Back Through the Rooke-ing Glass No. 24

Through the Rooke-ing Glass No. 24

As the days get colder and colder, our New Arrivals list seems to only get hotter, with the additions of numerous new works by Agatha Christie, the first U.K. edition of Roald Dahl's loved work 'James and the Giant Peach' and two works signed by J. M. Barrie making themselves at home on our shelves. And exciting though these works were for us, they weren't necessarily the highlight of our week, as I'll set out here...


Assorted Juvenile Works by W. H. G. Kingston

We've listed a particularly pleasing set of eight works by juvenile author W. H. G. Kingston. Dating from the Golden Age of adventure fiction, when the likes of Kingston, R. M. Ballantyne and G. A. Henty were prolifically producing boy's fiction. Their success inspired authors who typically wrote for an adult audience to follow suit, with a good example being 'Treasure Island' by Robert Louis Stevenson. This works were exciting, often set in far-flung, exotic locations or at sea. Kingston himself produced over one hundred pieces of boy's fiction. This set we found particularly lovely, with their bright pictorial bindings. What's more, each volume is illustrated with a handful of colour plates, making them an exceptional and vibrant addition to any library.

You can see our other works of children's literature here.



The Man in the Moon

A politically radical pamphlet, this work was published in 1820, following the Peterloo Massacre in Manhcester, during which eighteen people died when charged by cavalry during a peaceful protest to demand parliamentary reforms. This event had enormous political consequences, with the Government passing the 'Six Acts', which limited freedom of speech and radical reform. The pamphlet was attributed to William Hone, and was illustrated by George Cruikshank, the renowned illustrator and caricaturist known for his satirical work. An exciting and radical pamphlet, this fifteenth edition makes for an important piece of British political history.





French Dishes for English Tables

A charming early twentieth century cookbook was among our highlights this week. Written by Claire de Pratz, a friend of Oscar Wilde, this cookbook aims to introduce the finesse, techniques and recipes of France to kitchens in England at the turn of the century. Wilde himself described her as the 'goddess', and he edited some of her works. As well as her non-fiction works, most of which explored her French heritage, de Pratz was a prolific novelist, with her works featuring bright and sharp heroines. We particularly enjoyed the decorative binding of this uncommon first edition of 'French Dishes for English Tables'.

Our wide selection of cookery books can be found here.




The Story of the Burnt Njal

An 1861 first edition of the first translation into English of the anonymously penned Icelandic Saga 'The Story of the Burnt Njal' was another exciting find. Written anonymously, the Njals saga describes events between 960 and 1020, and was composed in the thirteenth century. It is thought to be a historical description of events that occurred in the Icelandic Commonwealth, following Njall Þorgeisson, a sage and lawyer, and his warrior friend Gunnar Hamundarson. This translation by George Webbe Dasent was frequently cited as a source of inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien; Icelandic sagas were an important influence on European prose narratives, as well as Iceland's heritage. Our first edition is complete in two leather-bound volumes, and illustrated with three folding plates as well as four plates.

You can find our other works of world literature here.



A Writer's Diary, being extracts from the Diary of Virginia Woolf


Finally, we have also listed a third impression of Virginia Woolf's autobiographical work, assembled by the author's husband Leonard and illustrated by her sister, Vanessa Bell. Woolf was a prominent member of the Bloomsbury groups, considered one of the most important modernist writers of the twentieth century. This work exclusively contains her autobiographical work related to her writings, and demonstrates all aspects of her trials and tribulations as well as her successes as a writer. Leonard Woolf chose to demonstrate her intellectual life only in this work, as opposed to her personal life, which was at the centre of a modern audience's mind. Our copy is complete with the publisher's original and unclipped dust wrapper.

You can see the rest of our autobiographical works here.



And our header this week comes from a splendid collection of 'Plutarch's Lives' by John and William Langhorne, published in 1793 and in a smart contemporary binding.