Rare Treasure Editions
''Two People'' by A. A. Milne (died 1956) was first published in 1931, entering public domain status worldwide. It was considered by the author and the publisher to be his first true attempt at a serious novel, a story exploring the relationship of a married couple and focusing on the quiet, rural life of Reginald Wellard, who achieves unexpected literary success. The story examines the evolving, sometimes distant relationship between Reginald and his younger wife, Sylvia, exploring themes of marriage, success, and personal change.
Frederic Manning is acknowledged as arguably the finest novelist of the Western Front. Born in Australia, novelist and poet Frederic Manning enlisted during 1915 into the Shropshire Light Infantry, and served in France during 1916 as `Private 19022'. The Shropshires saw heavy fighting on the Somme, and Manning's four months there provided the background to ''Her Privates We.'' An undisputed classic of war writing and a lasting tribute to all who participated in the war to end all wars.
''Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays'' showcases Orwell's premier talents as a cultural critic, political commentator, and master of the modern English essay. Rich collection of 24 essays. Key Essays include: "Shooting an Elephant": A regular feature in anthologies detailing Orwell's time as a colonial police officer in Burma. It serves as a profound metaphor highlighting how imperialism compromises the freedom of both the oppressor and the oppressed. "A Hanging": A raw, minimalist description of an execution in Burma that serves as a quiet but piercing critique of capital punishment. "Politics and the English Language": A legendary critique of political discourse. Orwell argues that vague, inflated language is deliberately used to defend the indefensible and muddy political truths. "Such, Such Were the Joys": A lengthy autobiographical essay reflecting on the psychological cruelty, class snobbery, and hardships Orwell endured during his English preparatory school days.
''Unwanted Corpse'' involves Merrion working alongside Scotland Yard's Inspector Arnold to solve a crime involving a body. The plot sets off with a sudden, mysterious death in the English countryside, leaving the local authorities with a literal "unwanted corpse" that disrupts the peace of a small community. Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard handles the official, methodical police tracking and paperwork. Desmond Merrion, an analytical amateur investigator, works alongside Arnold to spot the subtle, unconventional clues the police overlook. True to Miles Burton's style, the book functions as a slow-burn, puzzle-driven procedural. The duo carefully deconstructs alibis and motives until they uncover a clever criminal scheme.
Something to Hide (1953) by Miles Burton (John Rhode) is a classic British mystery novel featuring his long-running investigators, Desmond Merrion and Inspector Arnold. The story revolves around a complex, methodical investigation into a murder, involving clues found in a quiet rural setting. The narrative centers on the unraveling of a seemingly accidental death, which Merrion diagnoses as a murder.
Ben Ames Williams' most successful and popular novel was ''Leave Her to Heaven,'' published in 1944. It was a massive bestseller that was later adapted into a classic 1945 film noir of the same name. A psychological thriller, the story follows Ellen Berent, a socialite whose intense, jealous, and obsessive love for her novelist husband, Richard Harland, threatens to lead to fatal consequences. The novel (often told in flashback) explores a "fatal attraction" scenario where Ellen's radiant beauty hides a dangerous, possessive, and murderous nature that might ruin the lives of those around her, including her husband and his brother. An unforgettable exploration of obsessive love.
''Inside Benchley'' is the celebrated anthology of humorous essays by American writer Robert Benchley first published in 1942. The collection is particularly notable for being illustrated by the artist Gluyas Williams, whose drawings were long considered the perfect visual counterpart to Benchley's wit. The book serves as a "best-of" compilation, featuring around 50 of Benchley's funniest pieces originally written for publications like The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. The essays typically center on Benchley's "little man" persona-a well-meaning but perpetually bewildered suburban citizen struggling with the minor absurdities of modern life, such as annoying relatives, office politics, and social faux pas.
''The Best of Robert Benchley'' showcases the rapier-sharp wit and absurdist humor of one of the 20th century's most influential American humorists, serving as a definitive introduction to the man who was the cornerstone of the Algonquin Round Table, an influential, witty group of New York City writers, critics, and actors-including Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley himself-who met daily for lunch at the Algonquin Hotel and were known as "The Vicious Circle." Robert Benchley more than all the others was famous for his sharp wisecracks, wordplay, and significant impact on American literature and journalism.
