Here are four of our latest arrivals that might tickle your curiosity:

1. We have a 1901 7-volume complete set in very good hardcovers of “The Italian Novelists” translated into English by W. G. Waters and illustrated in ink by E. R. Hughes and Jules Garnier.  The first four volumes are the works written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola called the “Facetious Nights of Straparola” (le piacevoli notti). Straparola was a fairy-tale collector who lived in the first half of the 16th Century.  The collection was first translated into Spanish in 1583, and it was modeled on Boccacio’s “Decamerone”. People at a 13-night party on the Island of Murano (think:glass) tell each other bawdy and humorous fables to pass the time.  These stories will help pass our wintertime as well.  This is number 413 of a limited edition printing of 1000 copies.
2. Our second selection is Kay Thompson‘s fourth in the Eloise series: “Eloise in Moscow”, rare indeed, written during the Cold War in 1959. It is a 4to hardback collectible first edition published by Max Reinhardt Ltd. and illustrated in color by Hilary Knight.  There are spies everywhere (you must spot the spy!) and a fold-out map of the infamous and shady Kremlin. Our heroine, a small girl somehow sets out on her own (!!) to visit the subway, the Bolshoi ballet, Moscow’s streets and the Russian Line-up for practically everything. I believe this book to be most realistic and least…fun.  Reading this we become familiar with a Communism that is now strained and somewhat weakened but by no means vanquished.  My father, who was born in the Soviet Union, can vouch for the line-ups!
3. Third, we have an usual 8vo hardback called “The Dorak Affair”, written by Kenneth Pearson and Patricia Connor in 1967. A British archaeologist is lead to to the Royal Tombs at Dorak in NW Anatolia (Turkey) by a mysterious Greek woman.  Lucky fella!  A muse?  After the find was published, both the treasure and the woman disappeared!  Did both really exist?  A book of archaeology and intrigue in very good + condition.
4. Finally (for now), “The Gospel of Father Joe: Revolutions and Revelations in the Slums of Bangkok” by Greg Barrett, with a Forward by Reverend Desmond Tutu.  Roman Catholic Father Joe Maier takes on poverty through the opening up of a school for both Muslims and Buddhist in the big city slums of Bangkok, Thailand.  Read this only if you want your heart warmed up and your sense of humanity renewed. Fine 8vo hardback with B&W photos.

Ciao for now, Richard on staff.

Note: For more information on these or any other books, feel free to leave a comment or contact us however you prefer.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 19th, 2008 at 5:20 pm and is filed under arts & books, book reviews, feature books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.