Antiquities & Oddities

//Antiquities & Oddities
­
  • Sorry, this product is unavailable.
  • Persuaded by a beautiful Russian Countess to help her flee her loathsome fiancè, Captain Jonathan Clark sails from San Francisco to Alaska, evading cunning rival Captain Portugee - who will unite with Clark to defeat the Russian menace, Prince Semyon.
  • Hiding under the witness protection programme, Rick Jarmin gets nervous when his old flame Marianne recognises him as her fiancè who vanished years ago. But before he can assume a new identity, the man he put in jail is released and comes to pay his respects. Rick and Marianne are thrown together on the run across the country, barely evading the police, gangsters and an amorous veterinarian. Also stars David Carradine, Joan Severance  and Bill Duke.
  • Over 150  original images guaranteed to cross your eyes, baffle your brain and frustrate your friends - there's even one dated from the time of the Ancient Romans. In colour and black and white.
  • This novel spans 130 years and follows the line of women of the Wrotham family, beginning with Sabrina in 1806. The daughter of a socially disgraced, sadistic roué, she is sponsored into 'Society' by her step-aunt - after having had some good manners vigorously instilled in her and her tomboyish ways smoothed out. Her brother Prior's marriage and production of children play a part in keeping the Wrotham name going. The next Wrotham woman is Clare - her brother Anthony's marriage to Harriet brings Charlotte to the line and the last is Gillian Rose, known as 'Jill'. The diaries and letters of the women are fictitious but the times in which the story is set are not, and many historical characters and events of England are brought to the story. As the generations overlap, with the members of each generation subscribing to the beliefs of their day, there is little sentimental romance involved - just a very good story, tinted with gentle romance and enhanced by the backdrop of historic reality.
  • Horse-loving sixteen year old Dinah Markham helps her Aunt Zoe run a riding school in Brenford, tending and training the ponies and teaching youngsters how to ride. Illustrated by Yvonne Bulgin.
  • Millions enjoyed Ronnie Barker - whether he was being one of The Two Ronnies, up to tricks in Porridge or was in hot pursuit of the desirable Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in Open All Hours. He was also a great collector, particularly of the most enchanting and fascinating picture postcards, produced in different countries from the late nineteenth century onwards. His collection numbered over 50,000. This is one of two volumes - The Green Album and The Red Album, published simultaneously - which show his eye for the saucy, the humorous or the ingenious. But they also provide entertaining galleries of a popular art form which is now the subject of collectors' dreams. As he said, 'The great majority of the better cards are indeed little works of art in their own right and they cost but a penny each.'
  • Realising he was on more than delicate ground and risking being caught between the choppers of the Machos and the Amazons , the irrepressible Ronald Searle felt it was more than time for a de-sexerciser - or at least, having a second look at some of the more sombre sexist crannies in the English language. The French don't seem to mind that la barbe (beard) is feminine; but in neuter English there are some anomalies crying out for correction. Is it logic that men should monopolise menopause ? Out of justice, womenpause must come. And so, Searle has corrected anomalies such as abandonment (abandonwoment) mandolin (womandolin) dismantle diswomantle -  and more - complete with illustrations.
  • Arthur Daley, national institution, super patriot and Olympic gold medallist in Ducking and Diving, takes a long hard look at the state of the nation and asks: What Is Occurring? Her Majesty the Queen forced to open up the hallowed portals of Buck House and become a Pentax-dodger; Mrs Thatcher roaming the seas singing for her supper; the fate of the country left in the hands of a Nerd-Do-Well and a Chancellor who smokes cigarillos - and even Her Holiness Lady Porter treated like some common shoplifter at Tesco! But Arthur is on hand.  His brief? To hold out a beacon of hope to hapless Brits lost in a mailroom of uncertainty and to lead them back to the level playing field on top of the high moral ground. To bring the country back to basics on such burning topics as the Monarchy; Sport, Education; the Citizen's Charter (Arthurised version); Europe, the Arts and the vexed question of Sunday Trading - in short it's an in-depth company report on Great Britain that makes the Doomsday Book look like a takeaway menu from the Fulham Golden Palace.