Richard Goulbourn, a humble clerk, comes into a fortune that enables him to start courting the beautiful and rich Moira. He and his sister move into the house next to the black house in Harley Street where Moira lives with her uncle, Dr. van Mildert, her uncle's assistant, Miss Lamotte, and some very sinister servants. But there are undercurrents of evil. Soon the young people find themselves embroiled with an evil mastermind. Kidnappings, ransoms, stolen diamonds, a booby-trapped house, hypnotism, escapees from Sing-Sing... all the elements for a ripping good mystery are present!
''The Death That Lurks Unseen'' is Fletcher's early masterpiece in the mystery and crime fiction genre. At this stage in his career, Fletcher was blending his journalistic precision with a flair for atmospheric, psychological narrative, featuring enigmatic protagonists and exploring dark human impulses, hidden truths, and moral ambiguity. Notable characters in this tale include a "strange creature"-a gaunt, middle-aged man with fierce eyes and a long black beard-who is desperately searching for something he lost. The reader gets a sense from reading ''The Death That Lurks Unseen'' that it is one of J. S. Fletcher's best mystery thrillers-so tightly written, not overly long, yet it feels complete and satisfying.
While the title might sound unusual to modern ears, in the context of the 1940s, "period stuff" referred to stories about historical or bygone eras-the "interwar" and early WWII periods in which Yates specialized. The stories here were written around 1939 and published in magazines like The Windsor Magazine and The Strand before being compiled into a book in 1942. This collection wonderfully blends the two styles Yates was famous for: the lighthearted, witty "Berry" family humor and his more intense "Chandos" thrillers.
This fabulous comedy of manners is about the residents of Durham Square, which is a respectable if not totally fashionable London address. We see their snobberies, their quarrels and reconciliations, and we discover that one of the residents of the square has been writing hugely popular romantic trash under the name of Rudolph da Vinci. There's a memorable cast of strong-willed women, an eccentric Vicar, an admirable butler, and some Pekinese dogs. This novel is laugh-out-loud funny! - Susannah Fullerton, The International Heyer Society
First published in 1910 by North Carolina minister and professor Arthur Talmage Abernethy, ''The Jew a Negro'' is a controversial historical work that argues ancient Jewish people shared significant ancestry with African populations. Abernethy utilized what he termed "ethnology" and "Scriptural proofs" to support several central claims. He argued that ancient Jews mixed thoroughly with neighbouring African peoples, specifically noting that there was little racial difference between Jewish and "Negro" types in antiquity. The book posits that as Jewish populations migrated to more temperate climates, their skin lightened over time, though their "essential racial similarity" remained unchanged. Abernethy claimed modern Jews of his era still exhibit "habits, physical peculiarities, and tendencies" essentially similar to Black people.
A Peking love story first published in 1935, ''The Maker of Heavenly Trousers'' tells the story of an unnamed foreign bachelor who lives in a courtyard dwelling alone but for the Five Virtues, the nickname for a family of mischievous Chinese servants who run his household as they please. A foreign bachelor living in Peking's Chinese quarter finds himself guardian to the young daughter of an Italian railway worker. Through his stewardship, he catches a glimpse of an entirely different side of life. As Kuniang grows up, his feelings for her change, and he must compete with a motley cast of characters for her attentions. These include a shadowy former mistress of Rasputin, a flamboyant American fashion designer, and an English millionaire. But when Kuniang unwittingly falls under a form of Eastern hypnosis, a terrifying vision threatens their prospects. Set against the mysterious and turbulent backdrop of Peking with its disparate inhabitants in the early twentieth century, ''The Maker of Heavenly Trousers'' is a charming, and at times tragic, story of love and family.
Babur was a descendant of both Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, combining nomadic warrior traditions with his twenty-year fight to retain power in Central Asia, his move to Kabul, and his strategic, hard-won battles that established the empire in India. It provides a detailed, researched account of 15th- and 16th-century Asian history, highlighting the cultural and political atmosphere. This book is considered a compelling, popular history, which brings to life the "honesty of Babur" in one of Lamb's best studies of ancient rulers. Fascinating biography of the first of the Mogul emperors, a descendant of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. Well-written popular history.
Killed by blows over the head with a champagne bottle, the body of the disreputable heir to a great fortune is unexpectedly found within ancestral walls. The entire countryside appears to be implicated. But suspicion falls more strongly upon a certain farmer, once deeply wronged by the murdered man. When the farmer himself is killed there seems to be no way out, until JS Fletcher's crafty hand finally brings the tangle into logical unravelling. A riveting mystery filled with hatred and revenge.
