New Additions September 2019

FICTION

A Lodge in the Wilderness First published anonymously in 1906 with a second edition following in 1907 which attributed JB’s authorship. The book is essentially a discussion piece on Imperial thinking in the form of a country house novel set in Southern Africa. 9642 £15 1950 Nelson Uniform edition. But for a very small water stain on the front the book is in excellent condition.

Grey Weather A fine collection of short stories, first published by John Lane in 1899. Almost all are set in and around Tweeddale. 9621 £75 The first edition is rare and was never reprinted in JB’s lifetime. In 1968 Cedric Chivers reprinted the book in their Portway series, which was aimed at supplying libraries. The binding is green cloth with gold lettering but internally the book is essentially a facsimile as it reproduces the text of the first edition in the same page layout, the same font and even with the same title page. Their background research is clearly minimal as the dustwrapper flap suggests that the best story is “Witches by the Threshold”. This is a wrong title (should be The Watcher by…) for a story which is not actually in this book. It then describes the story and the description is of a different story altogether, which is also not in this book. However, apart from that this is an excellent reprint and the book is in very good condition except that the fly-leaf has been pasted to the front paste-down, probably to hide some library markings. Other than this it is very bright and undamaged. The d/w has a very small amount of wear at the foot of the spine but is otherwise in excellent condition

Castle Gay The second Dickson McCunn novel – a bungled student prank, Evallonian intrigue, high adventure, gentle humour. 9643 £5 8th impression (1935). Light blue cloth with black lettering and a vignette of a Scottish Castle on the front. The spine is faded and there are a few small marks on the rear cover. The cloth on the front is slightly creased. Bright internally. 9644 £6 Third impression (August 1930) of Blanchard A87. The spine is slightly darkened and is rubbed at the ends. One corner is lightly bumped and there is a faint mark on the front. Generally bright internally but there is occasional light foxing, a defect which is quite common with this title. 9695 £5 1947 Nelson Uniform edition. One corner lightly bumped, otherwise very good.

Greenmantle The second Richard Hannay novel, set during World War I. More conundrum solving and adventure across Europe to a dramatic climax n the Turkish mountains. 9645 £4 Nelson Classics series (undated). Red cloth with black lettering/decoration. Slightly faded spine, otherwise very good. 9646 £3 Nelson Classics series (undated). Pale red cloth with gold lettering. Spine a little faded and scuffed. Slightly cocked. Very good internally.

Huntingtower The first Dickson McCunn novel. Dickson, the Gorbals Die-Hards and a passing poet find themselves pitted against a Bolshevik gang seeking to kidnap a Russian princess. Just the sort of situation which crops up on a walking tour in Galloway! 9697 £4 Nelson 1/6 novels series, undated. Red cloth with black lettering and decoration. There is a name on the fly-leaf but otherwise the book is very good throughout.

John Burnet of Barns JB’s second novel, first published in 1898. It traces the life of John Burnet from his early days in Tweeddale, through studies in Edinburgh and Leyden and then his return to Scotland. The rivalry of his cousin Gilbert for the hand of Marjory Veitch is a major part of the story as is Gilbert’s treachery in falsely accusing John of being an enemy of the king. 9651 £10 1939 Cheap edition. Orange cloth with black lettering. Very good throughout. There is an ownership inscription on the fly-leaf. The pictorial dustwrapper (swordsmen duelling) is quite bright but us ragged around the edges with a number of small pieces missing.

Mr. Standfast The third Richard Hannay novel. Following the trail of a network of German spies, Hannay comes up against an unexpected foe. 9698 £3 Undated Nelson reprint. Red cloth, gold lettering. Light handling stains and there are small marks on the front and rear. The spine is faded and the lettering is dull. Some foxing on the early leaves but otherwise bright.

Prester John Buchan’s first big seller. A gripping tale of a native rebellion in Southern Africa. 9653 £6 Nelson 2/- novels series (1942). Red cloth, gold lettering. The lettering has faded but otherwise the book is very good. The pictorial dustwrapper (man carrying a ruby necklace) has some loss at the spine ends and is lightly soiled (it is largely white). 9654 £3 Nelson Teaching of English edition, 1945. Red cloth, gold lettering (very dull). The covers are lightly soiled. Internally quite bright but the endpapers have several schoolgirls’ names crossed out. 9676 £3 1938 Nelson reprint. Light blue cloth. Gold lettering. Patchy fading on the covers and the corners are lightly rubbed. Bright internally. 9696 £4 1949 Nelson Classics edition. Terracotta cloth with gold lettering. Lightly faded spine and the corners are slightly rubbed. Overall a nice pocket-sized copy.

