What literary treasures are yours? [Archive]

View Full Version : What literary treasures are yours?

PershsNhpios

12-26-2010, 08:21

Here is a subject which I am sure can belong here, but which I have yet to see written about.

I have read many classics, mostly through their English renditions, since I first stumbled upon the Commentarii Caii Caesaris having dropped out of high school in the third (of six) years at about 15.
These were gathered from the internet and with time and patience printed, stapled, and made into little booklets.

I had the above mentioned Commentaries, Thoukydides, Xenophon's Symposion, Anabaseos, Hellenica, and all minor works, Plato's Symposion, Hesiodos' Works & Days, Homeros' Odysseia, Tacitus' Annals and Germanica, Aristoteles' On Dreams, Sleep, Sleeplessness, Breathing etc, and the Rhetorica, also a few of Aristophanes' works.

However, these little folders full of copy and paste jobs from the internet were not built to last, and some suffered with my extensive reanalysis of them.
After I began reading many of them again in their native language, and when I was starting to realise how many more works there were yet to encompass - I began to yearn for a beautiful, published edition of each - preferably with Latin or Greek on an opposite page to English or German, as I had once seen in a book.

So I looked online with the intention of spending money.

A month later, I had a growing collection of various editions of works from the wonderful Loeb Classical Library:

Plinius Maioris' Naturalis Historia in ten volumes.

Plinius Minoris' Epistulae in two volumes.

Apuleius' Asinus Aureus.

Columella's De Re Rustica et opera minora, De Arboribus in three volumes.

Epictetus' Discourses.

And the latest: Athenaeus' Deipnosophistae in seven (large!) volumes.

These are all completed by the collection of various editions from 1927-1980, all LCL, meaning each is beautifully bound with a full introduction and both Greek or Latin with English facing, footnotes, diagrams and well indexed.

Now I have also some treasures which should be arriving next week, these being bought in a later spree when I awoke one morning and decided I wanted a fine edition of the Commentarii, the first I ever read - as I had never had anything but an internet copy.

That led to the purchase of an early edition of all Caesar's works (even Fragmenta!) in worn external condition but strongly bound and well kept internally, which was reprinted in 1764. Now that may be a doddle for any of you Europeans, but Australian as I am, I have not handled a book older than a century.
The book includes three fold-out maps, is of course all Latin and was sold for 46 pounds, which is about $AU73.

Well I think it was a wonderful deal, but I'll know it when I receive it in the post!

I also purchased a full 3 volume edition of Pausanias' Descriptio Graeciae in the old Greek with Latin annotations printed 1829 - with - the first (and only available) volume of six representing the full works of Tacitus printed in 1760, which being the first volume only consists of the first six books of the Annals (Which I appreciate anyway!).

These two purchases together in good condition for $US200.

---------

Anyway, you can tell that I prize them highly, and if I haven't been duped I will be even more contented when I see them safe and sound here at home.
For my first venture into the world of antique books, I think I came out with some very good deals, and some valuable books also which I will be proud to study and care for.
Any of you please don't hesitate to tell me if I have made a mistake somewhere in paying too much!

The collection of LCL editions I have amount to about $AU750 to begin with, so I will have quite a little trove when the older ones arrive!

Now I didn't make a thread just to brag - I could have done that anywhere on the forums :laugh4:

Here is the interactive, actual point of this post! Right here!

I really want to see if there are any others here who have collected antique books, classical or not, historical or not (best if they are though!), if any have some of the Loeb Classical Library editions, if any of you I suppose have a soft spot for a certain well crafted old book in your library which you would care to share your appreciation of.

This thread has the potential to be off-topic in this forum if it isn't already, but I hoped it might be more suited to the audience here.

Populus Romanus

01-20-2011, 00:07

Polybios, Livy, Appian, Xenophon, Thucydides, Herodotus, Darwin.

PershsNhpios

01-20-2011, 01:30

Interesting! Which works of Xenophon? What editions of what translations, are they published with the original greek or latin text?

How old is the book (When was it printed?)?

