THE BOOKSHELF

by Arthur Mee Reprint, hardback, 5-1/2" x 8", good condition 434 pages, printed 1955

Typical Arthur Mee King's England series book.  All the things one would expect to find in a detailed account of the history of the county:  334 places noted with 166 illustrative plates including several plates of church brasses.  5-inch scale map of Gloucestershire is also included with index to the towns and villages.

by Joy Packer Reprint, hardback with dust jacket, 5-1/2" x 8-3/4", fair condition 335 pages, printed 1956

"Readers will not be disappointed in this friendly, talkative description of the changes, the partings and reunions which the war years brought to her [the author]" - The Time Literary Supplement.  The second volume of Lady Packer's autobiography paints the scene of her life sailing the seven seas and adventuring over continents with her husband, Admiral Sir Herbert Packer, K.C.B., C.B.E., whilst he was on active English Royal Naval service.  In this book she also devotes many absorbing pages to the trio that comprised the "Grey Mistresses" - the H.M. Calcutta, H.M. Manchester and the H.M. Warspite.

by Louis E. Cauz 1st edition, paperback, oversized, 9-3/4" x 11-1/2", very good condition 301 pages with alphabetical index of plate winners, starters, jockeys, trainers, leading sires, and Jockey Club executives;  also includes generous numbers of photographs, illustrations, and statistics, printed 1984

This book is for anyone who has a keen interest in horses and the uppercrust racing world of the Canadian King's and Queen's Plate races.  The author has included a wonderful synopsis of the history of horse racing in Ontario from the first known organized races held at Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1797 through to the establishment of the first permanent track in Toronto.  The author has devoted a separate short chapter to each of the years the Plate was run, commencing in 1860 through to and including 1984.  Photographs of owners and plate winners with their respective pedigrees accompany each year.  A reprint of the entire racing form for that race has also been appended.  If you have an ancestor who was a part of this horse racing tradition, this is a book that you would want to have in your library.

by J. Castell Hopkins, F.S.S., F.R.G.S. 1st edition hardback, 6-1/4" x 9-1/4", fair condition 448 pages with index, chronology and brief biographical details of Canadian Expeditionary Force members who were Victoria Cross winners;  includes table of original officers, the battalions each commanded, the date of sailing, place of headquarters and strength of the battalion at the time of sailing, printed 1919

The historical material contained in this book allows for the construction of a brief chronology of movements and theatres of military operations for anyone who had family members that served overseas during World War I.  Inserted as part of this book is "A Story of Five Cities:  a Canadian epic of one hundred days" by Robert John Renison, Chaplain, 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade, which provides insight into the battles at Amiens, Arras, Cambrai, Valenciennes, Mons and the final resting place of many tens of thousands of Canadian servicemen in Flanders.

by Alastair Barclay 1st edition paperback signed by the author, 6-1/8" x 8-1/2", excellent condition 144 pages with many portrait and group photographs of inhabitants and sites around the town plus street map of the town, printed 1989

Anyone with ancestral ties to this industrious town in Ayrshire, Scotland will want to have this book among their family records.  The author, who was born in Stearton and lived locally all his life, takes the reader from Stewarton's early evolution in the 12th century through it's progress and industry to the 20th century.  Mr. Barclay has touched upon all aspects of life in Stewarton, including the naming of streets in the town.  He has used liberal references to the famous, infamous and everyday residents.

by Fodor's Travel Publications 2001 edition, paperback, 5" x 9", fair condition 330 pages including index, street maps of various ares of the city of London with foldout Rand,McNally colour street map of London and its' environs showing points of interest, underground and rail stations, post offices, et cetera, printed 2001

"The king of guidebooks" - Newsweek.  Discover the best of London on and off the beaten path in the hundreds of detailed reviews of areas, sites, accommodations, culinary experiences and shopping.  Book includes a nice little chronology of the City.

by the National Language Unit of Wales 1st edition softback, 6-3/4" x 9-1/2", good condition 322 pages, printed 1978

This is the text book for the complete "new" Welsh language course for adults.  If you have Welsh ancestry, are planning a trip to Wales or are simply curious about the Welsh language then this book will instruct you quite adequately in conversational skills, gramatical construction of sentences and pronunciation of words.

by Anthony Sampson 1st edition hardback with dust jacket, 5-3/4" x 8-5/8", very good condition 662 pages including index, printed 1962

The author examines the background and sources of conflict amongst the traditional seats of power in Britain - the monarchy, the aristocracy, Parliament, cabinet, Whitehall and the Prime Minister's office.  He also discusses the lesser known yet influential world of British finance - the City, merchant bankers, insurance companies and industry - public and private;  the activities of television and the press;  as well as the fields of education, law and religion, all with a view to providing the reader with a clear and penetrating insight into the state of contemporary Britain.

by John Coulter 1st edition hardback, 4-7/8" x 7-7/8", fair condition 2 separate plays in 129 pages, includes melody scores of 2 Irish airs and sketch of stage setting used throughout second play, printed 1937

Each of these plays is set in contemporary Ireland, the first in the glen in the mountains beyond the Clogher Valley and the second, in Belfast.  The subject matter of these plays is intended to be representative of daily concerns at that time.  Both plays contain stage direction and are, for the lack of actors, ready for performance.  Any Irish society investigating new ways in which to supplement their annual fund-raising income may find some interest in producing one or both of these plays.

by Rudolf Besier 1st edition hardback, 4-5/8" x 7", very good condition 1 play in 5 acts with notes and study questions in 188 pages, printed 1930

A play based on the life of Elizabeth Barrett and her family immediately preceding and subsequent to her marriage to Robert Browning.  It is said that this comedy is representative of the events and discourse that had occurred in her bed-sitting room in Wimple Street, London during 1845.

by W. H. Shercliff Reprint paperback, 5-5/8" x 8-1/4", good condition 66 pages, including index, bibliography, photographs, illustrations and plan of Manchester and Salford circa 1630, printed 1977

This history was written to meet the need for a contemporary short account of the City and its environs suitable for an ordinary citizen, an older secondary school student or a foreign visitor and outlines Manchester's history down to the 1970s.  Somewhat useful to the family historian with Mancunian ties for its photographs and illustrations.