Salute to Adventurers Intrigue and treachery in 17th/18th century Virginia and attempts to prevent a First Nation attack on the colony. 9655 £3 Nelson 1/6 novels series (undated). Red cloth with black lettering and decoration. Faded spine but otherwise VG. 9656 £3 Nelson 1/6 novels series (undated). Red cloth, black lettering and decoration. The spine has darkened a little and is scuffed in places. The rear joint is partly split. The pages are lightly browned around the margins and there is a gift inscription in pencil on the fly-leaf. 9657 £4 Nelson 1/6 novels series (undated). Red cloth, black lettering and decoration. Rubbed corners. Pages have browned margins. Dustwrapper with illustration of a swordsman has a stain on the front and is a little ragged around the edges.

Sir Quixote of the Moors JB’s first novel; a romantic tale set in the Galloway hills during the time of the Covenanters. 9629 £25 A copy of T Fisher Unwin’s second impression, issued 29 years after the first. Bizarrely, they give the date of the first impression as 1896 rather than 1895. Bound in red cloth with black lettering. The spine is faded and has scuffmarks but other than this the book is very bright inside and outside. There is a little foxing on the first couple of leaves. Quite scarce in this edition.

The Blanket of the Dark A novel of political intrigue and attempted rebellion I the reign of Henry VIII. Peter Pentecost, a young clerk at Oseney Abbey finds his peaceful world turned upside down. 9677 £5 Nelson Uniform edition, 1949. Excellent internally but there are a few water stains on the binding.

The Courts of the Morning Blenkiron, Sandy Arbuthnot and Archie Roylance become involved in a rebellion in a mineral-rich South American country. 9641 £150 1929 first edition. Blanchard A81. The spine is slightly sun-browned and is lightly rubbed at the ends. The corners are lightly rubbed but remain sharp. Generally bright internally but, as is usual, the frontispiece map is lightly browned. The following two leaves have some very faint brown spots. It would appear that something has been attached to the title page with a paper clip at some time and it has gone rusty leaving slight marks which are also on the reverse of the half-title opposite. The dustwrapper has some wear and some small pieces missing at the ends of the faded spine. The edges and corners are lightly rubbed and creased. The mostly white rear panel is lightly soiled but the colours on the front remain bright. 9630 £7 1929 sixth impression (3m after the first) of Blanchard A81. The spine is a little faded but otherwise the book is very good. The frontispiece map is very lightly browned and the following 2 leaves have a few very faint brown spots. 9660 £8 Nelson Uniform edition 1949. The spine is slightly faded and there is a cup ring on the front. Very bright internally.

The Dancing Floor An Edward Leithen novel. The first part of the novel deals with the strange dreams of Vernon Milburne and also introduces Koré Arabin, a striking young woman who has had a far from conventional upbringing. Part II takes us to the Greek island of Plakos where Leithen, Milburne and Miss Arabin become involved in the reawakening of old superstitions. 9661 £10 Third impression (July 1926) of Blanchard A70.Faded spine, lightly rubbed corners and a faint mark on the front. Bright internally but for slight foxing on the first few leaves.

The Free Fishers A Scottish secret society is called upon to deal with espionage and an attempted political assassination. Anthony Lammas, a young professor at St Andrews University is the unlikely hero of the novel.

9663 £7 First edition – Blanchard A103. Lightly rubbed extremities and some scuff marks along the lower edge of the front cover. Bright internally but one leaf is creased and another has a small closed tear in the outer edge. There is an ownership inscription on the fly-leaf. 9674 £6 Nelson Uniform edition 1936. Rubbed corners and some handling marks around the edges. Bright internally.

The Gap in the Curtain Published in 1932 this story, narrated by Edward Leithen, chronicles the attempt of 5 men to see the front page of The Times in a year’s time, encouraged by the mysterious Professor Moe. 9664 £4 Nelson Uniform edition 1937. Very bright internally; there is a name on the fly-leaf. The book has lightly rubbed corners and the spine is a little darkened and is lightly scuffed.

The Half-Hearted First published in 1900. Lewis Haystoun loses the election in which he is standing and the girl he loves, both to the same rival. He seeks personal redemption by serving on the North-West frontier. 9665 £4 Undated Hodder & Stoughton reprint. Red cloth with a blind-stamped design on the front. Black lettering. The spine is faded and there is patchy fading around the edges of the covers. The binding is cracked and one leaf is detached and torn in two but still present.