I have received my three packages now. The book of Tacitus' Annals is well bound with a leather sporting a marbled appearance, with beautiful engraving of floral weaving upon the spine, inside on the board there is a pasted small square of paper which shows a great and detailed heraldry with the name underneath: John Dudley Moore. I can only assume that the book belonged to this fellow at some stage. There is an engraving of an artist's impression of Tacitus and Roma, with a fine title page showing the year of print and dedication, following by a long introduction in vulgar latin describing the origins of Tacitus' works and how they were passed on to the new age by printers in Venice.
That one was printed in 1760 in Paris.

Then there is my favourite, Caesar's Commentarii, which is bound with thick, tough leather and stamped with a pattern at the spine, the cover is torn and frayed in places. Inside there is an engraving of the artist's impression of a Roman military camp and again a beautifully printed title page with the date of print and dedication, followed by a page with an engraved coat of arms, beneath which is the very officially stated permission in English of Her Majesty Queen Anne to print this book and 11 others besides - forbidding the copyright to any other persons other than those stated - an order to be disobeyed at the transgressor's peril, dated 1713. The book has three fold-out maps of Gallia, Graecia and Alexandria, all very intricate in engraving and detail, all well preserved.
There are many patterns and elaborate font adorning title pages and others of special note.
This was printed 1764 in London.

Then there is the little set of three books which comprise Pausanias' Descriptio Graeciae have a dark marble colour upon tough boards, well bound, with very thin and much more modern paper. There are no special titles nor dedications but a short introduction in Latin before the small, thick but most admirable old Greek begins.
These were stereotyped 1829 in New York.

TinCow

01-20-2011, 01:49

Ah, a subject near and dear to my heart. It is one of my goals in life to assemble a large historical library, complete with wood paneling, fireplace, leather reading chairs, and those bookcases with the rolling ladders. No such library would be complete without rare and antique books, so I've started collecting them. I'm still starting out so I don't have much yet, but I have ambitions far greater than my wallet at the moment.

My collection began with a complete first edition of Winston Churchill's The Second World War. It was purchased from Foyles in London in the late 1990s for about 90 GBP. Obtained it unintentionally, as it was the only complete set of the works Foyles had. I would have paid less if they had a reprint, but they did not. I recently decided that I would turn this into a complete first edition set of all of Churchill's works, and thus picked up a complete first edition of A History of the English Speaking Peoples a little over two years ago for about 100 GBP at a great store in Hay-on-Wye. I will pick up the rest as I encounter them in future years, they are not rare nor expensive, so not a priority.

There are two 'prizes' of my collection. The first is an edition of Foster's Crown Law detailing the Trial of the Jacobites. It is a first edition published in Dublin in 1763 in good condition both out an in, bound in polished calfskin. It was picked up at auction in London as a gift, so I do not know the exact price, but I would estimate about ~$2000 USD. The second prize is a publisher's edition of Nigel Hamilton's 1981 three-volume biography of Montgomery. It is in mint condition, bound in leather with gilt edges and is one of only 25 ever created. It is signed by the author. This also was a gift, so I have no idea whatsoever about the price, but I would expect somewhere in the region of $1000 to $2000 USD, perhaps more.

I also have an 1885 edition of the four-volume The Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte by Lousi Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne. I picked it up in Pittsburgh several years ago at a random university bookstore for about $100 USD. The historical merit of the work is pretty suspect and I have no real desire to read it, but it has a gorgeous red leather and gilt binding and will make nice filler for my library.

My most recent purchase is actually not a book at all but a map. It is a map printed by Hendrik Hondius somewhere between 1600 and 1610. The map itself portrays the empire of Charlemagne, so it provides me with double fascination as the map itself is historical due to its age, but also portrays an even deeper history in the actual content. The map is iron ink on cotton paper and in very good condition. I purchased it for 250 EU (with some free prints of other stuff thrown in) in Paris last September. I considered that price to be an absolute steal, but it was unframed and the framing cost about $650 USD, so it didn't turn out to be quite so cheap.

