Basement Alchemy and Home made Dragons

So there's a fresh pile of stock coming in soon including a few new sidelines that will definitely be featured on this blog.

For now that let's have a look at an exciting little work, 'The Mysteries of Nature and Art' by John Bate written in 1634. This work is attributed with being one of the inspirations for a young Isaac Newton, a man who on multiple occasions ended up walking home having abandoned the family horse in town due to being too stuck in a book.

'The Mysteries' is a collection of experiments and realisations about physics and chemistry, but what its focused on is telling you how to make a variety of fireworks, water wheels and other exercises for the mind.

This is actually a collection of smaller books, each dedicated to an area of experimentation including natural science, fireworks and creating pigments.

An old Journey to a New world

Here's a classic and no mistake, Arthur Conan Doyles 'The Lost World'. The founding piece for an entire genre of long lost Dinosaurs and secret worlds.

This classic piece of pulp is not only worth a read but worth a good look as it is filled with illustrations or 'photographs' from the fateful expedition.

This is more of our recent expansion out into Science fiction and pulpy classics. Check us out on Biblio for this and other fantastic books

Magnificent facial hair

Illustrated throughout

New Stock

Had a whole load of fresh books arrive today, a good assortment of Literature and Natural Science. This lot gave us some grief to get back to the office but I'd say it was worth it in the end. As always you can expect to find these up on the Website and Biblio within the next couple of weeks after we've given them a good dusting and check up.

Here's just a few of the treasures we found:

• A four volume Cuvier, published by Henderson.

• Edward Donovan's 'History of British Insects'.

• Hibberd's 'Familiar Wild Flowers'.

• A variety of Anne Pratt wild flowers.

• An early Bentley edition of Jane Austen 'Sense and Sensibility'.

• Culpepper English Physician, enlarged - 1676.

Humble Origins

Who would have thought that Orson Scott Cards short story 'Ender's Game' would not only become a cult series of young adult Sci-Fi novelettes, but a feature length Hollywood movie with people like Harrison Ford behind it.

But let's not forget this classic's humble origins, no-one knew who Card was (and because of his political views some people wish they didn't know him now), the first release of Ender's Game was within the pages of 'Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact' magazine of 1977. 

This American magazine saw the works of many great writers from the golden era of Sci-Fi. Isaac Asimov, Phlip K Dick, Hobert A Heinlein, Larry Niven and many other giants of the genre were published through Analog.

If you would like to check the book out, you can find it Here. This is the first ever release of Ender's Game as well as a classic collection of science fiction from the Era.

Beyond the realms of fiction

Well this is an odd one, we're branching out here and adding a whole new genre to the shelves.

A set of classics from some well known names in the realms of science fiction and speculative science, including the early work of Arthur C. Clarke and some honest space pulp nonsense by Heinlein.

These works were clearly someone's private collection given the pristine state they've been kept in.

A perfect gift, a long time ago

Tis that season, cards need to be sent, birds need to be stuffed and gifts need to be given.
And what better place to go purchase some nice, family friendly entertainment then your local Boots department store.

Yes that's right, if you wanted good quality books and toys you would go to your local Boots store. for those unfamiliar boots is a big pharmaceutical chain here in the UK, known for their drugs, their cosmetics and that's about it.

But in the golden age of illustration they would have a whole lending library section for the paying public, and when that festive time rolled round they would put out illustrated collections of their most popular titles. For the modest price of 15 shillings you would have a large, colourful collection of stories that would no doubt entertain various family members, before they started scribbling in the margins and using it to prop up the wonky set of cupboards.

Wow, here's an odd one.

Some new lots just came in today and we found this little number bundled in at the bottom of the box.

This book is just a collection of illustrations in a ring binder, but once upon a time it came with a gramophone record to play to alongside.

This may be the original form of Children's Audio book.