The House of the Four Winds The third and final Dickson McCunn novel. Trouble in Evallonia once again and Jaikie, Dougal and the Roylances enlist the aid of Dickson in a bold scheme. 9666 £6 Second impression (July 1935) of Blanchard A110. Rubbed at the corners and the ends of the spine and there are some small scuff marks. Bright internally with very occasional brown spots.

The Long Traverse Published posthumously, this was an attempt by JB to increase the interest of children in Canada’s history. A series of stories told by Negog, his father’s fishing guide, to a young boy. A poem follows each story. The binding of this novel is very prone to developing white spots with age. 9631 £20 First edition (Blanchard A134). The binding is bright and free of white spots. The front corners are bumped and there are small areas of fading. Bright internally. The illustrated dustwrapper is lightly soiled and has pieces missing from the foot of the spine and the top edge of the front panel. 9668 £20 First edition – Blanchard A51. The spine is faded and the corners rubbed. There are a few brown spots on the first 2 or 3 leaves but otherwise the book is in good order internally. There is a gift inscription on the fly-leaf. 9669 £4 Nelson 2/- novels series (undated). Red cloth, black lettering. The front has extensive liquid stains and the extremities are rubbed. Occasional light foxing but generally bright internally. 9670 £5 12th impression (1932). Light blue cloth with black lettering and a vignette of a helmeted Viking on the front. The spine is faded and the rear cover has some fading around the edges. Very good internally. 9671 £4 1934 Teaching of English edition. Dark blue cloth with gold lettering. Faded lettering, rubbed extremities and a bump on the front outer edge. Bright internally but with school library stamps on the endpapers. 9673 £5 Nelson 1/6 novel series. Red cloth with gold lettering. 2 small white marks on the front and a little darkened around the edges. Very bright internally. The illustrated dustwrapper (swordsman) has a number of chips and closed tears around the edges but remains quite bright.

The Runagates Club A collection of short stories narrated by members of a fictional London dining club. Many characters from JB’s novels make an appearance. 9636 £14 1928 First edition. Blanchard A75.The spine is faded and there is a fairly large (2.5 inches x 3.5 inches) but faint stain at the outer top corner of the front. The corners are lightly rubbed. Inside, the book is very bright with just a small amount of foxing on the half-title leaf. The binding is firm. There is an illustrated bookplate on the front paste-down and a plain bookplate in another name on the fly-leaf.

The Three Hostages The fourth Richard Hannay novel. Hannay. Now retired to the countryside, is called upon to exercise his problem solving skills in the search for 3 people who have been kidnapped. 9672 £3 Nelson 2/- novels series (undated). Red cloth, black lettering and decoration. The spine is faded and scuffed but otherwise the binding is in good condition. The pages are browned around the margins.

The Watcher by the Threshold A collection of short stories, many with supernatural overtones. 9634 £20 1915 Blackwood Shilling Edition. Red cloth. Cheaply bound, this edition is usually found in a fairly parlous state with heavily browned pages. However, this copy has a clean binding with a faded spine and a small water stain on the back. The front hinge has not cracked but is slightly shaky. Bright inside with just very slight browning around the page margins. An unusually good copy of this edition.

Witch Wood A dark tale of religious tension and latent witchcraft in 17th century Tweeddale. JB is said to have regarded this as the best of his novels. 9675 £6 11th impression (February 1929). Light blue cloth with dark blue lettering. The spine is slightly faded and the covers are lightly soiled. Bright internally with occasional brown spots. A few corners have been turned. There is a gift inscription on the fly-leaf

NON-FICTION

A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys First published in 1923, this book, aimed at young people, tells of exciting journeys characterised by haste and/or danger. 9613 £8 First printing (May 1925) in Nelson’s “Teaching of English” series. Dark blue cloth, gilt lettering, gilt top edge, patterned endpapers. A hint of fading to the spine but overall a really nice, pocket-sized copy.

History of the First World War abridged by Victor Neuberg A heavily abridged single volume edition of JB’s 24-volume work. Illustrated with contemporary paintings. 9622 £5 First edition 1991. Black cloth, silver lettering. Both the book and its illustrated dustwrapper are in very good condition throughout.

Augustus JB’s fine biography of “the master designer and chief executant” of the Roman Empire 9614 £8 1944 reprint in Hodder & Stoughton’s Black Jacket series. Textured pale grey cloth with black lettering. Smaller page size than the original edition. The spine has some patchy fading but otherwise the book is in very good condition. The dustwrapper is rubbed and creased around the edges and the ends of the spine and the corners are worn. 9615 £4 As above but no d/w. The spine is faded and there is a mark on the front cover. Bright internally.

