1928 - Charles Scribner's Sons, New York - First Edition, Second Issue
Finely bound copy of Boyd’s epic novel of the American Revolution, highlighted by N. C. Wyeth’s iconic illustrations, black and white pen drawings, colour title page and fourteen full-page colour plates.

One of
Life magazine’s 100 most outstanding books for 1924-1944. 
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Price HK$ 4,000



War Speeches - Including: Into Battle, The Unrelenting Struggle, The End of the Beginning, Onwards to Victory, The Dawn of Liberation, Victory, and Secret Session Speeches - Sir Winston Spencer Churchill

1941 to 1946 - Cassell and Company, London - First Editions
Seven finely bound first edition volumes of the monumental orations from Britain's war leader, compiled by Randolph S. Churchill and Charles Eade. Illustrated with half tone plates mostly from photographs.

'
Into Battle' contains the most memorable Churchill speeches of the war, from 'Blood Toil Tears and Sweat' to his heroic homecoming at Harrow School; 'Unrelenting Struggle' covers the period from Nov.'40 through Pearl Harbour and the 'some chicken, some neck' speech in Ottawa, Dec.'41; 'End of the Beginning' chronicles the turning point of the war, following victories at Alamein and Stalingrad and the North Africa landings; 'Onwards' features speeches delivered prior to the invasion of Europe on 6 June '44; 'Liberation' continues the 'hopeful' nature of the 1944 speeches, whilst 'Victory' provides us with the final, triumphant war speeches. Six 'secret' speeches concludes the series. 
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Price HK$ 26,000



From Cairo to Siwa Across the Libyan Desert with Armoured Cars - Signed and Inscribed - Major T. I. Dun, D.S.O., M.C., R.A.M..

1933 - Messrs E. & R. Schindler, Cairo - First Edition, number 26 of 75 De Luxe Morocco bound volumes
Scarce first edition of this magnificently illustrated large and luxuriously presented account of this 1,100 mile reconnaissance trek from Cairo to Siwa across the Libyan desert with the XIIth Royal Lancers and their ten Rolls Royce armoured cars commanded by Major J.R.C. Rawnsley in October of 1932. To add to the challenge, it had only been three years since the regiment had switched from Horses to armoured cars (left to them by the Royal Tank Corps in 1929).

Number 26 of only 75 deluxe quarter morocco bound volumes, housed in bespoke black illustrated slipcase, present here.
Signed and then inscribed twice by the author, Major Dun, to ’my friend E.S. Millar, March 1939’, both on the fabulous bookplate and to the limitation page.

Illustrations and decorations by N. Strekalowsky, together with many other artists as well as students of the School of Fine Art, Egypt. Sixteen pages of photographs, 1 full-page illustration printed in gold, 1 tipped-in plate printed in silver and another in gold, folding map of Egypt showing the route taken, and a coloured plan of Cairo; text printed in red and black, numerous substantial marginal woodcut illustrations in a variety of colours, decorative gold endpapers.

After the delightful and thoroughly British foreword by Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood, Bt., G.C.B, G.C.S.I., G.C.M.G., C.I.E., D.S.O., LL.D., Indian Army, Colonel, XIIth Royal Lancers, the book is divided into four parts. The first is a narrative of the journey from Cairo to Siwa and back; the second is a short history of the customs and superstitions of the Siwa Oasis and adjacent Libyan Desert. Then come photographic pages and lastly a map drawn by J. H. Rowntree, supplementing the sketch map in the text.
 
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Price HK$ 15,000



The Complete Flashman Series - 12 volumes - George MacDonald Fraser

1969-2005 - Herbert Jenkins, London - First Editions
A complete set of the magnificent Flashman series, featuring Victorian anti-hero Harry Flashman, the caddish bully of Tom Brown's School days who was expelled in drunken disgrace from Rugby school in the late 1830's, soldier, duellist, lover, impostor, coward, cad and hero?, this is the story of a blackguard who enjoyed villainy for it’s own sake.

For the sake of your enjoyment here is a summary of each book, which just touches the surface of what some, including Mr. Lok Man himself, consider to be the greatest way to learn the history of the British Empire from the 1830’s through to the 1890’s.

All first editions in superior dust jackets than usually encountered, and with the first volume
signed by George MacDonald Fraser. 
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Price HK$ 28,000



Architectura Navalis - bound with - Architectura Civilis, Nova & Antiqua - Josephum Furttenbach, Georg Andreas Böckler [Boeckler]

1629 - Johan Saurn, Ulm - First Editions
A stunning, clean and complete copy of Joseph Furttenbach’s famous treaty on shipbuilding, Architectura Navalis with double-page engraved title, title in red and black, twenty stunning double-page engraved plates showing boat design, and various types of boats many engaged in action with other boats and monsters of the sea. Furttenbach was a highly influential German architect, who attempted to cover all fields of architecture in his writings. Böckler corresponded with Furttenbach and his works on architecture were intended to contribute to the rebuilding of Germany after the devastation of the Thirty Years War, his Architectura Civilis, Nova & Antiqua presents a comparative treatment of the Orders [Architectural Styles] and is illustrated with forty engraved plates, woodcut printer’s device and red and black text to title page, woodcut head pieces, and initials.  
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Price HK$ 95,000



Life of the Amir Dost Mohammed Khan, of Kabul; with his political proceedings towards the English, Russian, and Persian governments, including the victory and disasters of the British army in Afghanistan - Mohan Lal

1846 - Longman, London - First Edition
A rare and important work. Illustrated with nineteen portraits printed on India paper.

In this two-volume biography, Indian diplomat and author Mohan Lal (1812–77) describes the life of Amir Dost Mohammed Khan (1793–1863), the ruler of Afghanistan. The work also includes an eye-witness account of the disastrous First Anglo-Afghan War.

Lal, who was attached to the British mission to Kabul, had prepared an account in English and Persian which was lost during the chaos of the War, but he later put the story together again. In his Preface, Lal apologises to the reader for his abundant errors both in grammar and idiom and explains that anecdotes about the Amir's adventures and morals were generally communicated to him second-hand. However, the book, which contains illustrations and draws on personal correspondence, is a fascinating account of the ruler himself and of his political dealings with the English, Russian and Persian governments at the time of the 'Great Game' in Central Asia. [CUP]
 
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Price HK$ 18,000



A Critical Inquiry into Antient Armour - Samuel Rush Meyrick

1824 - Robert Jennings, London - First Edition
A beautifully illustrated huge three volume folio set of this landmark work.

Illustrated with three additional engraved titles and eighty engraved plates from Meyrick’s own paintings, seventy of which are hand coloured many embellished with gilt and silver, and twenty seven large hand-coloured and gilt historiated initials. Additional copies of colour plates XLV and LI laid in.

‘This most superb archeological work is animated with numerous novelties, curious and historical disquisitions, and brilliant and recondite learning... Sir Walter Scott justly describes this collection as the “incomparable armory, plates as fine as the monuments of Westminster Abbey. Really and truly the work is admirably executed, and deserves every eulogy"’. (
Edinburgh Review, quoted in Lowndes).

With the history of the wars of mankind, obviously, and from the remotest periods, it is connected; with the mythology and sacred rites of almost all nations and religions; with the rise and progress of a large portion of the arts; with questions of jurisprudence and civil polity; and with some of the most favorite amusements of all ranks in antient, as well as modern, times’. (preface). 
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Price HK$ 22,000