Danger follows Kay as she searches for a priceless violin, investigating the theft of a priceless Stradivarius violin from her friend Rosa. Kay uncovers a mystery involving a mysterious key, a dishonest antique dealer, and her rival, Ethel Eaton. Kay finds her friend Rosa bound and gagged, with her father's valuable violin stolen. Kay discovers a key with the number "777," leading her through various adventures and dangers. She faces dangerous situations, including being locked in a closet in a burning house, following clues to solve the case. This series of mysteries was just as popular as Nancy Drew in its day, some even believing it to be superior.
The Crook's Shadow by J. Jefferson Farjeon is a classic British mystery novel about a Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Edward Strood, hunting a master jewel thief aiming for a fortune in diamonds aboard a yacht in Cornwall, mixing suspenseful cat-and-mouse pursuit with the glamour of high society and grand larceny, featuring distinguished guests and a shadowy criminal figure known only as "The Crook".
''Arundel'' by Kenneth Roberts was first published in 1930 by Doubleday, now public domain. The novel's first-person narrator Steven Nason and his family are traders and proprietors of an inn serving the little town of Arundel, now known as Kennebunkport. Steven has become an accomplished backwoodsman by the time he reaches adulthood, knowledge he gained by accompanying his father on trading trips among the Indians. Steven joins Colonel Benedict Arnold's small expeditionary force in the fall of 1775 to help guide him through the northern wilderness to attack British-held Quebec. This story follows Steven Nason as he joins Benedict Arnold in his march to Quebec during the American Revolution. It is one of the most thrilling of all novels of America's past. Proving for all time the inspired and loyal leadership of Benedict Arnold, Arundel is a masterpiece of story-telling and of the re-creation of history; an unforgettable experience in literature.
''Cimarron'' by Edna Ferber was first published in 1930, public domain. This vivid and sweeping tale of the Oklahoma Land Rush traces the challenges of settling an untamed frontier. Staking claim to their new home in Osage, Yancey Cravat, a spellbinding criminal lawyer, and his wife, well-bred Sabra, work against seemingly overwhelming odds to create a prosperous life for themselves. And as they establish themselves in this lawless land, Sabra displays a brilliant business sense and makes a success of their local newspaper, the Oklahoma Wigwam, all amidst border and land disputes, outlaws, and the discovery of oil.
Murderer's Trail by J. Jefferson Farjeon is a humorous 1930s crime novel featuring the resourceful tramp, Ben, who accidentally stows away on a ship with a real murderer, leading to a chaotic sea voyage filled with disappearances, comical mishaps, and thrilling encounters as Ben tries to survive and expose the criminal while heading to Spain.
''The honest, dreadful, heart-breaking story of a Negro childhood and youth, as set down by that rarely gifted American author, Richard Wright.''--Dorothy Canfield Fisher.
''Life at Happy Knoll'' is a novel by John P. Marquand published in Sports Illustrated as a collection of letters, that uses social satire to explore the issues within a fictional country club near New York. Through the letters of a club board member to the president emeritus, the story delves into problems like securing new members, managing staff, organizing parties, and the role of women and caddies, offering a humorous look at the eccentricities of suburban country club life.
The central detective is Inspector Blampignon of the Sûreté who had previously appeared in Death on the Riviera. It is divided into two distinct parts with the first section narrated in first person by Nigel Derry, one of the suspects, and the second part follows the investigations of the French police. Gwen Marrable, at fourty-something, is rich, attractive and independent. She is also imperious and man-mad. Her house party fizzles out after two guests assault each other and her adopted daughter learns that she will be disinherited if she marries a man Gwen doesn't approve of. Gwen goes off to her house in the South of France, but arrives there, dead and bundled into her own trunk. As her various relatives and hangers-on converge on Villa Paradou, the local detective tries to find out exactly what happened after Gwen left England. The formidable French detective embarks on a thrilling race to discover the truth in this rare and spirited mystery novel.
Art as Experience by John Dewey (1859-1952), public domain. Based on John Dewey's lectures on esthetics, delivered as the first William James Lecturer at Harvard in 1932, ''Art as Experience'' has grown to be considered internationally as the most distinguished work ever written by an American on the formal structure and characteristic effects of all the arts: architecture, sculpture, painting, music, and literature.
There was motive enough for the murder of Fred Dunstable, but when Inspector `Jimmy' Waghorn is sent down to the little village of Cradwell to investigate his death, he finds it difficult to be satisfied with any of the solutions offered by the local police. Whose was the half-smoked cigarette found near the body? Why did Kenneth Neasden want £100 so desperately? It is not until further violence has been done that the answers to these and many other questions are found. An ingeniously contrived plot and a gripping climax.