Canadian Occasions A collection the text of 38 addresses given by Lord Tweedsmuir during his time on Canada. They cover the whole of his time there and cover a wide range of subjects. Some were published as separate booklets/pamphlets but many are recorded only here. First published by Musson Book Co in Canada and a short while later by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. 9616 £12 First UK edition, 1940 (see Blanchard A129). The covers are scuffed and faded in places and there are some small stains. Quite bright inside but there are some ex-library stamps and labels on the endpapers.

Comments and Characters From February 1907 until the end of 1908 JB was the editor of the Scottish Review, a weekly magazine published by Thomas Nelson & Sons. During this time he contributed an immense amount to the magazine by way of short articles and reviews. This work, edited by his close colleague on the paper, W Forbes Gray, is a selection of these pieces. It demonstrates his ability to write thoughtfully and succinctly on a wide range of subject matter. 9617 £10 1940 first edition. Blanchard A130. The spine is faded and has a black mark on part of the front The book has a rather dull look overall. Internally bright. There is a bookplate on the front paste-down.

Episodes of the Great War Selections from JB’s 4-volume History of the Great War made by Adrian Alington. These principally cover the actions on the Western front. 9618 £15 First edition (Blanchard A117). The spine is darkened and is a little worn at the top. Bright internally.

Francis and Riversdale Grenfell A memoir of twin brothers killed in action within 6 months of each other during the first year of the Great War. As well as the strong military tradition in the family, many were also accomplished polo players with the twins regarded as the best of them. 9619 £15 Second impression (November 1920) of Blanchard A50. The covers have a number of water stains but the book is bright internally but for occasional brown spots. There is a bookplate on the front paste-down.

Gordon at Khartoum An account of the tragic events of 1884-5 which led to the death of General Gordon. 9620 £15 1934 First edition. Blanchard A104. The spine is sun-browned and the remainder of the cream binding is rather grubby from being handled. Excellent internally.

Julius Caesar Buchan’s short but comprehensive biography of possibly the best-known Roman emperor. 9623 £5 1944 reprint in Nelson’s Short Biographies series. Pocket-sized book in pale grey cloth with black lettering. Lower corners lightly bumped but otherwise very good. The red and white dustwrapper is bright but is scuffed and creased in places. There are a couple of small chips and closed tears.

Memory Hold-the-Door JB’s reflective autobiography, described by him as “impressions made upon me by the outer world”. Far from being a conventional biography it is nevertheless an interesting book and was immensely popular when published a few months after his death. 9652 £5 21st impression (September 1942). As Blanchard A128. Lightly rubbed at the corners and spine ends but otherwise very good throughout.

Men and Deeds A collection from JB’s writing which includes 3 short books (Julius Caesar, The Massacre of Glencoe and Gordon at Khartoum), his papers on The Causal and the Casual in History and Montrose and Leadership, his tribute to Lord Rosebery from the Proceedings of the British Academy and a chapter from The Kirk in Scotland. 9624 £7 Second impression (December 1935) of A112. This copy is in WH Smith’s house binding, a lighter green than the original and with the WHS lamp emblem on the front. Rubbed at the edges, one corner bumped and some scuff marks on the rear cover. Bright internally but for occasional brown spots.

Montrose In 1913 JB published a life of The Marquis of Montrose which concentrated largely on his military campaigns. In this work JB presents a more rounded biography and sets Montrose in the political and religious background of the seventeenth century. 9626 £8 Fourth impression (December 1928) of Blanchard A76. But for slight rubbing at the corners and spine ends the book is very good throughout.

Oliver Cromwell Buchan’s fine biography of the 17th century Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. JB’s understanding of the centrality of Cromwell’s Christian faith to all that he did is greater than that of most biographers. 9627 £5 An edition published by The Reprint Society in 1941. It has a smaller page size than the original Hodder & Stoughton edition and is bound in light blue cloth with a black title label and gold lettering. But for slight rubbing at the foot of the spine the book is in excellent condition. The white dustwrapper has a few nicks and chips around the edges but is remarkably bright.

9628 £3 Second impression (September 1934) of Blanchard A105. Bright and clean but the binding has significant damage. The rear joint is rubbed, the front joint has a 2-inch split at the top and the lower front corner is bumped. Internally, the front hinge is cracked and partly split so that the front board is quite loose. But for occasional brown spots it is very bright internally – a candidate for rebinding?

