Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$387.65 + shipping
Description: First edition. Hardback, bound in the original blue cloth with gilt titling to spine and upper board.20 × 13.5cm, xx +189pp, + 36pp publisher's catalogue to rear. This copy belonged to Irish gardener William Robinson and bears his ownership signature to the half-title page, signed at Gravetye in 1899. William Robinson (1838–1935) was a gardener and journalist hose ideas about wild gardening spurred the movement that led to the popularising of the English cottage garden, a parallel to the search for honest simplicity and vernacular style of the British Arts and Crafts movement. He purchased the Elizbethan Gravetye Manor in Sussex in 1884 where he created a garden, putting many of his ideas into practice. His books included The Wild Garden and The English Flower Garden, the latter being the bestselling gardening book ever printed. A non-fiction title by the author of King Solomon's Mines and She. Originally issued as a serial for Longman's Magazine, A Farmer's Year is his diary for 1898, recounting the work on his wife's Norfolk estate, month by month, together with observations on rural life and the state of agriculture in general, which was suffering due to the population drift to the towns and competition from cheaper imported food. His descriptions of country life are beautifully written, but he does not ignore the hardship faced by many farmers and their workers. The book is illustrated with 36 monochrome plates by G Leon Little, and 2 maps. Condition: A good plus copy, and scarce to find with William Robinson's signature. There is light rubbing to the corners and spine ends of the blue cloth. The inner binding is sound but starting to weaken at the half-title (but remaining secure). There is light scattered foxing throughout with heavier tanning and foxing to the adverts to the rear, but the books remains in strong readable condition, and all plates are present.
Seller: Cox & Budge Books, IOBA, Hythe, United Kingdom
Price: US$649.95 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Scarce Haggard title. Collated complete. Large paper copy, limited edition no. 54/100. Inscribed by the artist Leon Little to Mrs Taylor. Green card boards with black lettering to spine. Boards are slightly grubby with some mild foxing. Rear board has some small losses to green covering where the card has torn. Corners bumped and worn. Wear to board edges. Spine is age darkened with bumping to ends. Page edges are rough cut. Top edge gilt. Some foxing to endpages. Previous owner's mark. Textblock is just starting to give. B/w frontispiece with tissue protection intact. Textblock has one or two grubby marks but is generally clean. 491 pp. 36 plates. 2 maps. Inscribed by Leon Little to Mrs Taylor. It was given to Thomas Erich Winch, by Anne Taylor, who was a daughter of the lady in the dedication. The Taylors lived in Margery Hall which is just outside Reigate. Mr Taylor was a photographer whom Queen Victoria sometimes used. The artist, Leon Little, was a friend of the Taylor family and the pictures in the book are allegedly scenes on their estate of Margery Hall which he did these whilst staying there as a house guest. Rider Haggard was also allegedly a friend of/ known to the Taylors. When securely packed this item will weigh in the region of 2143g. Postage within the UK remains at £3. For international orders ABE use an estimate based on a 1kg book. Where a book is lighter/heavier, we will reduce/request additional postage accordingly. We make no profit on postal charges. We expect a parcel of this weight to cost between £17.05 (Europe) and £34.70 (USA) to ship using Royal Mail's International Tracked Service. All our books are photographed so you can see what you are buying. ABE may, however, display a stock image whilst processing ours. (YBP Ref: 025789:15(3a)) Size: 4to - over 9 3/4" - 12" Tall 2143 G
Seller: YattonBookShop PBFA, Bristol, United Kingdom
Price: US$1850.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Edition; 3000 copies printed. Blue cloth, lettered and decorated in gilt on spine and cover, black end papers. Two maps and 36 illustrations including tissue guarded frontispiece by G. Leon Little. Publisher's 32-page catalog dated 9/98 at rear. Scott 32 : Whatmore NF2. Presentation copy in custom slipcase. Inscribed by HRH on the half title page: "To Jeannie with heartfelt wishes for her complete recovery from H. Rider Haggard/18 Dec. 1899". Lilly [Jeannie] Jackson was HRH's lifelong love and sister of his close friend Frederick Jackson. She died 6 months after this inscription. London: Longmans, Green and Co. (1899), xviii + 489 pages + 32 page catalog. A superbly preserved fine copy now housed in a custom leather and linen ribbed slipcase with silk pull.
Seller: SF & F Books, Chester, VA, U.S.A.