Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Burton, Richard F. Ultima Thule; or, A Summer in Iceland. William P. Nimmo, London, 1875.
Price: US$431.88 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: 2 vols. 8vo. brown buckram gilt, trimmed (cleaned-up ex-library, bound without half-tiltles, occ. notation & label removal marks, hinges cracking, rubbed with some wear to extremities, corners a bit bruised, some fraying to Vol. 1 frontispiece, occ. spotting, watermarking and other grubby marks); pp. iii-xx (last blank), 380, with 3 plates (one unlisted), 13 text figures & a colour folding map; iii-viii (last blank), 408, with 8 plates, 12 text figures & a colour folding map. Heavy item (2 kg), additional postage may be required for international delivery. A good copy only of the first edition. [Penzer 91-92].
Seller: Arapiles Mountain Books - Mount of Alex, Castlemaine, VIC, Australia
Burton, Richard F.. ULTIMA THULE OR, A SUMMER IN ICELAND. William P. Nimmo, London, 1875.
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Two volumes, decorated blue cloth. Spines browned, some shallow loss at ends, leaves toned. Solid bindings. With the ownership label of art historian H. Harvard Arnason, whose parents were Icelanders.
Seller: Johnnycake Books ABAA, ILAB, Salisbury, CT, U.S.A.
Price: US$650.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: London/Edinburgh: William P. Nimmo, 1875. Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) is most-famed for eitherr his African explorations or his erotica. But he also spent the summer of 1872 in Iceland, where he made his typical keen observations. Penzer notes that he wrote a sequel, but it was never published. These are Near Fine copies of the First Edition, a scarce title. Two volumes, in a nicely-done modern library rebind. Blue cloth with designs in green and silver; titling on the spine in green and gilt. Clean texts, very fresh, bright, and unmarked or foxed. Volume One has xix, 380 pages; frontis engraving of Reykjavik, with ten others within; fold-out map of Iceland. Volume Two has vi, 408 pages; indexed. Frontis engraving of a Danish harbour scene; twenty others within; coloured fold-out map. Institutional treatments: call numbers in gilt on the foot of the spine; pockets on rear paste-downs with "discarded" stamp; embossed chop on the title-pages. Faint bit of rub to margins. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.
Seller: Quercus Rare Books, Chico, CA, U.S.A.
BURTON, Richard Francis.. Ultima Thule; or, a summer in Iceland.. William P. Nimmo, London, 1875.
Price: US$696.82 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, 2 volumes, original publisher's blue cloth binding, gilt map on covers with decoration of monsters; rear covers stamped in blind; bindings are tight, a little wear at spine ends and corners; end papers in good condition with the name of a former owner and of a library; the owners name appears in several other places: end paper and a plate; inside good condition with foxing on the first pages and on sveral plates; book complete of maps and plates; xix, 380; viii, 408pp., half-titles, 2 folding maps, 2 lithographic frontispieces, 9 further engraved plates, numerous text illustrations
Seller: Magnus, Paris, France
Price: US$801.37 + shipping
Description: 230mm x 150mm (9" x 6"). xix, 380pp, + ads; vii, 408pp. 11 plates, 2 folding coloured maps and other illustrations. Heavy item - shipping supplement may apply for overseas. G : in Good condition. Cover rubbed and slightly soiled. Re-backed retaining most of original spines. Ex.-lib. Cruising Association Blue hardback pictorial cloth cover
Seller: Barter Books Ltd, Alnwick, NORTH, United Kingdom
Richard F. Burton. Ultima Thule; or, A Summer in Iceland, 2 vol. William P. Nimmo, 1875.
Price: US$1000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 2 volumes, with historical introduction, maps and illustrations. Covers sheflworn and mildly stained. . Endpages have some staining along the edges.
Seller: Moe's Books, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First Editions, First Printings of both books in this (2) volume set. Each book has the lithographic frontispieces, fold-out maps and illustrations throughout the book. The books are in great shape bound in matching blue leather with elaborate gilt on the spines and new decorative endpapers. There is light wear to the spine and edges. The pages are clean with NO writing marks or bookplates in the books. A lovely copy.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Richard f. Burton. Ultima Thule or A Summer in Iceland. William P. Nimmo, 1875.
Price: US$1360.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: 2 vols, both show signs of age, rebacked and restored, spines faded, front boards bright, scarce Burton journey to Iceland. Language: eng Language: eng Language: eng
Seller: Ian Thompson, Milton, ON, Canada
Price: US$2000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First Editions, First Printings of both books in this (2) volume set. A beautiful copy bound in the publisher's ORIGINAL blue cloth. The books are in excellent condition with minor wear to the spine and edges. Each book has the lithographic frontispieces, fold-out maps and illustrations throughout the book. The pages are clean with NO writing or marks in the book. Both books have nice matching bookplates from many years ago. A lovely set housed in a custom blue slipcase for preservation. We buy Burton First Editions.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Burton Richard F. ULTIMA THULE; OR, A SUMMER IN ICELAND. London William P. Nimmo 1875, 1875.
Price: US$2695.00 + shipping
Description: 2 volumes. First edition. Both volumes with lithographic frontispieces, fold-out maps and illustrations throughout. 8vo, publishers original blue cloth, lettered and with pictorial motifs and borders in gilt on the spines, the upper covers with large and elaborate central pictorial decorations in gilt and black, bordering decorations in black, double ruled in black, the lower covers embellished in blind with ornamental devices and double border rules. xix, 380, 16 adverts; vii, 408 pp. A pleasing, well preserved and handsome set with some light shelf abrasion to the heads and tails of the spine. Endleaves and hinges in good order but with some minor splitting to the paper, spines a bit mellowed as expected, turnovers and extremities lightly rubbed, light aging, the text blocks in excellent and especially clean state with only minor age toning. Scarce in the original cloth without repairs as in this copy. RARE FIRST EDITION IN THE ORIGINAL CLOTH. In 1872 Burton received an offer from a British mining speculator to explore the sulfur mines in Iceland; he was promised expenses plus £2000 if large deposits should be found. Although the sulfur he found was not easily extracted, Burton was able to spend a great deal of time exploring the island; ULTIMA THULE remains one of the most important books of travel and exploration on the area and is rich with Burton's observations and evocative style. The book covers Icelandic, history, geography, geology, population statistics, taxation problems, fishing, industry, economics, and politics. One gets the impression that Burton, the inveterate adventurer and explorer, found Icelands natural charms less dramatic than the Himalayas and the Andes. In his usual curmudgeonly style he,"called the geysers a gross humbug. The natives were unwashed and generally unfriendly and the women reminded him of the chilly women of the north who live only by the head." Despite his sometimes surly tone, Burtons stated objective in writing the book was to be a spokesperson for Icelands development. He saw much hardship in the daily lives of its people and recommended three measures to improve the quality of life there: the working of the sulfur mines, the reform of the operations of the fisheries (their gold mines), and the extension of the emigration movement in a response to overcrowding. Not one of Burtons more inspired works, still the book is infused with probing observations and colorful descriptions. The author admits that the manuscript languished for two years after his return from Iceland as he became distracted by other writing projects. He believed that the passing of time actually increased his perspective and deepened his understanding of what he had seen. After a brief stop in London, Burton was to set off for his post in Trieste with Isabel where it is said that he labored on as many as 11 manuscripts at one time, each arranged on a separate tables.
Seller: Buddenbrooks, Inc., Newburyport, MA, U.S.A.