Saturday 28 July 2018

Is this the only remaining copy of this book in the whole world?



This beautiful little childrens' book recently arrived on my desk. It wasn't a title or author that I was familiar with, so to google I went, to track down some information. The result was something that happens only very, very rarely in this game: not only could I not find another copy of this book for sale, I could find no record of its existence, period. Even exceptionally scarce titles usually turn up in a library catalogue somewhere; Man the Lifeboat! by F. Hamilton-Knight did not.

There's an incomplete copy of The Beacon Light, a similar looking title by Hamilton-Knight (and a W.H.S. Thompson, who is an artist) on Amazon here and some *very* expensive copies (£300!) of another Hamilton-Knight storybook, The Turning of the Tide, here and here.

... but no other copies of Man the Lifeboat!

It's a rather wonderful thing, so here, for the first time on t'internet, is the whole book in all its small but perfectly formed glory. It's not dated, but I reckon it's late Victorian or Edwardian. The quality of the printing is very good indeed. Given his work with Knight on The Beacon Light, perhaps the uncredited artist here is also W.H.S. Thompson.

It is for sale, but as it's so hard to know what price level to aim for, I'll just say I'm open to offers!


















Saturday 21 July 2018

Withnail Books is five!

Withnail Books is five years old today! Happy Birthday to the Little Shop, and as ever, chin chin to all my customers, old and new.

Here's this year's Withnail Books Bonkers But 100% True Customer Quote:
"Are these books for sale?"

Withnail Books, today, aged 5.
A book which came across my desk today. Look it up: it's actually pretty valuable, due to its connection with the early history of The Oxford Group, and Alcoholics Anonymous.

Saturday 14 July 2018

Fix up the Jag... A unique Withnail Collectible!

To celebrate the screenings of a certain film up at Crow Crag this weekend and next, here's a little Withnail treat. A little while back I came across a very special, one-off customised Withnail model Jaguar being offered for sale online, and I had to have it. No burglary was involved, and within days it arrived at the Little Shop. Its creator, the very talented model maker Joe Nagle has this to say about it:

"It was originally the colour that is underneath the bonnet [red], I went for a matt finish to replicate the Jag in the film, the wheels were wire spoked on the model but I had to hide this, also weathering and rust was matched to the original by using screen grabs. The finishing touches of course were the removal of the driver's side windscreen wiper and the correct number plate, but perhaps the most iconic thing about the car is the removal of the left headlight which just completes that Withnail look."

Thanks Joe! It's brilliant work, and is now safely in a case and on display at Withnail Books. It is NOT FOR SALE.