I also have a few other random bits which may be of historical interest, but which I don't really consider to be part of my collection for the historical library. The first is a copy of Oswald Mosley's 1932 manifesto, The Greater Britain. It was a book published to promote the British Union of Fascists and my copy actually includes an original flyer insert that reads "Join The British Union of Fascists. Write your application for membership to: 1, Great George Street, Westminster, London, SW1." I find that to be hilarious. The book was given to me for free by a used book dealer while I was searching for books on the subject of my undergraduate thesis (British support for Nazi Germany, 1933-39). The inside cover has a price listed at 45 GBP, so I guess that's about the worth. Also obtained for the same thesis is a six volume edition of the History of the Times of London. The editions were published over the course of many years, beginning in 1935. I have no idea about the price, but I doubt it's very much as it's a subject of very limited historical interest.

Finally, I have a history of the USS Sangamon (a WW2 escort carrier), published by the ship itself in 1945 and given to the crew after VJ day. It is very rare and contains information not available anywhere else about that particular ship. The value is probably not very high, but it is priceless to me as it is a family heirloom: my grandfather was a lieutenant commander in charge of radar on the ship, and it is his copy.

My current objective is to obtain a complete first edition of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. That will require a serious monetary layout though, and is difficult to find. I hope to have it in the next five years though.

PershsNhpios

01-20-2011, 02:09

That's marvellous TinCow, thank you very much for sharing. I also am most admiring of such an idea, holding a library within an otherwise obscure household, the contents of which are of such vintaged but also classic and educational value that they are together the greatest item in the possession of the owner, who is thereby given the power to pass on these gifts to deserving family or to posterity in universities or libraries of note. The owner of such a collection is also doing more than most to preserve the most important physical memory of man.

I will not have such a haven any time soon since I intend to be enlisted within the military shortly, but I am manufacturing a large chest which will hold all of my collected literature in the condition in which it was received, and as life goes on and I have thoroughly read them all, and the collection is somewhat swollen, it will be a pleasure to keep watch for one deserving of the treasure!

It is a collection of much variation of subject which you have so far TC! The History of English-speaking Peoples is something I have been interested in reading, but perhaps not so surprisingly I have not heard of the other works you mention.
I am very envious of your map! And the amount of funds which seem to be forthcoming for your project!

Do you have an idea of what your next purchases will be or are you an opportunist?
I have always found that opportunity rather than intention yields the greatest profits.

TinCow

01-20-2011, 03:16

The rare book aspect of the library will only be small portion of it. I already have a few hundred general non-fiction books, and similar titles will make up the rest. It's hard to avoid the temptation of rare books when you're a literary type though, so it's sunk its teeth into me. I have no plans to create anything worthy of a university or library, only to build something for my person enjoyment. It it becomes a collection of merit, that's great, but it's not the objective.

As to the variety, that is a reflection of my own tastes. I started as a historical specialist (European History, 1900 to 1950), but have become a historical generalist over the past 10 years or so. I am currently on a quest to learn at least some basic portion of all areas of recorded history. I want to have at least some small academic insight into every single period of time in every single place on Earth. Perhaps I will get there, perhaps not. When it comes to the library though, that certainly gives me a lot of options when it comes to collecting. As I noted, my next actual objective for a purchase is a first edition of Gibbon's Decline and Fall. However, that is the only immediate goal I have and I am always willing to purchase anything of interest that crosses my path and which I can buy without being yelled at by my wife.

Tiberius of the Drake

01-20-2011, 03:31

Much like Tincow, one of my life goals is to amass a large historical library. As of now my collection is limited to mainly modern bindings of older texts but I intend to try to attain older editions as I become (hopefully) more financially stable. My favourite text I have is a '91 binding of Sir Charles Oman's A History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages in two volumes. Most of my other titles are even newer than that. But i do have an unabridged set of Edward Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Hopefully, my library will only continue to grow

PershsNhpios

01-20-2011, 06:37

Excellent, both of you!

It will indeed continue to grow Tiberius, and I should write here that I have read all of those texts cheaply which I have then decided to collect in antique form. It is more of an appreciation and dedication to the preservation of the works rather than simply the wish to read them.
If you want to read a text, you should take the shortest route possible - that is - the cheapest way of obtaining it and in the language you will most readily understand. Then you can wish for fancier things I believe!