  • Book I of Erewhon. After a series of near-mishaps, Biggs, a traveler, crosses a mountain range and stumbles into a fantastic land utterly unknown to him - only to be jailed: for in this odd place being penniless is tantamount to criminality. Here, criminals are treated as sick people, sick people are treated as criminals and machines are outlawed.  Slowly learning the language and gaining the confidence of his hosts, he comes to know their strange ways and their stranger ideas and institutions - including the Hospital for Incurable Bores, the Musical Banks,  the College of Unreason - and the Museum of Old Machines. First published in 1873 and written as a commentary on marriage, religion education, crime and a world dominated by machines, this classic could apply to any time and anywhere in the world.
  • For three decades, Erma Bombeck chronicled motherhood's daily frustrations and victories and her columns were published in over 900 newspapers worldwide thrice weekly. In this classic anthology, she presents all sorts of mothers, and even a stay-at-home dad, on good days and bad. With hilarious anecdotes and deep compassion, she shows that there is no other profession that demands so much, and rewards so highly.  Anyone who thinks motherhood is easy has never had children. To care for children, a husband, and oneself is a superhuman task, and any woman who appears to be expert at doing all three simultaneously is not Supermom - she's a good actress.  See what other readers think: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/569043.Motherhood?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PITRhqkaqf&rank=1
  • A nameless stranger rides into the corrupt and explosive gold-rush town of Lahood, California. His  arrival coincides with the prayer of a young girl who is hoping for a miracle to end the sudden and random violence in the community. Fifteen year-old Megan quietly recites from the Bible: "And I looked, and beheld a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death and Hell followed with him.' A story of confrontation in a lawless time, the nameless stranger becomes a catalyst for hope and retribution. A struggle between ruthless corporation gunmen and innocent independent miners takes on a new meaning with the appearance of the enigmatic horseman... A novelisation based the screenplay of the film Pale Rider by Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack.  Follows the film almost exactly. The book contains stills from the film.
  • In 1965 a young man joined the well-established 'House of Pears' as a junior partner. Thomas J. Barrett's genius for advertising made Pears Soap a household name world-wide. But he also believed in education, convinced that poverty, squalor and slums were in great measure due to ignorance and realising that massive dictionaries and encyclopaedias were beyond the reach of the general public, he decided to publish a book that contained practical everyday information with general knowledge all in one inexpensive volume. And so, Pear's Cyclopaedia came to be published at the end of the 19th century.  The book grew steadily over the years and changed as new knowledge was added - until countless copies found their way into homes all over the world. Now older editions serve as fabulous historical documents in which changes to nations, borders, medical knowledge, communications and all manner of general knowledge is documented. In this, the 1958 - 1958 edition: The Wider World (Events; Prominent People; A Citizen's Guide; The Law Of England; Background to Economic Problems; The World of Science; Greek Myths and Legends); Everyday Information (Gazetteer of the World; Atlas of the World; General Information; Literary Companion; General Compendium); Home And Personal (Medical Matters and Baby Care; Family Affairs; Hygiene and Cosmetics; Cookery, Wines and Indoor Plants; Gardening; Sports and Pastimes; Radio, Television and Radar; Poultry and Pigeons; Domestic Pets and Birds). Certainly a book with something for everyone.
