Search Results: Titles starting with V from Capricorn Books

London: Arms and Armour Press, 1985. 72 pp, large 8vo (9 5/8" H). Profusely illustrated with b&w and color photographs. "Valiant, Victor, Vulcan - names which conjure up visions of strange and graceful white shapes wheeling in the skies over Farnborough or thundering in groups of four from airfields in the east of England. They are listed here in alphabetical order, for, like the nation which ordered, built and operated them, I cannot decide quite which of them was the best. What is clear, with the hindsight bestowed after nearly thirty years of consistent service in the Royal Air Force, is that all three v-bombers were truly multi-role aircraft, capable of adaptation either in initial design or by subsequent reworking." Interior - clean and tight with no previous ownership marks. Exterior - light edgewear, sticker pull at top of front cover causing surface paper loss.. Soft Cover. Very Good-.

London: Warner, 1996. 225 pp, small 8vo (7 3/4" H). "Eric Davidson's second chapter in the age of Schweik - the era when the ordinary squaddie could, through a bit of earthy judgement and a lot of divine luck, bungle his way through World War II - safe in the knowledge that the enemy would have it own ration of Schweiks, similar common men like himself caught up in forces beyond their making or control. Men for whom war 'like life, was all make-do and mend, try all and error'. 'V for Schweik' celebrates the role of these Schweik-successors in a splendid new selection of tales. Covering the period from D-Day to VE Day, involving the valorous activities of men like Magna Carter, Heavy Wates and Huckleberry Flynn, these ten stories salute the spirit of the legendary Good Soldier with great energy and humour; tales often taller than tall, but always honouring the essential Schweikness of their heroes." Interior - tiny pen correction to typo in foreward, otherwise clean… Read More

London: William Kimber, 1981. 203 pp, large 8vo (9 1/2" H). B&w photographs, maps, drawings. "Only five minutes from launch to impact: not even enough time to give an air raid alert. They could not be tracked: they travelled too high and too fast to be shot down. These were the rocket 'Vengeance Weapons', launched in addition to the flying bombs in retaliation for British and American bombing raids on German cities. Damage inflicted upon London was considerable: 198 were killed by a flying bomb in the Aldwych, hundreds died at New Cross, and over one hundred civilians lost their lives in Smithfield Market. (The author) examines the effects of the V-1 flying bombs and V-2 rockets on a capital still showing the scars of the 1940-41 blitz. On 6th June 1944, only a few hours after the D-Day landings, orders were passed down from German High Command to prepare the 'Vengeance Weapons' for an immediate assault on Britain." Previous owner's name in ink on free… Read More

Gallimard, 1983. 136 pp, 8vo (8 7/8" H). Interior - previous owner's chop (stamp) on first page with slight ink offset on inside of front cover, otherwise clean and tight with no other ownership marks. Exterior - minor browning.. Soft Cover. Very Good+.

Toronto: Dominion Bureau of Circulation, 1929. 66 pp, small 8vo (7 1/2" H) - pale orange boards with red spine, black and red lettering/decoration on front board. Exotic 'reptile skin' patterned endpapers in shades of brown, green, peach and gold. Profusely illustrated with b&w comic illustrations. When travelling salesman Zep Hawker pulls into Mud Creek with his "cure-alls", we meet villagers like Kiss-Proof Kelly, Eppy Demmick, Bacteria Bates, Hippo Potts and Daley Tipple - and he gets run out of town on a rail! Title page has become detached from the staples but is still firmly held to the binding (manufacturing flaw), light liquid mark at bottom of page 53 - tiny mark on pages 54 & adjacent picture page, light to moderate edgewear, a few light scuffs and small area of soiling on rear cover, minor general soiling, very light browning to edges of textblock, very small light stain at front cover fore-edge, book now protected in stiff mylar sleeve.. Hard Cover. Very… Read More

New York: Henry Holt, 1995. Unpaginated (approx. 30 pp), square (10 1/4" H x 10 1/4" D). Profusely illustrated in vibrant colour. "While pecking through the dirt to find the grain that keeps him and the kindly old woman with whom he lives alive, the Valiant Red Rooster finds a diamond button. His troubles are over! They will never be hungry again. But a greedy sultan wants the diamond for himself and commands his soldiers to take it. How the rooster gets his button back is the substance of this story in which right and justice prevail over power and greed. Marvelous occurrences, funny details, and surprising twists of events will keep young readers eagerly turning the pages right until the final, hilarious end." Very light wrinkling at top/bottom of hinges. Dust jacket has light wrinkling at top/bottom of spine and flap-folds, small area of color loss in printing process on rear panel, a few minor rub lines on front panel.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good+/Very Good.… Read More

Port Melbourne: Lothian, 2000. 47 pp, 11 1/4" H - glazed pictorial boards. Profusely illustrated in colour throughout. Juvenile fiction. "Q: What do you do when you discover the fossil of a pterodactly that's over a hundred million years old? A: Contact a palaeontologist. Q: But what do you do when the site where you found the fossil is about to be strip-mined for coal? A: Fight long and hard to save the heritage of the past. 'Valley of Bones' is the story of such a fight, from Tara and Lachlan's discovery of the fossil (in the Australian outback) to the final bizarre and unforeseen outcome." Small bump to bottom corner of front board.. Hard Cover. Very Good+/No Jacket. Illus. by Mark Wilson..

