Rare books from Rooke Books

London: William Pickering, 1845. First edition. Leather. Near Fine. 16" by 12.5". Not Stated. A finely bound copy of this seldom complete series of designs by Henry Wood. A bright collection of hand-coloured interior drawings, which is extremely rare in such a lovely condition. The first edition of this work. A very scarce work, which is not cited in Keynes, Pickering Handlist. LibraryHub only cite the Victoria and Albert Museum copy, with Worldcat only citing the British Library copy. Upon its initial release there were advertisements in both the 'Art-Union' and 'Athenaeum' for this work. Coloured copies such as this were advertised for 20 shillings, but not many were produced, owing possibly due to the high cost and large size of the plates. With the decorative title page, undated as called for. Dated using Library Hub. Collated, complete with 24 hand-coloured lithographed plates. The plates are on thick paper, which has remained in a bright condition. Being numerous… Read More

London: The Illustrated London News , 1842-1910. First edition. Cloth. Good. 16.5" by 12". Various. A vanishingly scarce continuous run of the highly influential Victorian periodical The Illustrated London News, replete with many highly desirable folding plates and illustrations and covering some of the most important events of the nineteenth century. Folio. A vanishingly scarce continuous run, being volumes 1-138 published between 1842 and 1910. In the original highly decorative publisher's cloth binding. Copiously illustrated throughout in colour and monochrome, with many of the highly sought after city panoramas including Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris and Rome present. As is common with this work, many of the folding plates have been removed, however, the work is still highly illustrated throughout with many of the folding plates and panoramas remaining. The highly sought after July-December 1878 volume, known as the Cyprus volume, is present. Please note that due to the scale of the set,… Read More

London: H.G. Clarke, 1844. Leather. Very Good. 5" by 3.5". None. An extremely scarce, beautifully produced edition of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Sense and Sensibility'. With the vanishingly scarce original chromolithographed gilt wrappers bound in to all volumes. A very scarce, early edition of these Austen novels. Both are real rarities even more so with the beautiful original wrappersThis edition of Sense and Sensibility was the first separate edition of the novel to be published after the expiration of the copyright in 1839. Pride and Prejudice is the scarcer of the two works in this edition. (Gilson E3) and (Gilson E2).  Gilson states that no copy has been seen in the original wrappers. But it has now, and its a beautiful example.All volumes are bound in contemporary dark green half calf with gilt spines. Volume II of Pride and Prejudice has been rebacked in a similar style. 'Pride and Prejudice' is arguably Austen's best known novel. It was first published in 1813 and has… Read More

Venetia: Appresso Dominico de Franceschi , 1570. First edition. Leather. Fine. 12" by 8". Andrea Palladio . An exceptional copy of Andrea Palladio's seminal architectural work. A hugely important work, which outlines Palladio's teachings including the nine rules of identity. Beautifully illustrated after the author's own drawings. The complete four books, bound in one as called for. An exceptional copy, the best and finest we have been able to locate including institutionally held copies. The first edition of this milestone in the history of architecture. A beautifully illustrated guide, with the pages in an exceptionally bright condition. Palladio was the founder of Palladian Architecture. His books, particularly this work, had a wider influence than even his building. Many of his own designs are present in this work which outlines his teachings. This treatise celebrates the purity and simplicity of classical Roman architecture, particularly the works of Leon Battista Alberti. This… Read More

Strasbourg: Johann Gruninger, 1499. Vellum. Very Good Indeed. 12" by 8.5". Gruninger. An extremely scarce, complete copy of Terence's comedies. The second Guninger edition, adorned with detailed woodcuts. An extremely scarce work. In the original Latin. Collated, complete, with all 178 leaves. Retaining the original blanks. This is the second Gruninger edition. The first Gruninger edition was printed in 1496, and was the second illustrated edition of Terence, following Trechsel's edition of 1493. This was one of three classical texts printed by Gruninger, and was the first. He followed with Horace's 'Opera' and Virgil's 'Aeneid'. With the signatures: [a]6, b-c8, d-z6, A-F6.  Quire K is misbound, but all leaves are present. Terence's comedies were performed for the first time around 170-160BC.  Gruninger innovatively used interchangeable panels for his woodcuts, and each play to this work has a full page pictorial 'Dramatis Personae'.  In a full vellum binding. Externally, smart, with… Read More

