Hoonaloon News Jan/Feb 2014

Firstly, let me belatedly wish you a Happy New Year !

This month, I`m highlighting three recent additions to our stock, then I`ll mention a few others that may be of interest, after which I`ll move on to the boring stuff about where to find us and how to order.

 

6268

 

At 6268 in our listings, you`ll find Rev Charles Abrahamson`s The Holy Mountains of the World ; Charged in Operation Starlight (The Aetherius Society, 1994).

 

"This book is dedicated to His Eminence Sir George King, Primary Terrestrial Mental Channel for Interplanetary Parliament, whose total commitment  to the Great Cause of World Peace and Enlightenment gave to mankind the Holy Mountains of the World."

 

 

 

 

6282

 

We`ve recently acquired three Chatto and Windus editions of works by Robert Louis Stevenson, dating from 1904 and 1910. They are ;

 

6273 - Memories and Portaits (1904)

6281 - Travels With a Donkey (1910) (pictured)

6282 - Essays of Travel (1910)

 

They are not the only titles we have in stock by this author, but certainly they are attractive and interesting  without being ruinously expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6269 dust jacket 

 

Sometimes an apparently unremarkable book turns out to be one of the more interesting ones. A case in point is to be found at 6269 in our listings, a Hungarian reprint (in English) of Slave of the Huns by Geza Gardonyi. The translator is Andrew Feldmar and the illustrator is Victor C Ambrus, who also contributed the Foreword. 

 

The dust jacket in particular has seen better days, but this is an unusual find and a good chance to pick up this sought-after edition.    

 

 

 

 

6269 (hardcover)

 

Other recent acquisitions include ; Vladimir Dudintsev - Not by Bread Alone, Stuart Neild - A Haunted Man, Rachel Labouchere - Deborah Darby of Coalbrookdale, Christopher O`Toole - The Red Mason Bee and  Ruth Paley - Using Criminal Records.

 

To see our full catalogue of over 4,200 books, use this link ; 

 

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Hoonaloon-Books-Derbyshire/53404521/sf 

 

Our books can be ordered via the following sites ;

 

www.abebooks.com

 

www.antiqbook.com

 

www.marelibri.com

 

www.localstudies.co.uk

 

or of course you can deal with us directly by e-mailing us on hoonaloon@btinternet.com

 

Customers paying by credit card will need to order via www.abebooks.com .

 

That`s all for now I think, but remember - Respect the Book !

 

All the Best,

 

 

Nick and Ann-Marie

Hoonaloon Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hoonaloon News March 2013

This month we`re having a change of approach and taking a look at some of the pamphlets we have in stock.

There`s a lot to be said for the humble pamphlet. They`re normally cheap to produce and cheap to acquire. Within their pages all manner of views and attitudes can be encountered, and the format obliges their authors to express themselves with brevity.

Why waste your time and money on the outpourings of over-paid pundits ? The time is right to rummage in the pamphlet box. It`s contents are affordable, take up little space and don`t need to be fed.

Here are a few examples of the pamphleteers` art, currently in stock at Hoonaloon Books at very reasonable prices. 

5717 - Rudolf Steiner - The Change in the Path to Supersensible Knowledge - London, Anthroposophical Publishing Company - 1959

5720 - `A Barrister at Law` - Psychic Science ; What it Reveals - Hemel Hempstead, Needham - Undated

5723 - J N D Anderson OBE (Later Sir J N D Anderson) - The Evidence for the Resurrection - Inter Varsity Fellowship - 1954 (Reprint)

5752 - Chapman Cohen - Morality Without God - Pioneer Press/G W Foote and Co - Undated (in the `Pamphlets for the People` series)


So there you have it. Whether you lean towards Anderson`s Christianity, Cohen`s atheism, are a devotee of Steiner or share our anonymous barrister`s* interest in psychic phenomena, there`s something for you in one of these slender volumes. Buy, read and enjoy !

Nick



* I tried to find out the identity of our anonymous learned friend but withut any luck. If anyone knows this unknown author`s true identity, I`d be happy to hear from you, if only for curiosity`s sake.

