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ONLINE SHOWCASE
Explore a small selection of our antiquarian books, including scarce titles, first editions, and quality bindings. This is only a fraction of our in store collection, so come visit us in person to discover more.
We also update this page with more books (and sometimes comics!), so check back regularly to see what we have to offer!
We are a traditional bookshop and do not sell any of our books directly through the website, but if you are interested in any of these items, then please get in touch (via phone or sales@mainlybooks.co.uk) or visit us in our shop.
Mainly Comics!
Welcome to our comic collection which we have imaginatively named Mainly Comics! We sell comics from the Silver to Modern age, from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, First, and many other publishers. Our collection also includes graphic novels, manga, and magazines. If you’re a fan of horror comics, then we have hundreds starting from the 1970s from Warren publishers, including Eerie, Creepy, Vampirella, and more. Horror pulps also make up our horror section, including a selecti
The British Sea Anemones and Corals, by Philip Henry Gosse
This book from our Natural History collection is on a very unique subject… The British Sea Anemones and Corals endeavours to provide a precise and ordered history and description of the various corals and sea anemone found around Britain. It was written by Philip Henry Gosse, and published by Van Voorst in 1860 – Gosse’s aim was that his book could be followed along by any curious students. Inside the book are twelve chromolithographic plates (all in colour) with other small
Shakespeare's Works in 4 Volumes - Nonesuch Press
If you are looking for a stylish, vintage set of all of Shakespeare’s plays and poetry – in a modest four-volumes – then look no further! This set of Shakespeare’s works, published by Nonesuch Press in 1953, is a great to display on a shelf or dip into whenever you're in the mood. The text and order of the works inside replicate the first folio publication of Shakespeare’s plays, and included in this edition are additional notes in the margins. As these books were published i
The Works of Charles I (with 'Eikon Basilike')
The official title of this book is: ‘Reliquiae Sacrae Carolinae, or The Works of that Great Monarch and Glorious Martyr King Charles the I.’ This edition was published in 1651 in the Hague and printed by Samuell Browne. Included as part of Charles I’s works are his: speeches, declarations, papers about Church-Government, prayers, letters and correspondence, and messages for peace, just to name a few! (There is a full contents page which lists everything included.) But that’s
Lloyd's Natural History - Monkeys: A Hand-Book to the Primates, in 2 volumes
The complete Lloyd’s Natural History set is diverse in its analysis of butterflies, moths, birds and mammals – but these two select volumes look uniquely at the world of monkeys! This two-volume set, written by Henry O. Forbes, was published by Edward Lloyd, Limited, with the first book published in 1896 and the second in 1987. R. Bowdler Sharpe was the series editor for these books, and included in both volumes is a preface written by him. The official title of the set is A
British Fungi, by George Massee
This copy of British Fungi is a different edition to the other British Fungi book that we also have for sale in our shop. While this book doesn’t come with its dust jacket, it is still in good condition and has all of its original illustrations and plates. For those who are interested in the kinds of fungi that live in UK, and how to find them, this book is for you. The author, George Masse, described that the ‘primary object of this book is to enable the reader to determi
British Fungi, by George Massee (with original dust jacket - scarce!)
For those who are interested in the kinds of fungi that live in the UK, and how to find them, this book is for you. The author, George Masse, described that the ‘primary object of this book is to enable the reader to determine the names of our indigenous mushrooms, toadstools, etc.’ – and with fantastic depth and detailed plates, that is exactly what this book does. British Fungi was published in the early 20 th century by George Routledge and Sons, Limited. This edition co
The Works of Jane Austen in 5 Volumes - Georgian Edition
Any set of Jane Austen’s work is a delight to have; this set in particular is a wonderful collection of all of Austen’s novels (that were published during and after her lifetime), as well some of her unfinished works. This set was published in 1927 by Eveleigh Nash & Grayson Limited, and is their ‘Georgian Edition’. Each volume has an introduction by John Bailey, giving a brief insight into each of Austen’s works. The five volumes in this set include all of Austen’s novels (
Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales, Illustrated by Edmund Dulac
Delve into the world of Edmund Dulac’s magical and dream-like illustrations in this fairy tale book... Published by Hodder and Stoughton (c.1910), this book contains four classic fairy tales: Sleeping Beauty, Blue Beard, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. These stories have been translated from the Old French and retold by Arthur Quiller-Couch. However, the stand-out feature of this book is the thirty, full-page colour illustrations by Edmund Dulac that accompany these pere
Flowering Plants of Great Britain, by Anne Pratt - in 3 volumes
Anne Pratt’s Flowering Plants of Great Britain is the primary work when looking for detailed, intelligible descriptions of thousands of flowers from across England, Scotland and Wales, accompanied by colourful and intricate illustrations. The set of Pratt’s work that we are selling comes in three volumes, all filled with hundreds of full-page, colour plates of elaborate drawings of flowers from Great Britain. The books are filled with succinct yet accurate descriptions of th