  • To the accompaniment of a pungent whiff of hot oil, a miniature cascade of coal dust and frozen snow, and the rasping sound of the derrick chain, the last of the cargo for No. 3 hold of the S.S. Donibristle bumped heavily upon the mountain of crates that almost filled the dark confined space. "Guess that's the lot, boss," observed the foreman stevedore. "Thanks be!" ejaculated Alwyn Burgoyne, third officer of the 6200-ton tramp, making a cryptic notation in the 'hold-book.' "Right-o; all shipshape there? All hands on deck and get those hatches secured. Look lively lads!" Burgoyne waited until the last of the working party had left the hold, then, clambering over a triple tier of closely-stowed packing-cases, he grasped the coaming of the hatch and with a spring gained the deck. "What a change from Andrew!" he soliloquized grimly, as he surveyed the grimy, rusty iron deck and the welter of coal-dust and snow trampled into a black slime. "All in a day's work, I suppose, and thank goodness I'm afloat." Illustrated by E. S. Hodgson. Author Percy Westerman was known for his accurate portrayals of sea-life and war. Many of his adventure tales were set in World War I. During his lifetime, he wrote an impressive catalogue of 178 books.
  • A fascinating history of Christmas carols and their meanings. Who was Good King Wenceslas? What are the pagan origins of  The Holly And The Ivy? And - of course - what was the partridge doing in the pear tree? Carols first appeared in the Middle Ages, when a carol was any song sung with the singer standing in a circle; they were banned under Puritan law and united the soldiers on both sides on the Western front; and they are the longest running tradition of Christmas.
  • A very thorough work which - in this edition - also covers the years since Federation. Contents: The First Visitors; The Penal Settlement; The Colony Expands; The Days of Bourke; The Daughter Colonies; The Coming Of Self-Government; New Zealand In The Early Days; New Zealand 139-1851; The Gold Discoveries And Their Results; Filling In The Map; Constitutional Government; New Zealand Since 1850; Australiasia; Australian Literature: this chapter covers such luminaries as Henry Kendall, Marcus Clarke; A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson, Henry Lawson and Adam Lindsay Gordon, among others.  A must for any sincere history buff. With fine colour maps, numerous black and white illustrations and useful margin notations for quick reference.
  • Four men set out on camel-back to cross the starkly beautiful Red Centre.  Two of the men have mysterious pasts and their stories are woven into this novel that reveals dramatically the indigenous way of life. Illustrated by Mona Killpack.
  • A real must-have for serious film historians:  this volume contains the listing for all films made over 1955 - 1956 and commentaries by Orson Wells, Richard Burton and Alfred Hitchcock. Illustrated with evocative and numerous still, studio and publicity photos.
  • Born Juliana Horatia Gatty in Yorkshire, 1841, Mrs Ewing's first successful story was The Brownies. Fifty years later, Sir Robert Baden-Powell adopted the name for the junior branch of the Girl Guide Movement.  Even though these stories were written in the Victorian age, when life was very different, they address child behaviour issues that still exist: laziness, self-entitlement and taking things for granted. In this volume: The Brownies; The Land Of Lost Toys; Three Christmas Trees; An Idyll Of The Wood; Christmas Crackers; Amelia And The Dwarfs.   With four colour plate illustrations  by E.H. Shephard.
  • Thomas Stanley Hepworth (1916 - 1985) was a teacher, author and editor, responsible for the Australian Children's Newspaper, The ABC Children's Hour Annual #1–#5 (1956–58, 1960–61), and The Australian Children's Annual #6–#8 (1963–65).  There is plenty to amuse and educate in this thoughtfully-produced annual: stories, plays, information on how things were manufactured, hobbies and other countries; songs; riddles; crosswords and handicrafts. Contributors to this edition include Ruth Park, Carl Huson, Philip Sidney  and Denys Burrows.  Illustrated with cartoons and black and white photographs of events in Australia and overseas - including one of 'Miss Pat' and 'Mr Squiggle' for the truly nostalgic Australian.
  • Thomas Stanley Hepworth (1916 - 1985) was a teacher, author and editor, responsible for the Australian Children's Newspaper, The ABC Children's Hour Annual Nos. 1–5 (1956–58, 1960–61), and The Australian Children's Annual Nos 6–8 (1963–65). There is plenty to amuse and educate in this thoughtfully-produced annual: stories, plays, information on how things were manufactured, hobbies and other countries; songs; riddles; crosswords and handicrafts. Contributors to this edition include Ruth Park, Rowena Farre, Denys Burrows, G.K. Saunders and 'The Argonauts'.  In a day of limited television, these annuals were regarded as very instructive for young people. Illustrated with cartoons and black and white photographs of events in Australia and overseas.