And the two works which you describe intrigue me Tiberius, in that they are also new to my knowledge. I would like to read them. There are certainly also many fine books being produced or reproduced today - beautiful bindings are not only found previous to 1960. I haven't yet mentioned that I bought for $AU27 a full unedited copy of Cervantes de Saavedra's Don Quijote which was printed in 1990 for the Academia Real in (I think) Madrid, which contains more than 2000 scholarly footnotes and commentaries. I really enjoy that one.

I was given by a friend three interesting novels in German. One printed 1937, which is titled 'Die Gruppe Boesemueller: Dem Gefreiten Wammsch' and is a long, brutal and varying story about a pioneer platoon section in WWI operating around Verdun written from several perspectives.
Another printed 1942 is titled 'Idylle in Bauerbach' by Richard Elsner and is a novel based on the author's impression of Friedrich Schiller's early adult life when he fell into poverty and also love with the daughter of a sponsor of his after becoming famous as 'Der Dichter des Raeubers'.
Lastly there is a translation of the famous American novel 'From Here to Eternity' translated as Verdammt in Alle Ewigkeit which was printed in 1955 and is the long tale of often disgusting, corrupt barrack life in an American post in Hawaii.

I suppose you have both drooled over the results found on BookFinder.com?

Booksandcollectibles.com is the other source of my collection so far.

As for your goal of knowledge TC, perhaps it is a little trivial and you may certainly be beyond them by now - but even with a broad general knowledge of history I am always very entertained and admiring of the modern 'Atlas of History' which is represented by many establishments with their own versions.
I always paw through them looking for the next major subject of history which I can then approach through other literature, searching for more detail.
They are very fun!

Populus Romanus

01-20-2011, 06:42

I forgot one! Caesar's "The Gallic War".
And I also just got Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire too! What a coincidence. And its for my kindle!

Tiberius of the Drake

01-21-2011, 15:37

Excellent, both of you!

I suppose you have both drooled over the results found on BookFinder.com?

Booksandcollectibles.com is the other source of my collection so far.

I have actually never used either site, but Now I am certain my productivity will lower further with the hours I will spend on these two sites. By the time I'm done collecting, I'll likely have two of everything; a cheap binding and a beautiful one! My goal is to not just amass a great collection, but also to have read them all. In that light, I completely agree with you Glenn. If you want to read a text, then do so in the most affordable way possible. the knowledge within the texts is more important than their appearence. MY main goal at the moment is to find a first edition of Sir. Charles Oman's A History of the Byzantine Empire. It was originally written in 1897 (?) so it will probably be hard to find, but it is my mission at the moment.

TinCow

01-21-2011, 15:49

I suppose you have both drooled over the results found on BookFinder.com?

I love you.

I had never seen that website before, and it is pure awesome. They have a full six-volume 1782 to 1788 set of Gibbon's Decline and Fall, including some first editions, for only a little over $3k. I was expecting a set like that to cost me $10k+. WOO!

Louis VI the Fat

01-22-2011, 02:12

I have several books signed by their author, which is neat. Other than that, I am not an avid collector, nor much of a bibliophile.

I do make it a point to: own every book I've read. Except for books of which I only need or will ever read a few chapters or articles, or utilitarian books. Secondly, I only allow books into my main library that I have actually read.

This way, one could take a snapshot of my mind by looking at my bookshelves. Everything I know is in there, everything I don't is not.

PershsNhpios

01-22-2011, 04:02

Thank you Louis, on entering a fellow's house for the first time he caught me (As I also caught myself) studying the books he kept upon his shelf very intently.

He agreed that one could assume the mind of a man by the books he kept, if it could also be assumed he found value in them.

It is excellent SPQR that you maintain a copy of that excellent commentary of the Gallic War, and I recommend the Civil, African, Alexandrian and Iberian War Commentaries to you also. I am much admiring of Caesar.

Tiberius, it seems that this Sir Charles Oman wrote a good many histories, and the Byzantine title interests me more than any other yet, since I am very ignorant of that era, yet highly respectful of it due to the empire's origins. Thank you for the inspiration and I am glad you enjoy the websites.

And I am very happy that you found such a bounty, TinCow, is it in the mail yet?
BookFinder does not present the search results as well as it could, and there are many confusing and misleading duplicates and titles, but if you know what you are looking for you will find a bargain and the items presented are of much greater value generally than what is shown on Booksandcollectibles.
It is the website to look for real antiques on.

