A new week at Rooke Books means the addition of hundreds of volumes to our libraries. Below is a list of our favourite new arrivals of the week: there are many rare and antique works waiting to join your shelves. This week we have a varied selection of early and modern pieces, with literary and historical sets. Among some of the most precious works you can find a first edition of the popular The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, and an early edition of Mary Chandler's very scarce poem concerning Bath. 


1941 Time Exposure by Cecil Beaton and Peter Quennell

A superb first edition of this wonderful volume of Cecil Beaton's photography, a selection of his striking and unique work.

£575.00

1798 Agriculture of Somerset by John Billingsley

A fine example of John Billingsley's study regarding the agriculture of Somerset. Illustrated, with a folding map frontispiece, a coloured plan for drainage and an engraved plate 'Representation of Mr Weldon's Caisson Lock'. In a Bayntun of Bath binding.

£475.00

1916 Fortune Telling by Cards by I. B. Prangley

A scarce work on fortune telling using playing cards, illustrated throughout with diagrams. Describing the meanings ascribed to cards, games which allegedly tell the figure. For more works of similar content visit this link!

£295.00

1912 Sport in Five Continents by A. E. Leatham

The scarce first edition of this wonderful volume on the sport of hunting across the globe, lavishly illustrated throughout.

£470.00

1927 The Autobiography of a Border Policeman by H. L. Stevens

An excellent first edition recollecting the author's time spent on the borders of Bechuanaland and Matabeleland. An excellent copy. For more biographical and autobiographical works you can browse this catalogue.

£390.00

1905 A Practical Guide to Cookery in West Africa and the Tropics by Sister Cockburn

A very scarce cookery book containing West African recipes and recipes from the tropics. The first edition.

£375.00

1913 Black Ivory: Or, the Story of El Zubeir Pasha by El Zubeir Pasha

A very scarce first English edition of this fascinating memoir by El Zubeir Pasha, slave trader in the late nineteenth century.

£595.00

1861 Seasons with the Sea-Horses by James Lamont

The scarce first edition of James Lamont's account of his hunting expeditions in the Northern seas.

£490.00

1946 Animal Farm by George Orwell

The first American edition of George Orwell's controversial novel. In the original unclipped dust wrapper. A smart copy. Check out our modern fiction selection here.

£550.00

The Works of the Author of the Night-Thoughts by Edward Young

A beautiful five volume collection of the verses and plays of Edward Young, bound in lovely contemporary polished calf.

£345.00

1907-19 The Works of George Borrow

Six finely bound volumes of the best known works of English novelist and travel writer George Borrow, illustrated throughout. See more early English literature in this catalogue.

£595.00


1897-1904 The Works of Charles Lamb edited by Alfred Ainger

A Bumpus bound collection of the works of Charles Lamb, a comprehensive set of his best known and most popular works.

£890.00


1889 The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

A first edition copy of the first book from Andrew Lang's immensely popular collection of sweet and moralistic fairy tales for children.

£2,200.00


1929-33 The Fairy Books by Andrew Lang

A very smart set of the Crown Edition of Andrew Lang's fantastic 'Fairy Book' series. Uncommon to have such a large set of this Crown edition.

£3,500.00


1885 Waverley Novels by Sir Walter Scott

An exceptional complete collection in attractive fine bindings of the Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott. In a beautiful G. MacDonald signed fine binding.

£395.00


1872-74 8vol Les Oeuvres de Moliere by Moliere

Eight handsomely bound half morocco volumes of the work of the French playwright, best known for his comedies and farces. To check out more of our selection of plays, you can visit this link.

£450.00


1813 The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon

A lovely set of the influential 'Decline and Fall' by Edward Gibbon, an important history of the Roman Empire.

£1,380.00


1736 The Description of Bath a Poem by Mary Chandler

A very scarce early edition of Mary Chandler's celebrated poem on Bath. Mary Chandler wrote many poems, with this poem being her most esteemed.

£3,750.00


1893 St Alban's Historical and Picturesque by Charles H. Ashdown

A deluxe limited edition describing the rich history of St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Signed by both the author and the illustrator, this copy is from the library of Gaddesden Place, an English country seat.

£325.00


1880 The Novels of George Eliot

A uniformly bound and complete set of the novels of George Eliot, bound in half calf with marble covered boards. You can find more of George Eliot's extremely popular work here.

£340.00


1820 Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

An illustrated edition of Defoe's important epistolary novel, in full calf bindings. Profusely illustrated throughout.

£650.00


1848-50 History of Rome and History of the Later Roman Commonwealth by Thomas Arnold

A nice uniformly bound set of the historical studies of Rome by Thomas Arnold, five fascinating volumes looking at Rome from its early history to the death of Caesar.

£450.00


1902-3 The Biographical Edition of the Works of Charles Dickens

A complete nineteen volume set of the works of the most important novelist of the Victorian era, illustrated throughout. A charming set of important works. Check out our vast catalogue of Charles Dickens' work here.

£1,350.00