  • We often use expressions without thinking about it, but why do we use them and what are their origins?  Such as cheesed off to denote irritation; and what does it mean to cock a snook?  Why a kangaroo court?  All these and so much more, great potential for trivia nights. A great little volume to browse now and then.
  • A compilation of over 6000 quotations arranged thematically; a great reference for speeches, essays and letter writing as well as for trivia quiz and  crossword buffs. On actors - Marlon Brando: An actor's a guy who, if you ain't talking about him, ain't listening. Or the home? Cicero: What is more agreeable than one's own home? Or there's Spencer Tracy's memory of the lean times in his life, before stardom: There were times my pants were so thin I could sit on a dime and tell if it was heads or tails. And from Bert Leston Taylor, journalist: A bore is a man who, when you ask how he is, tells you. With an introduction by Reginald Hill.
  • This novel spans 130 years and follows the line of women of the Wrotham family, beginning with Sabrina in 1806. The daughter of a socially disgraced, sadistic roué, she is sponsored into 'Society' by her step-aunt - after having had some good manners vigorously instilled in her and her tomboyish ways smoothed out. Her brother Prior's marriage and production of children play a part in keeping the Wrotham name going. The next Wrotham woman is Clare - her brother Anthony's marriage to Harriet brings Charlotte to the line and the last is Gillian Rose, known as 'Jill'. The diaries and letters of the women are fictitious but the times in which the story is set are not, and many historical characters and events of England are brought to the story. As the generations overlap, with the members of each generation subscribing to the beliefs of their day, there is little sentimental romance involved - just a very good story, tinted with gentle romance and enhanced by the backdrop of historic reality.
  • Considered a must for every child's Christmas stocking. Tiger Tim's annual has stories, games, puzzles, cartoons, jokes and riddles - something for all ages and just the thing to keep children occupied in the post-Christmas aftermath, especially in England.
  • Mary and Tony's parents do not take them to the seaside as usual for their holiday. Instead, they are going to have their holiday at Fallow Farm where they'll learn about animals both tame and wild.  This would not be a story with enough sophistication for modern children, but the illustrations alone make this a very worthwhile book.
  • Volume 1 contains some of Poe's better-known and many of his lesser-known tales, including: The Gold-Bug; The Adventure of One Hans Pfaall; The Balloon Hoax; Von Kemelen And His Discovery; Mesmeric Revelation; The Facts In The Case Of M.Valdemar; MS. Found In A Bottle; A Descent Into The Maelstrom; The Black Cat; The Fall Of The House Of Usher; The Pit And The Pendulum; The Thousand-And-Second Tale Of Scheherazade; The Premature Burial; The Masque Of The Red Death; The Cask Of Amontillado; The Imp Of The Perverse; The Island Of The Fay; The Oval Portrait; The Assignation; The Tell-Tale Heart; The Domain Of Arnheim; Landor's Cottage; William Wilson; Berenice; Eleonora; Ligeia; Morella, Metzgengerstein; The Murders In The Rue Morgue; The Mystery Of Marie Roget; The Purloined Letter.
  • No home was complete with an annual, affordable, all-round reference work: The Pear's Cyclopaedia. It covered World Events (from 2234 B.C. to present day); A Citizen's Guide to local and central laws, the United Nations, various Societies and recent legislation; The Gazetteer of the World, with maps and descriptions of other countries; Everyday Information, such as common abbreviations, synonyms and antonyms and entries of general interest, bank rates, conversion tables, exchange rates, postal information and how to address persons of rank; Home and Personal covered beauty, health, cooking, gardening, sports, radio, television, care of domestic pets and poultry and so much more. Publication of this vital handbook began in 1897 and ceased in 2017  as the internet finally won.