Toronto: Harper Collins, 1991. 171 pp, small 4to (10 1/4" H). B&w photographs. Based on the television series by Brian and Terence McKenna. "On three separate occasions, in three separate corners of the world (Hong Kong, Europe and Normandy), tens of thousands of young Canadian soldiers and airmen were introduced, like lambs to the slaughter, to the glory of war for God and country. This is an account told through personal narratives, of these events." Gift inscription on half-title page. Dust jacket has light wrinkling at parts of top edge.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good+/Very Good.

Toronto: James Lorimer, 2008. 143 pp, 8 1/2" H. B&w map, photographs. "A defining moment in Canadian military history. A much-needed Allied victory. A show of valour and heroism. The battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917 saw Canadian troops storm a strategic 14-kilometre long escarpment that was believed to be impregnable. This was the first time in the nation's history that a corps-sized formation fought together as a unit under its own meticulous planning. Canadian troops persevered under heavy fire to take the ridge, demonstrating incredible discipline and bravery. The battle became a symbol of sacrifice for the young nation and a turning point in its role in the global theatre of war." Contents: Prologue; Introduction: The War to End all Wars; Innocence Lost; Trench Warfare; Easter Mourning; A Ridge Too Far; The 1st Division; The 2nd Division; The 3rd Division; The 4th Division; A Bitter Victory; Vimy's Heroes; Epilogue: The Vimy Memorial; Appendix: Letters from a… Read More

London: Philip Allan, 1930. 308 pp, 9 1/8" H. Pale lilac/gray cloth with dark blue lettering/banding on spine. B&w reproductions, charts - all present, including large folded map in pocket at rear. Contents: Preface; Early Days; With Cook to Hawaii; With Rodney and Gardner; The Nootka Affair; Start of the Great Voyages; Otahiti; The Fabled Coast; Quadra and Vancouver; The Spanish Settlements; The Lawgiver; Northward Again; The Southern Track; King George Men; Alaska; Homeward Bound; Work and Worry; The Last Year; Appendix; Bibliography; Index. Tiny scuffs to fore-edge of pages 277 to 298, rear map has one tiny tear archivally taped and one or two wrinkles, very light browning to edges of text block, a few tiny foxing marks and faint small stains on boards, light fading to spine color.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/No Jacket.

Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1982. 192 pp, 9 1/4" H. B&w illustrations, tables, maps. "(F)ocuses on the political and administrative history of a highly visible, controversial provincial institution. The book deals with two main themes: the fair's evolution from a small urban exhibit to one of the largest of its type in North America, and the often stormy relationship between the fair directors, residents of the Lower Mainland, city councillors, and members of the provincial government." Contents: Fairs and Exhibitions: An Historical Background; Origins of the Vancouver Exhibition Association, 1907-1910; First Years, 1910-1914; The War Years, 1914-1918; Controversy, Defiance, and Expansion, 1918-1930; Prosperity in Times of Trouble, 1930-1939; The V.E.A. and World War II, 1939-1946; The Pacific National Exhibition: The "New" Fair and the British Empire Games, 1946-1954; Fall from Favour, 1954-1960; Politics of Change, 1960-1973; Vancouver's… Read More

Halifax : Fernwood, 2011. 190 pp, 9" H. B&w photographs. "Traditional schoolhouses and neighbourhood schools are disappearing at an alarming rate, making way for huge schools that serve multiple communities and adhere to the logic of modernization, centralization, and uniformity. In (this book, the author) explores the phenomenon of school closures, focusing on the little known and contentious history of public schooling in Maritime Canada from 1850 to the present. In a lively and stimulating narrative, (he) examines the rise of common schooling from one-room schoolhouses that encouraged local democratic control through to 'super sized' schools governed by a vast bureaucracy that silences public participation. Local 'save our schools' movements do arise in cities, towns, and villages throughout the Maritimes but rarely succeed in slowing the unrelenting march of 'progress'. Bennett contends that, in both urban and rural Maritime Canada, closing schools rips out a… Read More

London: Collins Clear-Type Press 381 pp + 384 pp, 16mo (6 1/8" H) - 2 volumes bound in 1. Thin burgundy leather over card covers/spine - gold lettering and decoration on spine, top edge gilt. Burgundy endpapers, b&w frontispiece. **No dustjacket or slipcase.** A tale of wealth & poverty, love & deception, the upper classes & social climbers, set at the time of the Battle of Waterloo - this book brought the unforgettable Becky Sharp to the world of literature. Light wrinkling at top of half-title page, light edge wear - moderate at corners, two tiny light stains on fore-edge of text block, faint crease down spine.. Full-Leather. Very Good-.