One particular book I am wanting in an older copy in German (Maybe 19th century?) but which is not suitably forthcoming is Simplicius Simplicissimus written by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen in 1668, which is a picaresque novel in the tradition of Don Quijote based on the contemporary unparalleled destruction of the Thirty Years' War.

I have taken photos today of the oldest books I have (Those mentioned), two of which were purchased through BookFinder, another through Booksandcollectibles.

I have described them reasonably above, so I will let the pictures complement them alone, first is the 1764 reprint of all C. Caesar's works and fragments, printed in London under the license of Michael Mattaire. Found on BookFinder, bought for 45GBP or about $AU73.

http://s1.postimage.org/kpkyuknp7/IM002017.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
upload image (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/o96y7x2wr/IM002018.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
image uploading (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/rssxl9i4b/IM002019.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
image uploader (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/rssz8sum3/IM002020.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
free image hosting (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/vceym59tn/IM002021.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
free image host (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/yw0xzhp17/IM002022.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
hosting images (http://www.postimage.org/)

Then there is the senior, the 1760 print from Paris, unfortunately just the first of six books in a collection of Tacitus works - this one comprising six books of the Annals and notes. Found on Booksandcollectibles (Also appeared on BookFinder), bought for $US100.

http://s1.postimage.org/6j5hwkft1/IM002023.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
free image hosting (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/6j5jk3sat/IM002024.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
free image host (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/a2rixg7id/IM002025.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
adult image hosting (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/dmdiasmpx/IM002026.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
free image hosting (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/dmdjybz7p/IM002027.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
image uploading (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/h5zjboef9/IM002028.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
hosting images (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/kplip0tmt/IM002029.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
image hosting (http://www.postimage.org/)

Finally the much less glamorous but similarly valuable three-volume 1829 stereotype of Pausanias' Descriptio Graeciae. Found on BookFinder, bought for $US100.

http://s1.postimage.org/rsthfpo1x/IM002031.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
hosting images (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/vcfgt239h/IM002032.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
upload images (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/yw1g6eih1/IM002033.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
image upload (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s1.postimage.org/h5yzh88hn/IM002034.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
image uploader (http://www.postimage.org/)

I felt just like TC when I discovered these for such a tiny cost!

TinCow

01-22-2011, 04:46

And I am very happy that you found such a bounty, TinCow, is it in the mail yet?

Hah, I wish! I may have disposable income, but not so disposable that I can lay down $3k for some books on a whim. My excitement was knowing that they were available at a price I could afford with only a moderate amount of preparation. Even so, it could well be a year or two before I get around to it.

Great photos of your books! I love the bindings on the three-volume set. That's one of the things I find so wonderful about old books; they're beautiful to look at even when they're just sitting on a shelf. I'm also very fond of the map you photographed in the Caesar book. I like old maps that are 'off'; where the geography is sufficiently correct to be easily recognizable, but inaccurate enough to be clearly the work of a bygone era. That precise appearance is one of the things that attracted me to my own map:

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b203/TinCow/IMG_0115.jpg?t=1295667943

PershsNhpios

01-22-2011, 05:26

That's a masterpiece, TC, thank you for sharing it!

It is interesting to note how vague the map becomes as one approaches Russia, Africa, and even (surprisingly) Britain, when France and Italy, and for some reason southern Greece and Peloponnesos remain very detailed.

Of course, I just remembered that the map is not of contemporary geopolitics but of Charlemagne's empire, which explains alot!

It is very beautiful and you have quite a prize there, TC. The book of Caesar's works includes two other maps I believe, of Greece and Alexandria, I might find them later and photograph them also.

Beirut

01-23-2011, 00:46

PershsNhpios

01-23-2011, 01:43

Good to hear from you Beirut - I am very sorry about your old collection - I become angry with the heavens when the humidity causes a fragile book to crinkle slightly in its drawer!

It's just marvellous that you have the Seven Pillars - that was one of the first historical accounts I ever read and everything pertinent to Lawrence is of much interest to me. One of my recent joys was the discovery of a 1980s edition of the Pillars in a St. Vincents store for $2 in perfect condition! Most appreciated!