Some Notes on Sir Walter Scott The text of a paper read to the English Association in October 1923 in which JB deals with some of the criticisms of Scott’s writing. 9683 £10 First edition 1924. Blanchard A61. The paper covers are somewhat age-darkened and there is a small white stain on the front. The outer edge of the front has a right-angled closed tear with some creasing around it. The whole booklet has some creases but is in good order internally.

The Clearing House An anthology of JB’s writing, chosen by his wife. The book is arranged under several sections and includes some of his less well-known writings. There is a preface by Gilbert Murray, one of his lecturers at Glasgow University and to whom his first book, Sir Quixote of the Moors, was dedicated. 9658 £4 Second impression (October 1946) of Blanchard A135. The spine has faded but otherwise the book is in good condition. The dustwrapper is foxed, has several chips and closed tears around the edges and about one-third of the spine is missing.

These for Remembrance JB’s poignant memoirs of six of his close friends who were killed in action during the Great War. Superb writing which conveys the sense of loss without ever becoming maudlin. Originally published privately in very small numbers. 9635 £22 In 1987 this book was reprinted and sold publicly for the first time. The reprint includes a lengthy introduction by Peter Vansittart. Bound in purple cloth with gold lettering. This copy is in excellent condition with slight creasing to the dustwrapper.

The King’s Grace Published to coincide with the Silver Jubilee of King George V. “This book is not a biography of the King but an attempt to provide a picture of his reign, with the throne as the continuing thing through an epoch of unprecedented change.” Published in huge numbers in several editions with many being presented to schoolchildren of the day. 9637 £3 Second impression (August 1935) of Blanchard A108. The spine is faded and the cream covers lightly soiled/browned. The tipped in frontispiece is detached but undamaged. Bright internally. There is a bookplate on the fly-leaf

OTHER JB CONNECTIONS

Honoured in Scotland’s Capital edited by CJ Cousland In 1935 JB was made a Freeman of the City of Edinburgh, the latest in a long line which began in 1459. This book gives a list of those so honoured and supplies extracts from the acceptance speeches of some of them including JB. This book is not listed in Blanchard. 9640 £25 1946 first edition. Blue cloth, gold lettering. Some marks on the covers but otherwise very good.

John Buchan by His Wife and Friends An affectionate tribute to JB. About half of the book is written by Lady Tweedsmuir (Susan Buchan) with the remainder being short pieces by friends and family. AL Rowse and Alastair Buchan are among the contributors. 9647 £4 First edition (1947). Black cloth, gold lettering and a green and gold JB monogram on the front. Scuffed at the edges in places but otherwise very good. There is an ownership inscription on the fly-leaf.

John Buchan: A Biography by Janet Adam Smith The first full-length biography of JB, first published in 1965. The author was the daughter of George Adam Smith who was the joint author, with JB, of The Kirk in Scotland. 9648 £6 First paperback edition (1985). This lacks the illustrations of the first edition. Slightly creased corners, clean inside. There are some brief notes on the rear fly-leaf. 9649 £10 First edition. Blanchard C141. Lightly rubbed at the extremities but otherwise bright and undamaged.

Modern Short Stories Blanchard C47. A book of short stories, collected by JB, including 2 of his stories and with an introduction by him. Other authors include RL Stevenson, Quiller-Couch and EM Forster. The book was published in the “Teaching of English” series. 9625 £6 1937 reprint in the same format as the first edition. Lightly rubbed at the extremities but otherwise very good. There is an ownership inscription on the half-title.

The Northern Muse An anthology of verse in Lowland Scots. The poems are arranged in 18 sections according to subject matter and the collection is followed by 83 pages of ‘commentary’ – notes of varying length on the poems. A delightful and often overlooked collection. 9632 £7 First edition (Blanchard B10). Very slightly rubbed at the ends of the spine but otherwise very good. There is a gift inscription on the fly-leaf.

The Poetry of Neil Munro Neil Munro was a Scottish novelist. Poet and journalist who also wrote humorous stories under the pen name Hugh Foulis. JB edited this collection of his poetry which was published the year after his death. 9633 £35 This is the scarce large paper edition of this work as noted under Blanchard B14 (1931). But for a faded spine the book is in excellent condition.

The Queen’s Gift Book Published as a fund-raiser for Queen Mary’s Convalescent Auxiliary Hospitals in 1915. Edited by John Galsworthy there are contributions from JM Barrie, Sapper, Joseph Conrad, Jerome K Jerome and others. JB contributes the short story, Divus Johnson. 9688 £20 Blanchard C16. The book is in very good condition throughout with no significant defects.