Great News from one of the longest established and largest stockists of superb pre-owned Folio Society Books. We are having our Summer Folio Society Book Sale all through June 2024.
The Sale ends on the 30th June 2024 and new items will be added each week so keep looking if you want to find that bargain.
The first books on this month’s list is a box set of His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman consisting of Northern Lights (1995; published as The Golden Compass in North America), The Subtle Knife (1997), and The Amber Spyglass (2000). Many will have seen the television series produced by HBO/BBC which was broadcast between November 2019 and February 2023.
The story follows the coming of age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, as they wander through a series of parallel universes. The children’s adventures take them across time where they meet witches and armoured bears, fallen angels and soul-eating spectres that destroy the souls of adults to which children are immune, rendering the world empty of adults. The children travel to the land of the dead and in the end, the fate of both the living—and the dead—will rely on them.
This uniformly bound set by the folio society with illustrations by Peter Bailey would make a beautiful addition to any collection.
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his 1859 translation from Persian to English of a selection of quatrains (rubāʿiyāt) attributed to Omar Khayyam (1048–1131), dubbed “the Astronomer-Poet of Persia”.
This first version of Edward FitzGerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is one of the best-loved poems in the English language. With its exotic themes and its blend of melancholy and romance, it has seduced readers and inspired artists for many years.
Over the years the Folio Society have produced a number of versions of the poetry, we currently have 3 versions of the book ranging from 1973 – 2012 demonstrating how this book has stood the test of time and still remains ever popular today.
The Quiet American by Graham Greene set during the First Indochina War, The Quiet American is narrated by the cynical British journalist Thomas Fowler, who meets the young idealistic American agent Alden Pyle. The novel’s larger conflict is cantered on the French and American invasion of Vietnam, which is echoed microcosmically in the conflict that arises between Fowler and Pyle when they both fall in love with the same Vietnamese woman, Phuong.
The novel has received much attention due to its prediction of the outcome of the Vietnam War and subsequent American foreign policy since the 1950s. Greene portrays Pyle as so blinded by American exceptionalism that he cannot see the calamities he brings upon the Vietnamese.
The book uses Greene’s experiences as a war correspondent for The Times and Le Figaro in French Indochina 1951–1954. He was apparently inspired to write The Quiet American during October 1951 while driving back to Saigon from Ben Tre province, accompanied by an American aid worker who lectured him about finding a “third force in Vietnam”
The first book on this month’s list is a beautiful limited edition version of Richard Matheson’s book I am Legend. This book was first published in 1954 and is a post-apocalyptic horror novel. Many of you will have seen its recent cinematic adaptation starring Will Smith however did you realise that the zombies roaming the streets at night are vampires?
The story concerns Robert Neville possibly the last surviving man on earth as he struggles to survive in a world where after a pandemic destroyed the human race turning the remaining survivors into vampires. The story tracks his survival as he battles his own daemons while roaming the streets in the day looking for supplies and answers to the pandemic. At night he locks himself away and prays for dawn when the streets are again free from the swarms of blood thirsty vampires.
This copy comes with signed limited edition artwork by Dave McKean, the book is leather bound, individually numbered and comes in its own unique slipcase. This is truly a wonderful version of this chilling story of survival against all the odds.
The Second book we have to share is The Midnight Folk by John Mansfield. This book is a fantasy story about a young boys quest to discover a treasure that stolen from his family.
Young Kay Harker is visited by great grandfather Aston Tirrold Harker who one night steps out of his portrait to tell him about the treasure. He is told the treasure is also saught by a covenant of witches, one of which is his governess Sylvia Daisy Pouncer.
Can Kay Harker find the treasure before the witches? Along the way he is helped by the midnight folk: creatures like Nibbins the cat and Rollicum Bitem Lightfoot the fox, and even his lost toys, who will join him on his dangerous quest.
This fantastic story has all of the ingredience to ignite the imagination of its reader, it includes pirates, witches, lost treasure and talking animals. Although written in 1927 the book has all of the ingredience of a modern Disney story and perfectly captures a child’s perspective, yet there is also plenty of humour that adults will appreciate too.
In this astonishing collection, first published in 1979, familiar stories become seductive, enchanting and terrifying. In this collection the author Angela Carter deals with issues of feminism and although each particular narrative deals with a different set of characters, the ‘oppressed female seeking liberation’ is a common theme and concept that is explored throughout the collection
In the title story, Bluebeard is a sado-masochist who lures his inexperienced bride to his castle on the coast of Brittany – but is defeated by a most unexpected adversary. Subversive twists abound: in ‘The Werewolf’, a retelling of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, a girl hacks off a wolf’s paw, only to find it turning into a warty, withered old hand that she recognises as her grandmother’s. Carter’s women are more likely to outwit their attackers than fall prey to them – as the heroine of ‘The Company of Wolves’ puts it, ‘she knew she was nobody’s meat’.
In this particular book the artist Igor Karash won the second House of Illustration/Folio Society Illustration Award for his work.