Hoonaloon News February 2013

Hello and welcome once again to the Hoonaloon Books Blog, your guide to the vast panoply of literary loveliness that awaits you in the Hoonaloon Books online emporium.

At time of writing I have a headache, sore throat and runny eyes and generally cut a far-from charismatic figure. Any flippancy that creeps in from time to time is my attempt to stay upbeat under these circumstances !

First up, among our more recent acquisitions we have `Lanterns ; 23 New Writings`. Appearing at 5585 in our listings, this volume mixes both the fresh-faced young hopefuls and the grizzled veterans of the local literary scene. Within it`s covers you will encounter David Belbin, John Lucas, Mahendra Solanki, Peter Porter and many others.  Buy it now and savour the heady delights on offer ! 

 

5585

 

 

 

 

5640

 

Personally, I`ve come to the age where I prefer moths to butterflies, but  Kelam and Wood`s `Butterflies Shown to the Children` (5640 in our listings)  is a visual treat by anyone`s standards. I think this is a case where a couple of pictures are worth more than a whole bunch of words, so here are said images.

 

 

5640

 

 

 

Moving on from our winged pals, we turn our attention to the Thinker`s Library series. Published by Watts and Co by arrangement with the Rationalist Press Association between 1929 and 1951, this series eventually ran to 140 titles, some of which appear in my own collection.

 

At present we`re lucky enough to be able to offer you a number of Thinker`s Library titles at very reasonable prices, including works by H A L Fisher (5651),  Charles Duff (5650), Herbert Spencer (5643), Adam Gowans Whyte (5645), Ralph Waldo Emerson (5644), Luther Burbank (5649) and Mark Twain (5648). Pictured below is our copy of Sir Leslie Stephen`s `An Agnostic`s Apology` (5647).

 

 

 

5647

 

That`s just a brief selection from the titles we`ve acquired recently. all that remains now is for me to point out that our full stock of over 4,000 titles can be viewed by clicking here ; http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Hoonaloon-Books-Derbyshire/53404521/sf .

 

Happy reading and remember to Respect the Book !

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

Hoonaloon News January 2013

Greetings and welcome to our first newsletter of 2013.

Here at Hoonaloon Acres, ancestral home of the Hoonaloons, we have been ankle-deep in snow for the last few days. However, we`re managing to carry on more or less as usual, cold but cheerful,  and posted books out each day last week, with no appreciable delay to delivery that we know of.

Our main item of news is that we`ve reduced the price of our older stock so don`t forget to take a look at our catalogue and see if you can pick up a bargain or two.

All the items we have in stock can be viewed by clicking on this link ;

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Hoonaloon-Books-Derbyshire/53404521/sf .

Here are a few recent additions to our stock ;

 

 

5571 - Elizabeth Goudge - The Herb of Grace - Hodder and Stoughton - 1956 (1st/8th with no dust jacket)

 

Elizabeth Goudge (Elizabeth de Beauchamp Goudge) was an English author of novels, short stories and children`s books. Her career received a posthumous boost when it was found that a modern  author, whose books were critically very well-received, had lifted vast tracts of her work word for word !

 

Goudge was an unusually prolific writer who still commands a loyal following decades after her death (see www.elizabethgoudge.org). I doubt very much that she was writing for posterity, or for critics, but life`s like that !

 

I don`t suppose collectors are going to be overwhelmed by the opportunity to acquire an 8th edition of a first edition, but nevertheless this is a nice copy, available at a moderate price.

 

 

 

5574 - Raymond Rush - Countrywise One - Signed Copy - Churnet Valley Books - 1987

5573 - Raymond Rush - Countrywise Three - Signed Copy - Churnet Valley Books - Undated

 

A farmer from Siddington, Raymod Rush was noted for his knowledge of folk customs and the origins (often rather gory, apparently) of popular phrases and sayings. He made regular appearances on Radio Stoke and wrote a column on country matters for  the Town and Country Post.

 

The Countrywise series collected a selection of his newspaper articles in book form.