I also have an interesting biography of Lawrence written and printed in the 1960s which tells much of the events and charades that Lawrence left out "for very shame".

These go right along with the "Letters" and collected, published personal documents and biographical work of Rommel written by Liddel.

Beirut

01-23-2011, 03:20

Hey Glenn,

In my case it wasn't just humidity, but a hot water tank that sprang a leak that went unoticed for at least two-days. When I went downstairs there was an honest 12" to 16" of water in the basement and books floating like dead fish in a polluted pond. Oh my...

Yes, I am a fan of Lawrence as well. I began with Liddell Hart's bio of him, then read "The Mint", and then The Seven Pillars. I haven't read Hart's book on Rommel, but I will. I have several of his books; On Strategy, The Real War 1914-18, Great Captains Unveiled, Sherman, Scipio Africanus, The Other Side of the Hill, and, of course, Lawrence of Arabia. My first book of his, my father's hardcover The Second World War, was killed in The Flood. I am a huge fan of Liddel Hart. Something about his style of writing hits me in exactly the right way.

As this topic is about literary treasures, you sparked my interest and I'm going to look for as old and excellent a copy of Churchill's "The World Crisis 1911-18" as I can find. Probably won't be able to buy a first rate copy until summer, but it's a nice treat to look forward to.

PershsNhpios

01-23-2011, 04:09

Good luck in your search Beirut,

I just couldn't think of the name - Liddell Hart! You are quite right, he wrote the biographies for Lawrence and Rommel, that is why I drew the comparison - this had skipped my mind and his name is always confused in my thoughts with Liddell & Scott, the two authors of the famous Classical Greek Lexicon.

I had no idea of the extent of his works, and I will be keeping an eye out for these also.

It is a bad habit of mine to always be searching for the primary source, the horse's mouth, and in doing so I have often remained ignorant of some marvellous secondary works of notable historians, especially those who have written in recent times. I must and will remedy this!

It is often very difficult in Australia, even now to find unbiased accounts of either of the world wars, and especially one can expect to find most books on WWI to involve solely Gallipoli, Amiens and the Somme, and WWII to be similarly favourable of Australian involvements.

Nonetheless, the books I have seen quoted by title in this thread have ensured me that some wonderful works exist which would appear to encompass everything worthy of record which occurred in these wars.

TinCow

01-23-2011, 06:25

Interesting. Liddell Hart's History of the Second World War was the first history book I ever read. I credit him with helping spark my interest.

Beirut

01-23-2011, 21:10

It is often very difficult in Australia, even now to find unbiased accounts of either of the world wars, and especially one can expect to find most books on WWI to involve solely Gallipoli, Amiens and the Somme, and WWII to be similarly favourable of Australian involvements.

"Storm of Steel", by Ernst Junger, is an excellent WWI book written from the German point of view.

http://www.amazon.com/Storm-Steel-Penguin-Classics-J%C3%BCnger/dp/0142437905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295813319&sr=8-1

PershsNhpios

04-07-2011, 23:40

I found a site this morning and thought I would be generous and share a treasure trove with you.

The store contains books from the 16th century onward, but I will link you to the 16th century page in order to show you the real gems.

Unfortunately, there are some highly interesting works for me, just ~100 dollars outside my financial ability..

No matter - I found a copy of the Odysseia printed by Guil Delaune in 1705 for $205!

Enjoy! (http://www.prbm.com/interest/16c-a-b.php)

Motep

04-07-2011, 23:58

It is hard for poor folks in the US to get hold of fun books. Best I have is a book of german poetry/propaganda from about 1890 or whenever.

Zim

04-08-2011, 02:05

Nothing much at my house. My "library" is a mishmash of the very mediocre fiction books I read from time to time, the rather better ones my wife reads (and her children's book collection), and the different non fiction books that make up the bulk of my collection.