Oxford: John Baskett, 1716-1717. First edition. Fine Binding. Very Good. 21" by 14". None. A beautiful set of the famed 'Vinegar Bible' published by John Baskett of Oxford. Dibdin notes this Bible as 'the most magnificent' of the Oxford Bibles. A handsome edition, with this set bound in a binding with George III's monogram to the boards. The first edition of the 'Vinegar Bible' which is known as such due to the erroneous 'The parable of the vinegar' instead of 'vineyard' above Luke XX (the verso of G6) to the New Testament. This variant has the 1717 imprint to the Old Testament and the 1716 imprint to the New Testament. Printed by John Baskett, who was the King's printer. Baskett held a reputation for purchasing competing Bible printing business and absorbing them into his own. He wished to produce a high quality Bible, in a folio edition, that would become a presentation piece used in churches and aristocrats. This Bible was therefore produced. A scarce edition of The Bible, which holds… Read More

London: Baldwin, Cradock, Joy et al, 1758-1902. First edition. Fine Binding. Very Good Indeed. 9" by 6". None Stated. An exceptionally handsome library set of the long-established and noted periodical 'The Annual Register'. This lengthy run contemporaneously covers many important periods of history including the Napoleonic Wars and the American Independence. An important original source for historical events, society and literature of the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. Uncommon to find such a long run in a lovely leather binding. Varying editions, with volumes 24, 56, 60 , 61, 64, 56, 70, 67, 68, and 70-144 all being first editions. Other volumes vary from the second edition onwards. Comprising of 143 volumes of the Annual Register, and the Index Volume. Being Volumes I-138 and 140-144. Lacking volume 139 for the year 1897. Volume 62 is bound across two books as called for. This library set therefore comprises of 145 physical books. 'The Annual Register' was first written in… Read More

London: Jacob Tonson, 1709. First edition. Leather. Very Good. 8" by 5". None. Six volumes of Tonson's dramatic works of Shakespeare. Volumes I-V are in uniform bindings as a set, with the pages trimmed down. Volume VI is bound in a different half calf binding with larger page sizes due to their not being trimmed as closely as volumes I-V. The sixth volume could be trimmed and bound to match.This is the first edition of this work, edited by Nicholas Rowe. It is the first edition of Shakespeare's works to be published in the eighteenth century and has been referred to as the first 'modern' edition of the plays.As stated to the title page of volume I this set was originally published as six volumes as seen here. A seventh volume was published by a different publisher, E Curll, a year later in 1710 which added his poetry and critical remarks on his plays by C Gildon and is sometimes seen bound together with this set. This set contains all six volumes of Shakespeare's dramatic works edited by Rowe and… Read More

London: Chapman and Hall, 1930. First edition. Cloth. Very Good/Near Fine. 7.5" by 5". None. An exceptional first edition copy of Evelyn Waugh's satire on the Bright Young Things. With the exceedingly scarce first state dustwrapper in a lovely condition. 'Vile Bodies' is a satire on a group of rich young people in the inter-war years. Dubbed the 'Bright Young Things', the British tabloids fed on the doings of these prominent socialites, of which Waugh was one of. Other contemporaries include Nancy Mitford, Beverley Nichols, Edith Sitwell and Anthony Powell. This novel examines the frenetic but empty lives of these fictionalised youngsters who indulge in parties, heavy drinking and sex.With the vanishingly scarce original dustwrapper in a lovely condition. The dustwrapper is the first impression with '7/6' to the spine and 'Second Choice' listed to the rear panel'.  The dustwrapper has been expertly restored to the spine and to the rear wrap. Lettering has been restored in facsimile. The wrap has… Read More

London: Baldwin and Craddock, 1788-1794. Leather. Very Good Indeed. 9" by 5.5" . None. A collection of seven autograph letters by William Cowper to his longtime friend, Samuel Rose. These letters have been bound into a later collection of the Works of Cowper. Comprising seven letters not issued in this printed work: The first letter dated Nov 30 1788 at Weston 'Mr Dear Friend, you are probably wondering at my silence, but I can give you a satisfactory account of it. Your letter comparing the books with which you have favor'd me for which I return you a thousand thanks, though dated the 15th last did not arrive here till yesterday. Joshua witheld it in hope of being able to send me my MSS well fuselied, but after all his hopes proved frustrate. The box reach'd me between 4 & 5 when I was on the way to the Hall where we dined; I had therefore no opportunity to open it til 10 at night, but I have this morning dispatched the little parcel thither addressed to Mr Frog. You are very good to… Read More