 

  

 

 

Elisabeth Hargreaves - Safe Journey Home -   Hutchinson - 1958 - (1st ed w/ dust jacket)

 

Elisabeth Hargreaves is often remembered as a writer of romantic fiction. As is so often the case, convenient pigeon-holes are not always accurate. Noted for it`s wit and sensitivity, Safe Journey Home tells the story of two very different women, both separated from their husbands, who find themselves sharing a house.

 

That`s about all for now. Our next newsletter will be alomg in due course but until then, do your thing with a swing and remember - Respect the Book !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

Hoonaloon News August 2012

BIG NEWS ON BARGAIN BOOKS !

Our latest sale has now officially ended. However, as it was going well, we`ve come to an arrangement with ABE whereby all the books we still have that were reduced in the sale are still reduced, but all the new titles we add are going on at full price.

This will help us keep a constantly changing stock and also cater to current trends as it`s clear that book buyers are becoming more and more price-conscious. Understandable, in these troubled times.

We`ve not yet decided how long to continue with this arrangement, so buy now to avoid disappointment.

A FEW RECENT ADDITIONS TO OUR STOCK

We continue to stock a comprehensive crime section. It may well be that you`ve caught one of Alexander McGregor`s appearances on TV documentaries and if so you may well be tempted to savour one of his literary offerings. The Law Killers is his most successful book to date and our copy can be found at 5191 in our listings. Browse our catalogue if you wish to discover the full range of murder and mayhem that we have to offer.

Old Sibthorpian Daniel Taylor began his journalistic career with the Newark and South Notts Advertiser before moving on to more esteemed periodicals. His passion for Nottingham Forest continues unabated and finds an outlet in this worthy tome, which you will find at 5187 in our listings.

This attractive volume is an antiquarian pocket-sized hardback edition of R L Stevenson`s Catriona and can be found at 5234 in our listings. Books of this sort were the ancestors of today`s paperback and were aimed at working people who wanted something stylish, affordable and durable they could slip into their pocket and take to work. Many have survived to the present day and they continue to be cheap, practical ways of  acquiring the literature of the past. More fun than a Kindle ! 

That`s all for now, bargain hunters. If you wish to keep up to date with our other activities and obssessions, fell free to visit http://bookshelvesandbrownale.blogspot.com and/or http://thesextonblakeblog.blogspot.com .

All the Best,

Nick and Ann-Marie Osmond

Hoonaloon Books

Hoonaloon News May 2012

Our April sale is now officially over. However, for an interim period the 30% discount is still being applied to all the items we put online before 27 April 2012, i.e. the vast majority of the books we have in stock.   The only exceptions to this are a handful of items that we have reduced in price by a greater percentage than 30% in order to clear them quickly, though these are few in number.

Items we have put online on 27 April 2012 and afterwards are not as yet discounted, though we will be having sales on a regular basis.

Here are a few recent additions to our catalogue ;

4976 Pauline Gedge - Child of the Morning

I had always understood that  the Pharaoh Hatshepshut was the only woman ruler of Ancient Egypt, but apparently that may not actually be the case. Nevertheless, she was one of the more remarkable characters to be encountered in the annals of ancient history.

This historical novel based on her life was published by the Chicago Review Press.

5014 Marta Cardona - Spanish Rose, Yorkshire Thorns (signed copy).

Set in Leeds and Huddersfield in the 1950s and 1960s, this novel tells of central character Maria and the struggles in life which lead her to find a strength and independence she would never have thought possible.

5012 Nina Warner Hooke - The Starveling

Nina Warner Hooke was (is ?) a prolific writer of children`s books, many of which feature the adventures of an animal. In this case, obviously, the story centres around the life of a cat. If you have a fondness for our four-footed feline friends this attractive novel may well be for you.

4962 and 5013 - Keith Reedman and others - A Corner of Derbyshire Volume II

This collection of old photographs was compiled by local historian Keith Reedman and others and was published by the Friends of the Erewash Museum. An essential item for anyone interested in the history of Derbyshire.

5019 - Catherine Darby - A Dream of Fair Serpents. What possessed budding writer Maureen Peters to adopt the pen-name Catherine Darby we may never know, but obviously it worked as I notice she has received the ultimate accolade accorded to any writer of imaginative fiction - her own page on the Fantastic Fiction web site ! As you can see, this novel, noted for it`s mix of fantasy/science fiction with historical fiction, also features a striking dust jacket design by legendary illustrator Biro.

