Monday, July 21, 2008

A quick trot around Ibooknet

Ibooknet is a co-operative with dealers from all over the UK and Ireland. As a group we have many and varied specialities, from music, languages and linguistics, through to modern firsts and fine bindings, but nearly all of us have a stock of books relating to the areas we live in.

This post provides a quick gallop through the highlights of a few of our members' stock. Karen Millward, who is based in West Cork, Ireland, has in stock Hidden Gold, a record of people's experiences in a rural community in West Cork. It was produced in 1998 by The Coomhola Borlin Community Development Association, and is a social history with something of interest for everyone. For the visitor, it includes maps and local legends, while for local residents it has verbatim accounts of local history and personal photographs and anecdotes. It gives an insight into a way of life which is fast disappearing.




Catherine Hawley is based in Yorkshire, and has the wonderfully florid volume below in stock. I particularly like this supremely confident style of Victorian decoration. Skipton, and indeed the book's author, have plenty of which to be proud, it says. The History of Skipton is by W. Harbutt Dawson, and was published in London by Simpkin, Marshall & Co. and Edmondson & Co. in 1882. This is a very good tight copy: it has blue boards with a gilt illustration to the front and gilt titles to the spine. The endpapers are lightly browned, and there is a hint of wear to the points. It is priced at £60.00.




Based near Peterborough, Peakirk Books specialise in children's books, but also have a good stock on the Northamptonshire poet John Clare, as well as a facsimile of a book originally published by Richard Chiswell, London in 1686: The History of the Church of Peterburgh, by Symon Gunton. This edition was published by Clay, Tyas, Watkins and Clay in 1990, and has an introductory essay by Canon Jack Higham of Peterborough Cathedral. Both book and dustjacket are very good indeed throughout. This copy is the numbered limited subscriber's edition bound in bottle green cloth, and is no. 86 out of 200 copies produced. It costs £50.00.

The flatlands of the Fens inspire some and make others desperate to leave. Without man, they would not exist in the form they are today. Dorothy Summers wrote The Great Level: a history of drainage and land reclamation in the Fens: specifically the Bedford Level. Peakirk have a copy of this for sale for £50.00. This book, a first edition, was published in London by David & Charles in 1976. illustrated with plates, maps and diagrams, both book and jacket are near fine.

If you are interested in any of these books, you can either find and order them via this page, or contact the dealers direct.

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