Heron Books / Edito-Service were responsible throughout the 1960s, 70s and early 80s for publishing ‘Collectors Editions’ of famous authors (illustrated, with introductions, decorated leatherette covers, silk bookmark, rarely dated, with some leather Special Editions). The books were sold directly through newspaper advertisements on a monthly, something like a book club, basis. The books were sold on a Free Approval basis with never any commitment to buy either the volume sent or any further volumes. Heron Books were phenomenally successful in their time and claimed that they sold approaching 100 million volumes world wide.
As well as substantial Author Specific collections they also produced a variety of sets such as; Masters of Espionage, a terrific collection of 20 top spy novels; Books That Changed Man’s Thinking, a 29 volume collection of some of the most significant and powerful books ever written; Poets Of The English Language, a 5 volume anthology spanning 600 years; Women Who Made History, a 20 volume collection of women of note; and Men of Destiny, no details for this collection as yet.
And lets not forget the superb 39 Volume Agatha Christie Thriller Collection.
Currently Selling – Several Complete Agatha Christie collections, Joseph Conrad, Hammond Innes, Alistair Maclean, Somerset Maugham, J B Priestley, D H Lawrence, Nevil Shute, Colette, Rudyard Kipling, John Galsworthy, Wilbur Smith, John Steinbeck, Daphne Du Maurier, Robert Louis Stevenson, etc.
Gift Suggestion – Why not put your own collection together? If you are interested in more than one book as a gift then please email me with your selections and I will confirm availability and give you a Special Price
Browse More at Heron Books
Dennis Wheatley, storyteller supreme, made a lifelong study of the occult. His meticulous research into the black arts reveals almost unbelievable sorcery. He warned. ‘By participating in Satanic Rites, however sham, one can make oneself a focus for Evil.’
No writer cared more about authenticity. This is true not only of his Satanist books, but also of his many other novels. In his Duke de Richleau stories the historic detail is impeccable. And you can feel his authoritative grasp of the period in the undercover adventures of Roger Brook, Napoleon’s super aide-de-camp.
He wrote with great intensity and created an amazing variety of characters and situations. The 52 volume Heron Edition of Wheatley’s novels, which includes his espionage and adventure stories, as well as the occult, is the only finely-bound edition in the world.
The craftsmanship is of the highest standard. Scarlet Kidron and lavish golden and black embellishing have been used to startling effect. The illustrations were specially commissioned from English artists.
Gift Suggestion – Why not put your own collection together? If you are interested in more than one book as a gift then please email me with your selections and I will confirm availability and give you a Special Price
Browse Now at Works of Dennis Wheatley
Heron Books / Edito-Service were responsible throughout the 1960s, 70s and early 80s for publishing ‘Collectors Editions’ of famous authors (illustrated, with introductions, decorated leatherette covers, silk bookmark, rarely dated, with some leather Special Editions). The books were sold directly through newspaper advertisements on a monthly, something like a book club, basis. The books were sold on a Free Approval basis with never any commitment to buy either the volume sent or any further volumes. Heron Books were phenomenally successful in their time and claimed that they sold approaching 100 million volumes world wide.
As well as substantial Author Specific collections they also produced a variety of sets such as; The Literary Heritage Collection, a collection of 50 books by some of the world’s best authors; Masters of Espionage, a terrific collection of 20 top spy novels; Books That Changed Man’s Thinking, a 29 volume collection of some of the most significant and powerful books ever written; Poets Of The English Language, a 5 volume anthology spanning 600 years; Women Who Made History, a 20 volume collection of women of note; and Men of Destiny, no details for this collection as yet.
And lets not forget the superb 39 Volume Agatha Christie Thriller Collection.
Currently Selling – Several Complete Agatha Christie collections, Joseph Conrad, Hammond Innes, Alistair Maclean, Somerset Maugham etc.
Gift Suggestion – Why not put your own collection together? If you are interested in more than one book as a gift then please email me with your selections and I will confirm availability and give you a Special Price
Browse More at Heron Books
We always have a fine selection of brand new unopened Folio society books that are still in their original unopened cellphane wraps, you can view them at Brand New Folio Society
Good reasons why books make great Christmas Gifts
Books are better than many other gifts; they don’t make you fat, they don’t wilt, one-size-fits-all, and they are a lot more interesting than socks!
Books make great gifts because they can be thoughtful, and sometimes also thought-provoking. People can be amused and entertained by humorous, quirky, witty titles. Good books can prompt ideas that change the way we think and can make a difference… helping to make life better and more interesting.
Books are important in various unexpected ways, books allow readers to travel without using their feet, books give wings to our imagination, books are full of knowledge, joy, happiness, wisdom and so much more, books are more than enjoyment, books have the capability to transform your life, books can help you in your hardest time, books can make you realize that you are not alone in this world if you are struggling, books gives a solution and gives you a new way and a new perspective to look at different things and situations.
The right book can be an answer to the motive behind what drives a gift buyer’s choices: to express love; to show sentiment & affection; to convey sympathy; to say sorry; as a little token of appreciation; a special keepsake; to honour a special occasion such as Christmas with a lovely affordable present; a seemingly random act of kindness, to raise a smile; and, sometimes, just to make someone laugh-out-loud.