I do buy older books at antique stores, although one does have a great article by G.K. Chesterton in it. The most interesting book I've run across was a beautiful 100+ year old bible from the Netherlands I found in a little shop here in southern Oregon. I ended up buying it as a gift for a family member. Among the books I own that I will treasure forever are a few relatively new, inexpensive books I picked up while working at the U.S. Embassy in Paraguay. Among them are a very short book on mythology, a dry book on Paraguayan government a coworker gave me, and a history of the Chaco region signed by the author.

edyzmedieval

04-11-2011, 21:42

What a beautiful thread. :bow:

Once I'll have my own house, the main priority will be the "Work Room" which will be lined up with huge bookshelves to stack up all of the books that I enjoy. I have a huge book collection in my grandparents house (probably over 2000 books in there) but they're mostly novels and in my native language. Nevertheless, I do have a couple of interesting books lying around in my own small case, scattered between all the novels and history books.

Livy, Polybius, The Alexiad, Art of War, Machiavelli, Musashi (Penguin Classics, unfortunately). In the big bookcase at my grandparents I have a copy of a book written by Eisenhower (forgot the name), The Last Lion (about Winston Churchill) and a couple of others from the 1950's about World War II.

My favourite is an old 1941 book written by Nicolae Iorga, an unpublished small history of Romania destined only for a very small circle of intellectuals. Somehow that copy slipped and ended up in my own hands. Alongside it sits a a translated copy of Charles Diehl - Byzantium, published and printed in 1940 and even after 70 years, it's remarkable how accurate the book is. :book:

But nevertheless, once I will be set up in my own home, the library will be one of the major points. :yes:

PershsNhpios

04-12-2011, 09:12

Thank you for sharing, Edyz, Zim and Motep!

I would say, Motep, that it is considerably easier for you in the U.S. to obtain rare and valuable books than it is here in Australia.
A book costing perhaps AU$75 in the U.K. will cost perhaps AU$120-150 in the U.S., and here in Australia some bookseller will think they have won the lottery and sell it for AU$300 or more.

Unique histories of unique regions I am always interested in, Zim - especially if they are written natively! Could you describe the Dutch bible?

Likewise I am very intrigued by this unpublished copy you have mentioned Edyz. I am glad you are decided on a shrine to your collected literature - I myself would build a house around a library since it is mostly that which would occupy my time inside should I ever have the responsibility of a property.

I hope soon to show you all some new arrivals, but these have not even been bought yet - I am hoping they will remain on sale just 24 hours longer - and should I buy them they will be coming from the U.K., U.S. and from here also.
There are some veritable gems amongst the selection, which range from 1800-1876 in age. They include; the poems of Robert Burns; the poems of Allan Ramsay; Samuel Johnsons' Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland; h Odysseia with Batrachomyomachia, Ymnoi, Epigrammata and Leipsana by the lovely Omeros; and an interesting few volumes about Russia which I am keeping quiet until I have them in the bag (Gaw! What a bargain!).

Including postage, the cost for these should come to about AU$350. I think it's a hell of a catch!

Zim

04-17-2011, 10:41

It's been so long I'm not sure my memory is very accurate about it. I remember it was bound in leather, with etching on the cover, and maps in the back that impressed me. The family member I gave it to doesn't live too far away. I might be able to get another look.

The signed book from Paraguay actually has a chapter on U.S. president Hayes. One of their "states" was named after him. I always thought that was funny since he wasn't remembered well in the U.S., but apparently he intervened in Paraguay's favor as a mediator between them and one of their larger neighbors once.

The book even has a poem dedicated to him. "Poesia dedicada al Presidente de los EE.UU. de Norteamerica, Dr. Don Rutherford Bichard Hayes"

Thank you for sharing, Edyz, Zim and Motep!

I would say, Motep, that it is considerably easier for you in the U.S. to obtain rare and valuable books than it is here in Australia.
A book costing perhaps AU$75 in the U.K. will cost perhaps AU$120-150 in the U.S., and here in Australia some bookseller will think they have won the lottery and sell it for AU$300 or more.

Unique histories of unique regions I am always interested in, Zim - especially if they are written natively! Could you describe the Dutch bible?

Likewise I am very intrigued by this unpublished copy you have mentioned Edyz. I am glad you are decided on a shrine to your collected literature - I myself would build a house around a library since it is mostly that which would occupy my time inside should I ever have the responsibility of a property.

