sow the thought seeds

History never repeats.  Only those who forget it are guilty of that.  Oh, and historians, according to Max Beerbohm:  they repeat one another.  Agree with that logic and you will only require one book from the Past Perfect sale, which includes grand narratives and local testimonies, 'fact' and fiction, history ... or histories if you prefer.

The Past Perfect theme will run throughout March / April, and the books are available exclusively with Buy it Now so no need to wait ten days for an auction to end ... buy it and your book will be in the post immediately and on its way to you.

By the way, if you are sending a gift for Easter or any other occasion, there is an option for gift wrap and shipping to the recipient of your choice, together with a personal greeting (see below for details).

Happy research,

dene october

The Truth

Is objective truth possible in historical writing? The writer, George Orwell, writing in the Tribune, February 4th, 1944, has this to say on the subject: ‘When Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned in the Tower of London, he occupied himself with writing a history of the world. He had finished the first volume and was at work on the second when there was a scuffle between some workmen beneath the window of his cell, and one of the men was killed. In spite of diligent enquiries, and in spite of the fact that he had actually seen the thing happen, Sir Walter was never able to discover what the quarrel was about; whereupon, so it is said -- and if the story is not true it certainly ought to be -- he burned what he had written and abandoned his project.’

To protect your purchase, books are secured in thick bespoke corrugated card sleeve and a bubblewrap inner to stop the book bouncing in the card packet.  Standard paperbacks are shipped in a bespoke envelope (trimmed to fit the book snugly), bubblewrap and corrugated card stiffener.

The following is the system I use for grading books ~

Mint ~ New or as new, clearly unread, no tanning to pages, no creasing to spine or cover, no marks or inscriptions. This is the condition you would expect to find in a high street bookstore or on mail-order.

Excellent ~ The book appears to be in fine condition. A closer look reveals some signs of previous ownership, such as shelf-rubbing and in some cases an inscription. Yet on the whole, the book is perfect.

Very Good + ~ Less than excellent condition with no more than mild tanning or foxing to pages, minor creasing to spine or cover, possible shop sticker/pencilled price or previous owner name, but no other marks or inscriptions. This is still a tight and bright copy.

Very Good ~ The book shows clear signs of previous ownership / shelf wear. There may be some tanning / foxing to pages, slight creases to spine or cover, inscriptions from previous owner (typically their name or words of presentation).

Good + ~ The book cover and contents may have faded in colour and there may be creases, wear and inscriptions. However the book is still intact and readable and there is no loosening to spine or pages.

Good ~ This is an acceptable reading copy and there may be several of the reported problems above as associated with age and/or mishandling.

Poor ~ A book such as this is sent to auction for reasons such as the edition's rarity. This will probably not make an acceptable reading copy, and is more likely to have value in relation to its collectable status.

N.B. where a double grading is given, the latter refers to the dust-jacket, wrapper or cover

This grading guide is updated monthly to save you scrolling through archives. 

Your book can be gift-wrapped (paper and ribbon), together with your message in a card.

Simply request the service when paying, indicating the recipient, recipient address and 'your message'.

Your book will then be gift-wrapped, placed in bubble-wrap and secured in a thick, corrugated card sleeve before being sent to the recipient address.

The cost is £1.25. Please add this to the p&p box on your invoice.

foxing

Foxing (sometime spotting) is a catch-all term for spots or stains -- usually reddish as with a fox coat.  It is most often found on the endpapers, where the pages are closer to the boards, and as the discoloured imprints from inserted papers (such as bookplates, clippings etc).  Foxing is typically caused by moisture content and can be prevented or arrested through effective dehumidification.  Books avoid fungus best in moderate temperatures.  However, as with sunning/tanning, certain books appear to be more at risk of foxing than others and those with a high acid content, such as machine-made books from the nineteenth century, tend to show stronger foxing due to the absorption of minerals like iron salts.

How much do the British really care about their stately homes? In this wide-ranging account of the changing fortunes and status of the stately homes of England over the past two centuries, Peter Mandler melds social, cultural, artistic and political perspectives and reveals much about the relationship of the nation to its past and its traditional ruling elite. Challenging the prevailing view of a modern British culture besotted with its history and its aristocracy, Mandler portrays instead a continuously changing and modernising society in which both popular and intellectual attitudes towards the aristocracy - and its stately homes - have veered from selective appreciation to hostility and only recently to admiration. Mandler adds the missing pieces to the story of the country house. Going beyond its architects and its owners, he brings to centre stage a much wider cast of characters - aristocratic entrepreneurs, anti-aristocratic politicians, campaigning conservationists, ordinary sightseers and voters - and a scenario full of incident and local and national colour. He traces attitudes towards the stately homes, beginning in the first half of the 19th century when public feeling about the aristocracy was mixed and divided. Criticism of the "foreign" and "exclusive" image of the typical aristocratic country house was widespread. At the same time, interest grew in those older houses that symbolised a golden age of imagined national harmony. The Victorian period also saw the first mass tourist industry and a strong popular demand emerged for the right to visit all the stately homes. By the 1880s, however, hostility toward the aristocracy made appreciation of many country house politically treacherous, and interest in aristocratic heritage declined steadily for sixty years. Only after 1945, when the aristocracy was no longer seen as a threat, was a gentle revival of the stately homes possible, Mandler contends, and only since the 1970s has that revival become an appreciation. He enters today's debate with a discussion of how far people today - and tomorrow - are willing to see the aristocracy's heritage as their own.

I have never liked putting metal in my mouth, particularly forked metal. Since a child, it struck me that chop sticks were far more civilised way of consuming food than something that looks more like a hunting instrument. Visser's work explores the evolution of the eating ritual, covering every aspect from seating, serving, cutlery and invitations. Providing examples throughout history, from the ancient Greeks to modern yuppies, this book provides a history of table manners.

Geoffrey Moorhouse's classic account of the city of Calcutta in its myriad colours. Although a stinking pest ridden city, this dreadful place has a seductive fascination. Here author gives a look at the squalor, and at the metropolis on a grand scale, a portrait of the place, one of the best books on India written.