SOLD! The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle
EDIT: This book has been sold, but we do have other Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle books in our shop for those who are interested. Please don't hesitate to get in touch via email or visit our shop if you have any questions. The stories and cases of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson filled the pages of The Strand Magazine, and four novels, from 1887 to 1927. The official Conan Doyle canon includes fifty-six short stories, and twelve of them feature in The Adventures
Shakespeare's Works in Vellum - 12 Volumes
Shakespeare’s stories and works have been told and published in thousands of different ways over the years, but this particular set is very special. This twelve-volume set of Shakespeare’s works was published in 1882 by Keagan Paul, Trench & Co. and is bound in vellum. The white vellum binding (which is untanned leather), with the red and black titling, means this quality and luxurious set will stand-out proudly on any shelf. Included in these twelve volumes are all of Shakes
SOLD! Guards! Guards!, by Terry Pratchett - First Edition
EDIT: This book has been sold, but we have lots of other Terry Pratchett books in our shop, including paperbacks, hardbacks, early editions and signed copies! Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you are interested or if you have any questions. Guards! Guards! by the beloved and prolific writer, Terry Pratchett, is the eighth book in the forty-one-part book-series, Discworld. With Pratchett’s funny and joyous writing style, his fantasy-comedy series, Discworld, is read a
Morte D'Arthur by Alfred Lord Tennyson, Illustrated by Alberto Sangorski
With its beige, unembellished dust jacket, this illustrated edition of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Morte D’Arthur is very unassuming from the outside. However, the inside bursts with colour and gold of Alberto Sangorski’s fabulous illustrations, brining to life this version of the classic British myth. This illustrated edition of the poem Morte D’Arthur by Tennyson was published in 1912 by Chatto and Windus. The page design was produced by the Graphic Engraving Company, to (as t
SOLD! The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám - Illustrated by Edmund Dulac
EDIT: This book has been sold, but we do have other copies of 'The Rubáiyát' in our shop, as well as illustrated books by Edmund Dulac. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you are interested or have any questions. ‘The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám’ is a famous poem, originally written in Persian by poet, astronomer and mathematician Omar Khayyám. In 1859, Edward Fitzgerald translated this work for the first time from Persian into English: a translation that is still read an
SOLD! Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, by T.S. Eliot - First Edition
EDIT: This book has been sold, but we have another (cheaper!) first edition, third impression copy of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats available in our shop for sale. Please get in touch if you are interested in purchasing this book, or any others from our stock. Did you know that the famous musical Cats was actually based on a book? It was inspired by T.S. Eliot’s work Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats , which was first published by Faber and Faber in 1939. We are luc
The Tempest, by William Shakespeare - Illustrated by Paul Woodroffe
The Tempest was one of the later plays written by William Shakespeare: the play is thought to have been written in 1610 or 1611, but wasn’t published until 1623, after Shakespeare’s death. The book that we have on sale is an illustrated version of The Tempest , published in 1908 by Chapman and Hall. Included are seventeen full-page, colour illustrations by Paul Woodroffe and multiple other black and white drawings amongst the text. There is also accompanying music by Joseph
SOLD! Down and Out in Paris and London, by George Orwell
EDIT: This book has been sold, but we have other Orwell books (including early editions) in our shop. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions, or come visit our shop for explore our full collection. Down and Out in Paris and London was the first ever book that George Orwell had published. Unlike Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), which are Orwell’s most well-known and acclaimed fictional novels, his first book is an in-part autobiog
SOLD! Where The Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
EDIT: This book has been sold, but we have hundreds of other illustrated children's books available at our shop. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or queries. Originally published in 1963 in the US, Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak has been a beloved children’s classic for generations. It was first published in the UK in 1967 and has been a staple of children’s reading many decades. The copy of this magical and nostalgic book that we
You Only Live Twice, by Ian Fleming - First Edition Bond Book
Behind the beloved Bond film series, that spans around sixty years and includes over twenty-five films, is a book series of equal intrigue and drama. Ian Fleming wrote fourteen books in the James Bond series, with You Only Live Twice being the twelfth instalment. The film adaptation of You Only Live Twice was released in 1967, three years after the book’s publication, and Bond was played by the iconic Sean Connery. It was the fifth Bond film in the series. Our copy of the b
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