I hope soon to show you all some new arrivals, but these have not even been bought yet - I am hoping they will remain on sale just 24 hours longer - and should I buy them they will be coming from the U.K., U.S. and from here also.
There are some veritable gems amongst the selection, which range from 1800-1876 in age. They include; the poems of Robert Burns; the poems of Allan Ramsay; Samuel Johnsons' Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland; h Odysseia with Batrachomyomachia, Ymnoi, Epigrammata and Leipsana by the lovely Omeros; and an interesting few volumes about Russia which I am keeping quiet until I have them in the bag (Gaw! What a bargain!).

Including postage, the cost for these should come to about AU$350. I think it's a hell of a catch!

edyzmedieval

04-17-2011, 14:58

Thank you for sharing, Edyz, Zim and Motep!

Likewise I am very intrigued by this unpublished copy you have mentioned Edyz. I am glad you are decided on a shrine to your collected literature - I myself would build a house around a library since it is mostly that which would occupy my time inside should I ever have the responsibility of a property.

Books are a treasure, and I for one cannot wait to have a huge library inside my house complete with all the amenities to carefully store literary rares.

The unpublished copy is interesting because I believe it was written personally by Nicolae Iorga (he had a couple of secretaries to write for him), which makes it all the more intriguing because of the vast number of works he published. Nevertheless, it's interesting to see how historiography advanced from those times to these days.

Just one question Glenn - with the regards of rare books, do you have to pay any taxes or any import duties?

PershsNhpios

04-18-2011, 02:35

It is just grand that you have something so uniquely Romanian, Edyz, you can be very proud.

I am not impatient for my library - the problem is that I am having difficulty in keeping money in my pocket when I see such wonderful bargains - and especially when I realise what there is left to read in my lifetime.

Of course, should I ever be required to suffer the loss of youth and find myself not able to adventure as I do and as I shall nowadays, and should I be required to suffer this peacefully, then it will be the time for library and for agri hortique cultura, and I am sure there will be plenty of it.

Regarding these taxes and duties of which you ask, I have never heard of any - and if they exist - I am not about to start paying them now. But keep that thought to yourself or else you may give the Australian government new ideas. Indeed, importation of rare books may be one of the few things which are not taxed.

Thank you Zim, the somewhat trivial insights such as you describe which are found in these books are all part of the great attraction to them. When was the history of Chaco printed? How much of the eras previous to western conquest does the book detail?

On that website I linked, there are some books printed in the 16th and 17th centuries which comprise the very first letters and reports sent out of South America by the Spaniards detailing their discoveries and adventures. They are worth many thousands of dollars, but my God what a treasure they must be.
See the first entry here (http://www.prbm.com/interest/amsouth-a-b.php) for a Quechuan dictionary and grammar printed in 1586!

As for myself, I have managed to carry off three treasures, two of which should be here within the next few days, the other in a week or two. The one coming from America is bought from that same website, and is a thorough contemporary description of Russia in 1799, printed in three very full volumes in 1800. I won't say too much more, other than the fact that the collection cost only US$100. This is because the first two volumes have the text block completely (thought neatly) separated from the covers, and the third is apparently well on the way. Apart from this however, the text blocks and covers are remarkably sound and the pages themselves are well bound and tight - so I'll get those covers back on and there will be no problems. A very good deal I think - the books are detailed greatly and photographed in the last entry on this page. (http://www.prbm.com/interest/silkworm.php)

The other two books consist of Samuel Johnson's A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland in 1773, printed in 1876, in very good condition for AU$50, and my favourite - The Poems and Songs of Robert Burns with a glossary of Scottish terms and full page lithograph illustrations, bound in green morocco leather with gilt titles and decorations, raised bands and practically unblemished, printed in 1875 - for AU$150.

Quite a good deal I think, and I will have photos soon.

NightwindKing

08-10-2011, 16:05

lol I feel very outclassed reading this thread, but thought I'd reply anyway.

I have a very nice edition of The Art of War in original Chinese, and a copy in English. I have the Book of Five Rings, reprint. I also have Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, Josephus' complete works, a copy of the Mayan Codex...can't remember which one lol. And numerous other generic history books but those are my 'historical' history books ;-)