London: John Murray, 1882. xvi, 300 pp, small 8vo (7 3/8" H), leather spine with 5 raised bands, black leather title label, gilt lettering & decoration, leather corners, marbled-paper covered boards, marbling to all edges of text block. Marbled endpapers. List of other titles by Darwin on verso of title page. 38 b&w illustrations in text. "(This book was Darwin's) first detailed demonstration of the power of natural selection, and explained how complex ecological relationships resulted in the coevolution of orchids and insects. The view has been expressed that the book led directly or indirectly to all modern work on coevolution and the evolution of extreme specialisation." A few scattered tiny foxing marks on verso of free endpapers and on adjacent pages, gilt lettering and some decorarion on the spine has faded (not on spine label), small piece missing from corner of spine label (letters F & E missing), darkening to top of text block, light to moderate edge wear to… Read More

Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1995. 199 pp, 9 1/4" H. B&w illustrations. "Towards the end of World War II Germany unleashed its weapons of vengeance on the British population - the V-1 flying bomb (a pilotless aircraft) and the V-2 rocket (the precursor of the ballistic missile). (The author) recounts his own experience of being under attack and pays tribute to the brave civilians in southern England." Bookplate and a few small faint marks on front free endpaper. Dust jacket has soft wrinkling along top edge, minor edgewear.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good.

Stroud, Gloucestershire: Budding Books, 1997. 230 pp, large 8vo (9 3/4" H). Over 150 b&w photographs, maps, reproductions, drawings. "During the opening four months of the war no fewer than forty-six soldiers from the British and Commonwealth armies were awarded the highest award for gallantry, the Victoria Cross. In a series of fascinating biographical portraits Gerald Gliddon here examines the dramatic events surrounding each individual action that led to the award of this most coveted of medals, as well as exploring the widely differing social backgrounds of the recipients - ranging from the back streets of Oldham to the suburbs of the Home Counties - and recounting the postwar experiences of those who survived. (A)rranged chronologically in order to provide a fresh perspective on the opening stages of the First World War." . Reprint. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Near Fine.

Stroud, Gloucestershire: Budding Books, 1997. 230 pp, large 8vo (9 3/4" H). Over 150 b&w photographs, maps, reproductions, drawings. "During the opening four months of the war no fewer than forty-six soldiers from the British and Commonwealth armies were awarded the highest award for gallantry, the Victoria Cross. In a series of fascinating biographical portraits Gerald Gliddon here examines the dramatic events surrounding each individual action that led to the award of this most coveted of medals, as well as exploring the widely differing social backgrounds of the recipients - ranging from the back streets of Oldham to the suburbs of the Home Counties - and recounting the postwar experiences of those who survived. (A)rranged chronologically in order to provide a fresh perspective on the opening stages of the First World War." A group of five small, circular shallow dents on front board; very light wrinkling at top/bottom of spine. Dust jacket has a group of five small,… Read More

N.P.: Wrens Park, 1999. 204 pp, 9 7/8" H. B&w photographs, reproductions, drawings. "Of more than 600 Victoria Crosses awarded to British and Empire servicemen during the First World War, nineteen were awarded to airmen of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Of these, four were posthumous awards and all but one of the total were for officers. Some of these valorous airmen were from humble backgrounds and with limited education, others were collegiate men from wealthy families, but in the words of one senior officer they all had in common 'the guts of a lion'. (This book) provides fascinating insights into the lives of these bravest of the brave, and of the circumstances in which they won their country's highest award for valour." Clean bright copy. . Reprint. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Near Fine.

N.P.: Wrens Park, 1993. 160 pp, 8vo (8 3/4" H). B&w photographs. "There were thirty-two VCs of the air during the Second World War, yet how many of their names are known today? We have all heard of the exploits of Guy Gibson and Leonard Cheshire, but every one of the VCs of the air is associated with deeds equally daring and courageous. In these pages you will read of the forgotten VCs like Kenneth Campbell, who torpedoed the 'Gneisnau' in the harbour of Brest from a height of 50 feet, racing between the flak ships at mast height. William Reid, whose citations reads: 'Wounded in two attacks, without oxygen, suffering severely from cold, his navigator dead, his wireless operator fatally injured, his aircraft crippled and defenceless, he showed superb courage and leadership in penetrating a further 200 miles into enemy territory to attack one of the most strongly defended targets in Germany'; Flight Sergeant Middleton whose 'devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming… Read More

Toronto: Penguin, 2002. 221 pp, large 8vo (9 1/4" H). B&w map, photographs. Inscribed on title page: "For ____ Best Wishes Sally Armstrong May 11, 2004". "September 27, 1996, marked the day the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, and the beginning of a five-year nightmare for the women of that country. 'Veiled Treat' introduces us to several women - among them a radio announcer, a psychiatrist, a pharmacist, a civil engineer and the new deputy prime minister of Afghanistan, Dr. Sima Samar - who describe their waking hell under the Taliban's repressive measures. Denied schooling, employment and adequate health care and confined to their homes unless accompanied by a male relative, women struggled to survive. But as (this book) vividly illustrates, women and girls also rebelled; many carried out cloak-and-dagger tactics to subvert the hateful edicts of the Taliban - ." Dust jacket has very minor edge wrinkling.. Inscribed By Author. First Edition. Hard… Read More