That`s all for now. Any questions, just ask.

Brigadier Ethel Roberts - Lydia Longbone - Salvationist Publishing & Supplies- Undated (Salvation Army)

An interesting and unusual recent addition to our stock is The Home Life and Adventures of Lydia Longbone : Told in Letters From One School-Girl to Another by Ethel Roberts.

Published by Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, Ltd, and featuring an preface by the Salvation Army`s Commisioner Hitching, the book was obviously intended to promote the work of that organisation.

It is undated, but ther Commissioner`s preface was dated 1928. there is a Salvation Army

 presentation sticker at the front, possibly dated 1946. The problem with prize and presentation stickers is that often organisations laid in a supply of books for these purposes and sometimes did not issue them for some time, so that the date of publication is somewhat earlier than the presentation date. This book may well be a case in point as the pictorial hardcover and general style of the book would have been anachronistic for 1946.

The book is number 4237 in our listings and details can be found at www.abebooks.com , www.abebooks.co.uk , www.marelibri.com and www.antiqbook.co.uk . Of course we are always happy to deal directly with customers who prefer that, and with that in mind our e-mail adress is hoonaloon@btinternet.com .

It is unfortunate that the pictorial hardcover does not scan particularly well. More pictures are available on request, though.

Any questions, just ask.

Thomas Miller - Gideon Giles The Roper - Nicholson and Sons - Late Nineteenth Century

Thomas Miller was born in Gainsborough and was raised by his mother in circumstances of some hardship. As a boy he  worked on a farm owned by a relative but this seems to have been short-lived and he was soon back in Gainsborough.

After this false start he was taught basket-making by his step-father and in 1831 he moved to Nottingham where he intended to make a living in that trade. It was whilst living there that his first book, The Song of the Sea Nymphs, was published. It was also during this period that he married and started a family.

During his time in Nottingham he and his family lived at Coalpit Lane and he had a shop in Swann`s Yard (off Long Row) for a time. On market days he had a stall at the junction of South Parade/Exchange Walk, which he continued with even after he became a published writer. When tending his stall he was known to recite poetry in the hope that people would stop to listen and  be tempted to buy one of his baskets.  He wrote a number of poems of his own during this period, some of which were published in the Nottingham Journal. Nottingham and Derbyshire are frequently mentioned in his novels and poems, and in fact the central character in Gideon Giles spends an evening at the Old Ship on Pelham Street. I gather the building that housed The Old Ship is no longer there. 

In 1835, the Millers moved to London and there he found a mentor, the Countess of Blessington, who introduced him to the London-based literary world of the time. Presumably his new life suited him as he began to churn out novels and poems prolifically, with Gideon Giles being his best-known title.

Miller returned to Gainsborough for a while in the 1870s, intending to promote  his next book, Our Old Town. Unfortunately, the book  was not well received and he fell on hard times. This was nothing new for him; in 1851, a begging letter from Miller to Dickens had been rebuffed, with Dickens writing to Edward Bulwer-Lytton that he felt Miller had been ill-advised to pursue a career as a writer ; "I fear he has mistaken his vocation".

Fortunately, the poet Tennyson was more sympathetic and, as Miller enterd an impoverished old age,  approached Disraeli on his behalf. Eventually, Miller was provided with a pension to live on. He died in 1874 and, like many interesting and  notable characters, was buried in West Norwood Cemtetery. For those of us who take an interest in such things, there is a community/conservation/preservation group, Friends of West Norwood Cemetery, whose site can be found at http://www.fownc.org/ .

I many ways, Miller`s story is a sad one. Despite some success as a poet and novelist, his literary career never provided him with financial stability and he must at times have wondered if basket-making had been the better option ! Nevertheless, he has achieved a certain literary immortality, as we can see from the many modern reprints of his work. He may not be the best-known 19th century English Victorain writer, but equally, he`s not been forgotten.

Our copy if Gideon Giles is indeed a fine and dandy little volume and can be found at number 3988 in our listings, along with full description, price etc. As always, any questions, just ask.