All Old Books

Vita Sackville-West continues her individual but practical gardening advice. "I set out modestly with the idea of giving some suggestions to the amateur gardener about some unusual plants he might grow... I have written only of plants I know from personal experience. I have tried to cater for all tastes, for the small garden and the not so small, bearing in mind that costs and facilities are not what they used to be."

A still very practical and friendly guide to gardening, written in the authors' extremely personal and graceful style.

Aiming to be a comprehensive encyclopaedia to every item a woman wears or carries and presented alphabetically in short chapters from accessories to zips. A wonderful and light-hearted step back in time to an era when the correct length of gloves, and how to wear alligator or mink were, to some at least, important considerations. Planning a country weekend, a ball or a cruise? This book is full of common sense, stimulating suggestions and reliable advice. 

Presented in three sections, part one covers the propagation of plants, and their various uses and positioning in the garden. Part two contains an alphabetical list of annuals and biennials, with descriptions and advice on their cultivation. Lastly, a chart of colour and height and selections for various aspects and purposes. A fascinating historical volume by the famed garden designer that would still be of great use today.

A comprehensive and most charming guide to creating and maintaining a garden, especially aimed at enthusing children with the joys such a pastime. can bring. After an introduction, the book is divided into sections covering each of the four seasons. The many photographs, of gardens, individual plants and little Edwardian gardeners really bring alive the sound practical advice and historical period. One photograph shows the gardens at Swiss cottage in the grounds of Osborne house that Queen Victoria had laid out in equal size plots for each of her nine children. These can be seen unchanged today. Little excerpts from poems illuminate the text. However, the advice for children to use red lead to stop mice eating seeds may not be so welcome now!

Contains 22 short histories of pioneers of soil science. Examining how and why plants grow and methods of improving soil to increase their health and yield. Written shortly after WWII, when the necessity of "digging for victory" made an understanding of how to overcome the difficulties of different soil types especially urgent. Written in a charming and non-academic style accompanied by many light-hearted illustrations.

Covering English costume from Saxon times to almost the end of the nineteenth century. There are many pattern designs which can be scaled up, with detailed notes on making the costumes and much more practical information on materials and colours. This book is as useful as it is attractive, and still would be of great help for anyone wishing to make accurate period costumes for the stage, pageants or fancy dress.

Begins with an introduction to the life and work of Breugel by F. Grossmann. Following the colour plates are notes on each work. An index shows the galleries and collections where the paintings are displayed at the time of publication. A very handsome and collectable volume.

A Biography of Squadron-Commander F. J. Rutland, famous for his courage and feats of daring whilst serving in the R.N.A.S in WWI. His speciality was flying reconnaissance planes off from the turret tops of cruisers, before the development of Aircraft Carriers. However, the mysterious circumstances of his arrest and long period of detention without trial during WWII are strange and disquieting.

Written and compiled by his Grandson, following the career of a typical infantry officer in the late-nineteenth century, through his letters home to his large family. Often stationed far from home across the Empire, Henry Cadogan rises to command the 1st Batallion, The Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Ill prepared for modern warfare, they are posted to Belgium in 1914.

"In experimental flying, says Bill Waterton, there are only two kinds of people; the quick and the dead." After service as a fighter pilot in WW2, the author spent thousands of hours testing jets, including breaking the current world speed record. A fascinating insight into the British post-war aviation industry.

Spanning early civilian air transport, WWII and post-war airlines. Each chapter contains an individual story which together provide a pilot's history of aviation. Compared at the time to Hemingway in style.