None: None, 1955-71. Fine Binding. Very Good Indeed. 12" by 9". None. A unique selection of correspondence between parapsychologist and archaeologist TC Lethbridge and his lifelong friend CF Tebbutt. A scarce survival, including unpublished book typescripts. From the library of John Gadd, whose name plate is to all volumes. Gadd has written an introductory excerpt to the front pastedown of the clamshell box containing the letters. In it he explains how he came to acquire this large selection of letters in March 1981 after visiting Fred Tebbutt in order to get some background detail on T.C Lethbridge and extra-sensory perception. Lethbridge argued rays of energy are transmitted from every object, and that they can be detected using pendulum dowsing. Lethbridge had taught Tebbutt how to dowse and he demonstrated this to a sceptical Gadd. To his note he writes 'I don't know how it is done, and am still only partially convinced to this day, but I saw what happened with my own eyes. One of the most… Read More

London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans; Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans & Roberts; Chapman & Hall; Smith, Elder & Co, 1855-64. First edition. Leather. Near Fine. 7.5" by 5"; 7" by 4.5"; 8" by 5"; 9" by 6". J. E. Millais. A striking set of the first editions of four popular Barsetshire Chronicle novels by Anthony Trollope, beautifully presented here in a Sangorski & Sutcliffe binding. Four of the Chronicles of Barsetshire novels uniformly bound.The first editions of these works, 'The Small House at Allington' being the first edition in book form.Bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe.'The Chronicles of Barsetshire' is a series of novels set in the fictional county of Barsetshire, and its cathedral town, Barchester. The novels deal with the issues of the clergy and gentry, as well as the political and social problems of the day.This series is considered to be Trollope's finest works.'The Warden', published in 1855, complete in one volume. Bound without adverts.'Barchester Towers', published in… Read More

[London]: Charles Dickens & Evans, Crystal Palace Press, 1877 . First edition. Leather. Near Fine. 7.5" by 5.5". None. A beautiful example of Wilkie Collins's very scarce stage adaptation of 'The Moonstone', a work never widely published, and 'privately printed for the convenience of the Author'. In a beautiful Riviere solander box. A very scarce work, adapted by Collins himself - with the aid of Charles Dickens - from his enormously successful 1868 novel.In the publisher's original paper wraps.The work is held in a cloth chemise and housed in a beautiful signed half crushed morocco solander box by Riviere.Wilkie Collins's important early detective novel was an impressive work which set many of the ground rules for the modern mystery genre. It was initially serialised in Charles Dickens's periodical 'All the Year Round'.In an effort to capitalise on the success of his work, Collins adapted the novel for the stage, with the title page identifying that 'This Play is not published. It is privately… Read More

New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1907 . First edition. Cloth. Very Good. 8.5" by 6". None. The first edition of Kipling's book of collected verse, with the author's ink annotations and edits. Bound in the publisher's original burgundy cloth. An extremely scarce-to-see copy of this collection of Rudyard Kipling's poetry, with annotations and edits by the author throughout. This work was originally published in October 1907. From the library of A. P. Watt & A. S. Watt of A. P. Watt and Son, literary agent of Rudyard Kipling.Throughout this copy of collected verse, Kipling reworked the order, layout, contents and the occasional wording of the poems. Some of the changes to wording, such as substituting "hansoms" for "traffic" in the final verse of 'The Broken Men', made the final version of the poem, however others, such as changing the name "Mary Pollock" to "Margaret Pollock" in 'The Derelict', did not, showing Kipling's thought process in his… Read More

London: Cassell and Company, 1893 . First edition. Leather. Very Good. 8" by 5.5". None. A signed presentation copy of the scarce first single volume edition of this nautical adventure novel, with a signed letter from the author"s wife, Annie Clark Russell. The scarce first single volume edition of this work, which was first published in a vanishingly scarce three volume edition earlier in the year.Flat signed to the half title "To A.P. Watt from his friend W. Clark Russell".Watt was a British literary agent generally regarded as the first true literary agent following his arrival on the literary scene in the late 1870s. From the library of A. P. Watt & A. S. Watt of A. P. Watt and Son, literary agent of Rudyard Kipling.With a letter from the author"s wife loosely inserted, addressed "Dear Mr. Watt, my husband has asked me to send you the accompanying copy". She explains "he would write to you by himself but he was too ill". She closes with "I… Read More