online store for collectors books on the Isle of Wight

1	James A Mackay. "Isle of Wight."
	1981. Published by the author. Postal History Series No. 12. Large format with 112 pages. An excellent history of Isle of Wight postmarks and Post Offices that no longer exist. In very good condition. £25.
2	*Robin McInnes. "A Picturesque Tour of the Isle of Wight."*
	1993. Cross Publishing .Subscribers edition no 582 of 750 copies. Featuring some of the best paintings and drawings of the Island. Again a beautifully presented book. The book and dustjacket are both in very good condition. £25.
3	*Mark Wm. Norman. "A Popular Guide to the Geology of the Isle of Wight."*
	1887. Knight's Library Ventnor. Illustrated by a map, sections and figures of some fossils. Twenty two plates showing some of the fossils and the complex cross sections of the Island's makeup. Red cloth covers with gilt titles. The spine is faded. A good tight copy. £55.
4	*Bill Shepard. "Newport Isle of Wight Remembered."*
	1984. Isle of Wight County Press. The acknowledged book on the town. A wealth of information, illustrated with photographs and drawings.A signed copy by the author. Book and dustwrapper in very good condition. £28.
5	*CWR Winter. "Manor Houses of the Isle of Wight."*
	1984. Dovecote Press. The author lists the 126 Manor Houses in the Island and has added a further 15 medieval manors. He has written a full and interesting account of 26 of them. Signed by the author and illustrator. Book and dust cover in very good condition. £65. A card covered edition also available in very good condition at £30.
6	*Keith Beken. "The Beken File."*
	1980. Channel Press. The greatest sailing photographer of them all. A delight of many kinds with the wonderful photographs. The book and dustjacket both in very good condition. £15.
7	*Beken of Cowes. "The Golden Age of Sailing."*
	2000. Random House. Classic Yacht Photographs. Text by William Collier. The album contains the work of over four generations of a family of marine photographers. Book and dust jacket in very good condition. £25.
8	*Vicky Basford. "Historic Parks and Gardens of the Isle of Wight."*
	1989. Isle of Wight County Council Cultural Services Department. Illustrated with colour plates and illustrations in text. The book describes the valuable heritage of historic parks and gardens within the Isle of Wight, some of which no longer survive. Card covers in uncreased clean condition with some shelf wear. £10.
9	*Ron and Pat Winter. "Village Churches of the Isle of Wight."*
	1987. Forget-Me-Not Books. The authors describe in full 24 of the most beautiful Island churches. Profusely illustrated with photographs taken by Pat Winter. The architecture of each building and the people who built them is covered. Book and dust jacket both in very good condition. £12.50.
10	*Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith. "Ryde to Ventnor."*
	1987. Middleton Press. One of the South Coast Railways series. Featured is the Bembridge branch line. Laminated boards in very good condition. £10.
11	*Alan Hadcroft. "D.H.S.S. - The True Story."*
	1995. Knight Writers Publishing House. The author of 'Seven Times a Prisoner' relates his own lifetime experiences both before and when he moved to live on the Isle of Wight. This is one mans story of his personal struggle and and his conflict with the DHSS. 370 pages. Card covers in clean uncreased very good condition. £5.
12	*Johanna Jones. "Castles to Cottages."*
	2000. Dovecote Press. The story of Isle of Wight houses. An astonishing range of houses, Roman villas, mediaeval castle, Elizabethan Manor Houses, Georgian Mansions, seaside villas et al.Card covered in mint condition. £8.
13	*Evelyn Prinsep. "Freshwater Gates."*
	1946. Isle of Wight County Press. Compiled by the author at the end of World War 11 when he lived at Freshwater Bay. Orange cloth covers with black titles in very good condition. £10.
14	*David Tomalin. "Roman Wight A Guide Catalogue."*
	1987. Isle of Wight County Council. Well illustrated with drawings and plates. A useful bibliography at the rear. Card covers in clean uncreased condition. A good copy .£10.