Books are such fabulous value for money, and can last a lifetime. The recipient of a gift book may treasure it forever; that’s why books make great Christmas Gifts.
We always have a fine selection of brand new unopened Folio society books that are still in their original unopened cellphane wraps, you can view them at Brand New Folio Society
The Folio Society has a long standing tradition of publishing Fairy Tales with the highly collectable Andrew Lang Fairy Books and most of the popular collections superbly illustrated by the finest illustrators. It is probable that Fairy Tales were originally written mainly for adults with some for children and over time these have been diluted to primarily a younger audience although who doesn’t enjoy reading one to the children.
I once read a fascinating article by Allison Parkinson where she wrote “A good story deserves a great introduction and, for me, there can be no better beginning than: ‘Once upon a time…’
It’s magical, it’s exciting – it’s a password that will grant you entry to ancient lands inhabited by heroes and villains, wicked witches, dragons, giants and genies. Extraordinary scenarios will unfold before you as you witness the characters’ experiences and adventures. And all of this is certain because of those four simple words.” Folk and fairy tales are found in all cultures across the globe and they all seem to start and end with very particular phrases. Many introductions refer to an ancient, unspecified time, for example, ‘on an old day, in the old times’, ‘at the beginning of time’ or ‘at a time already long past’. Others refer to distant, dream-like locations such as ‘behind seven lands and seas’ or ‘beyond seven mountains and seven forests.’
The Brothers Grimm are among the best-known storytellers of folk tales, and popularized stories such as “Cinderella”, “The Frog Prince”, “The Goose-Girl”, “Hansel and Gretel”, “Rapunzel”, “Rumpelstiltskin”, “Sleeping Beauty”, and “Snow White”. This superb Folio Society edition is beautifully illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
This facsimile of the 1913 edition contains 17 of his most famous tales, including ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘The Snow Queen’ and ‘The Ugly Duckling’. The original illustrations by William Heath Robinson capture all the magic of the text making this the perfect way to enjoy this master storyteller.
A superb collection of fairy tales first published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1910, with additional tales from earlier translations. Contains the stories of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Puss in Boots and more together with the superb illustrations by Edmund Dulac.
Some familiar favourites, such as Beauty and the Beast, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rumpelstiltskin are believed to date back thousands of years to a time before many modern languages even existed. And different versions of the same root story can be found all over the world.
Albert Einstein was certainly a fan of the fairy tale. He once said: “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
Once upon a time, a very long time ago, there was a moral that needed to be taught, or a child that needed putting to bed, or a traveler who needed to be entertained. As long as humans have existed, we have crafted stories to tell to ourselves and to others; we are perpetually surrounded by them. When we are awake, we read, we watch, we listen. When we are asleep, we dream.
You can purchase them at Folio Society Fairy Books
You can also purchase them at Folio Society Fairy Tales
Read More at The Enduring Fascination of Fairy Tales
Why Fairy Tales Matter at Read Here
All titles chosen to become Folio books are the finest in their genre and all are treated to extremely high production standards, but those selected for their Limited Editions Collections are, quite simply, exceptional. Great works of literature or history become great works of art.
For Limited Editions their production teams have leave to indulge their passion for exquisite materials and fine binding techniques which simply cannot be considered for longer book runs. Exceptional craftsmanship creates these highly collectable books – from and content perfectly married to produce a lasting legacy for generations to come.
During the 1930s, artist sculptor and typographer Eric Gill collaborated with the Golden Cockerel Press on a number of projects. The Folio Society has published in facsimile the three crowning works of this association: Troilus and Creseyde, The Canterbury Tales and The Four Gospels. They are among the most admired books of the 20th century, a sublime marriage of type and illustration.
My favourite Limited Editions include Spenser’s Faerie Queene; Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury; and Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
Browse These Folio Society at Limited Editions
These titles and many more beautiful Folio Society books for Christmas are currently available at Folio Society Books
‘Would you like a book for Christmas?’ one of P. G. Wodehouse’s plump, tilt-nosed, sporty heroines asks her boyfriend from the Drones Club, to which he replies: ‘No thanks, I’ve got a book.’ A life with one book is unthinkable, and while Folio Society books are not the only ones, nor should they be, they will, with luck, have a role to play in enriching the lives of book-lovers for years to come.
Folio Society books come in many different formats, whether it’s an early individual book with a dust jacket or one of the later ones in slipcases
The Folio Society has also published numerous superb Boxed Sets, here’s the superb Swallows and Amazons collection published for Jonathan Cape
Arthur Ransome’s classic children’s series Click To View
And some of the finest Author Collections
Anthony Trollope Collection 48 Volumes Series Bound Folio Society 1989-99 Click To View
Folio Society books are set above the rest in almost every aspect – exceptional typography, illustration, paper, printing, and binding.
These titles and many more beautiful Folio Society books for Christmas are currently available at Folio Society Books
