red gilt morocco lettering pieces; pp. [xvi] + 452 (+ 16pp. index), and 12 folding engraved plates at rear; occasional marginal annotation, occasional very light spotting, very good. First edition in English. Preface: "The care and culture of Bees have always been one of the most agreeable and useful employments of a country life. The antients cultivated these animals with care, from a prospect of honey, which was among them as much in use as sugar among us. But since it has been thought proper to substitute sugar in the room of honey, the latter has fallen into considerable discredit: but then, in return, wax has become the subject of a very considerable commerce ... " The book takes the form of a dialogue, between "Clarissa", who needs to know more about every aspect of bees and bee-keeping, and "Eugenio", the author in disguise. B.B.B. - "There is no… Read More

1848. St Petersburg: The Imperial Academy of Science, 1848. 8vo. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards, spine decorated and lettered in blind, blue-sprinkled edges; pp. [6 (series-title, title and dedication, versos blank)], xv, [1 (blank)], 379, [1 (blank)]; lithographic portrait frontispiece by H. Schmid after E. Hau, printed by K. Pohl, 3 lithographic plates after W. Pape et al., one double-page lithographic plan of Khiva, and one hand-coloured lithographic folding map; extremities a little rubbed and bumped, lightly browned, one plate trimmed touching caption, folding map lightly browned and with short, skilfully-repaired tears, internally a very good copy; provenance: August Nöschel (1809-1877, physicist, presentation inscription from the author on front free endpaper); annotations [?by Nöschel] on upper pastedown (ink) and text (pencil); Olga Ahnger (inkstamp on front free endpaper). First edition, published as volume XV of the Beiträge zur Kenntnis des Russischen Reiches und der… Read More

1828. London, Whitmore & Fenn, 1828. Four volumes, royal 8vo. Contemporary half-calf over marbled boards; raised bands to spines; spines lettered and ornamented in gilt, and ornamented in blind; marbled edges and endpapers; with 2 engraved portraits, 11 plates, plans, and charts (several folding) ), as well as a loosely inserted manuscript plan in vol. II (in the author's hand?); rubbing to extremities and boards; some tissue guards missing; light spotting here and there; even toning to paper-stock; a good set of the family copy. First edition of this work on the outstanding leaders of the Royal Navy, with a strong focus on the the American and Napoleonic Wars. 'In 1828 Ralfe issued a pamphlet vindicating Sir Edward Codrington's conduct at Navarino. The data in the Naval Biography seems to have been mostly contributed to by the subjects, and may be accepted as largely correct as to the facts. The work was reportedly financially unsuccessful, and in 1829, an attempt was made by some senior naval… Read More

London, Whitmore and Fenn, 1820. Three volumes. Royal 8vo. Contemporay half calf over marbled boards; raised bands to spines; spines lettered and ornamented in gilt, and ornamented in blind; marbled edges; marbled endpapers; pp. x, 288; [ii], 284; [ii], 318, [2]; complete with 60 hand-coloured aquatint plates with captions printed in blue, as well as an extra suite of the same plates in black and white; some plates accompanied by additional early stages of the copperplates in outline; rubbing to extremities of boards and hinges of spines, as well as slight rubbing to covers; innner hinges expertly repaired; one additional black and white plate in vol. III not bound in; light spotting here and there, a few plates with oxidization; even toning to paper-stock; a good copy with fine provenance. First edition, the Ralfe family copy. A full suite of coloured aquatint plates, with captions in blue, alongside an accompanying suite of the same plates in black and white, missing plate 38 rations before… Read More

Washington, Governement Printing Office, 1875. 8vo. Original green cloth, lettered in gilt; pp. ix, [3], 360; very light wear to edges, internally apart from very light browning or spotting a very good copy. First edition in English. Apart from iceberg tables, trade winds, cyclones of the Pacific, Australian currents, the prinicipal trade routes across the ocean, Australasian islands, the world's busiest sea, the South China Sea features heavily in this rare book, as well as the Straits of Malacca. - A rare pilot guide, essential for the navigation of the busiest shipping lanes of the world.

New York, Scribner, 1883. 8vo. Three volumes. Original blue cloth, lettered in gilt, illustrated in blind; pp. viii, [2], 257, [4, advertisements]; x, [2], 273, [2] advertisements]; vii, [2], 267, [4, advertisements], numerous maps in the text and as folding plates; apart from light even toning, a fine set. Rare first edition of the complete set of volumes analyzing the naval events of the American Civil War, based on offcial and unofficial sources, including eye-witness records.

1907. London, Hutchinson & Co., 1907. Royal 8vo. Original black buckram, image of sledge-team in gilt to upper cover, lettered in gilt; pp. xx, 412; colour frontispiece with captioned tissue guard, 98 photographic plates from the author's originals, 2 folding maps; very light wear to extremities; a little even toning to endpapers, otherwise a fine, fresh copy with slightly later Edinburgh YMCA bookplate. First UK edition. Peary's 1905-6 attempt on the North Pole by way of Smith Sound was sponsored by the Peary Arctic Club, of which Peary offers an account in the present book. Adverse weather conditions thwarted the attempt, but Peary was able to explore the northern coast of Ellesmere Island. Arctic Bibliography 13226.

London, Allen & Unwin, [1940]. 8vo. Original cloth and original illustrated dust-wrappers (not price-clipped); pp. xvii, 168, [6 advertisements]; apart from light marking to wrappers ad toning to endpapers, a very good copy. First UK edition, one year after the first (US) edition.

2014. [The Club]. 2014. 8vo., original full morocco, pp. 142 pages with 41 colour illustrations. First edition. Limited edition of 250 copies. The Club was a London dining club founded in February 1764 by the artist Joshua Reynolds and essayist Samuel Johnson. This one of 25 copies bound in full morocco, signed by the three authors. The first history of the Club Annals of the Club, 1764-1914 was published in 1914.

Rome, Monaldini, English Reading Rooms, Piazza di Spagna, 1845. 8vo. Contemporary Italian full vellum (probably commissioned by the publisher), spine ornamented in gilt and two contrasting lettering-pieces; pp. xxxvi, 532, wood-engraved vignette to title, 28 fine wood-engraved plates, large engraved folding city map at rear, vellum a little spotted and toned in places, title-page with upper margin replaced with an old strip of matching paper, occasional light spotting, mainly marginal, to plates, a very attractive copy. First edition. Edited by Luigi Piale, this English language guide book (printed first, the year before, this being the second unaltered printing) is divided into eight days of sight-seeing for the serious tourist interested in antiquities and architecture. Antonio Nibby was the authority of Rome in the first half of the 19th century and an eminent early archaeologist, who worked together with William Gell and excavated both the Cloaca Maxima and the area of the Forum Romanum.

1904. London, Longmans, Green, and Co., 1904. Two volumes, 8vo. Original blue cloth, image of huskies on the ice next to the Fram blocked in silver to upper covers, lettered in silver; pp. xvi, 496; xii, 504; numerous illustrations from photographs, 3 folding maps including 2 in pocket at rear of volume II; light offsetting from browning to endpapers; otherwise a superb copy. First English edition, translated from the original Norwegian. The second Fram expedition under Sverdrup as leader lasted from 1898-1902. Thwarted in his attempt to advance on the North Pole through Smith Sound, Sverdrup wintered initially in the area West of Ellesmere Island. Over the next three years, the expedition sent out sledging parties, which were successful in exploring the area - their main achievement was the discovery of the Sverdrup Islands. 'More new land (some 260,000 square km) was charted by Sverdrup than during any other polar expedition in history' (Otto Sverdrup Centennial Expedition website). Arctic… Read More