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Here on the Country House Library website, we have a vast collection of wonderful antique books. This list discusses eight particularly special volumes, all available for under £100!
Elephants Can Remember follows the gripping investigation of several murders. Led by Agatha Christie’s eccentric detective, Hercule Poirot, it presents a conflict between past and present, truth and lies, remembering and forgetting. This simply designed hardback book is a golden first edition volume and priced at less than £100 is well worth adding to your bookshelf.
This eye-catching hardback book contains the first and second Jungle Books. While both volumes include stories about Kipling’s famous man-cub, Mowgli, the second shares some different tales as well. An enchanting world awaits between the red & gold covers, brought to life by a series of beautiful illustrations by J. Lockwood Kipling and W. H. Drake. While many people know the jungle stories, this weighty volume would make a handsome addition to any bookshelf.
New to the Country House Library shelves, this first edition of Mary Anne is an intriguing read. Printed in 1954, it tells the story of du Maurier’s great-great grandmother and her scandalous existence as the Duke of York’s (Prince Frederick’s) mistress. Not only is this volume a first edition, but also the first printing. As such, there are few volumes of its kind on the market and worth snapping up while its in stock.
Published in 1894, this hardback copy of Ivanhoe is particularly striking. The highly decorative cover serves as a precursor to the beautiful illustrations scattered throughout the volume. The story tells of Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a knight belonging to one of the last remaining Saxon families in a predominantly Norman England. Not only is the story fascinating, drawing together past and present, reality and romance, history and adventure, but the decorative nature of the volume itself makes it a collectible item.
This oversized anthology, thought to be from the 1980s, contains a number of beautiful illustrations depicting scenes from some of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. Macbeth, King Lear, Othello, Hamlet and Julius Caesar fill the pages of this beautiful book. For lovers of illustrated, decorative volumes, this anthology is the perfect purchase. The stunning red, gold and black cover, incorporating Shakespeare’s portrait, will certainly make the book stand out on your bookshelf.
Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson held the title of Poet Laureate for a grand forty-two years. This 1910 anthology contains a wide selection of Tennyson’s works, including two of his most famous poems ‘In memoriam’ and ‘Maud’. The beautiful deep blue cover of this volume, with its gold title and flower prints, reflects the enchanting power of Tennyson’s verse. It is a sparkling publication and its limited availability renders it a worthy collectible.
This thick, hardcover edition of Anna Karenina is both rare and decorative. Though a little faded by time, the deep red cover and gold print are striking. The story is intensely imaginative, exploring the lives of several memorable characters living in Russia. Love and passion, tragedy and consequence, humanity and history rest at the hear of this novel. Whether you’ve read it before or are yet to enjoy it, it is worth buying this rare vintage volume before someone else does!
The beautiful green and gold cover of this book glows with enchantment. It contains many wonderfully exotic tales, including ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ and ‘The Story of the Magic Horse’. The stories themselves are translated from Arabic by Laurence Housman and his retellings are brought to life by a series of beautiful illustrations by Edmund Dulac. Published in 1911, the book is a rare and collectible item.
Whether early editions, first editions or decorative volumes with illustrations, the books on this list are all collectible items. If you’re an avid collector of rare vintage volumes or simply someone with a passion for books, these beautiful publications are worth adding to your bookshelf.
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