15	*R L Wheeler and J B Chaplin."In the beginning.. The SR-N1 Hovercraft."*
	2005. Cross Publishing. The authors recollection and perspective of the history of the SR-N1 hovercraft programme.Well illustrated with photographs, diagrams and press cuttings. Card covers in mint condition. £12.
16	*David Couling. "An Isle of Wight Camera. 1856-1914."*
	1978. Dovecote Press. This is a 1989 reprint. A fascinating picture of the Isle of Wight in this collection of photographs. Both the book and the dustwrapper are in very good condition. £9.50.
17	*David Couling. "An Isle of Wight Camera. 1914-1945."*
	1978. The Dovecote Press.1985 reprint.The photographs in this book provide an evocative and fascinating picture of the Isle of Wight between the beginning of the First World War and the end of the Second World War. Book and dust wrapper in very good condition. £9.50
18	*Richard Newman. "Southern Vectis - The First Sixty Years."*
	1989. Ensign Publications. The story of the familiar buses and coaches of the eighties and those from before. Laminated board covers in very good condition. £12.
19	*Roy Brinton. "Isle of Wight The Complete Guide."*
	2006. The Dovecote Press. A comprehensive illustrated guide to the Isle of Wight. Full of detail, based on meticulous research by the author who knows as much about the Island as anyone. Well illustrated with photographs. Both the book and dust jacket are in mint condition. £13.50.
20	*Ethel C Hargrove. "England's Garden Isle"*
	1926. The County Press. Illustrated second edition. Often overlooked, this is a gem. Full of facts and stories all related to us by Ethel C Hargrove, the author of 'Wandering in the Isle of Wight' In paper covers that are worn, overall good. £10.
21	John Wolfenden. "The Countryside of the Isle of Wight."
	1990. The Service Tree Press. A detailed description of the landscape of the Isle of Wight.The author has divided the countryside into ten chapters which is illustrated with maps and photographs taken by the author.The appendices, hold details of the former railway system and many maps. Book and dust jacket in very good condition. £12.
22	*A N Daish. "Printers Pride 1816-1966."*
	1967. Yelf Brothers. The House of Yelf at Newport Isle of Wight. Well illustrated. For the first hundred years very little in the way of records were kept and the author has worked hard to find information. An interesting book on an Island family business. The book is in very good condition with a jacket in good condition. £7.50.
23	*David Bambrough. "The History of Sandown Conservative Clubs 1878-2004."*
	2004. Published by the Author. A very comprehensive history of the Sandown Conservative Club during its life and many changes over the 125 years covered. Illustrated with photographs and press cuttings. Ring bound in vg condition. £8.
24	*Kenneth J Hosking. "Weather We Like It Or Not. 70 Years of Weather at Ryde."*
	1988. Isle of Wight Teachers Centre Newport. This is an updated edition with detailed analysis of Ryde's rainfall record over a period of 70 years from 1918. There was prolonged drought and severe flooding, but overall, little change in the long term behaviour of our local weather. Card covers in good condition. £5.
25	*Jack and Johanna Jones. "The Isle of Wight. An Illustrated History."*
	1987. Dovecote Press. A condensed history of the Isle of Wight in one short volume, from pre-historic times to the 1980's. The chapter headings include, Church, Manors and people, embattled Puritans, House of Industry and much more. Hard back book with dustwrapper in very good condition. £15. Soft back copy available in very good condition at £10.
26	Frank Morey (Ed.). "A Guide to the Natural History of the Isle of Wight."
	1909. The County Press Newport. A series of contributions by specialists relating to the various branches of Natural History and kindred subjects. Illustrated.The map is in pristine condition at the rear. Green cloth covers with gilt titles. A very nice tight copy in very good condition. £40.
27	The Rev. J E Kelsall and Philip W Munn. "The Birds of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight."
	1905. Witherby & Co. list of illustrations, list of subscribers, appendix and index. Large fold-out map at the rear in very good condition. Neat inscription to front endpaper, 'J H Raymond de Jersey 11th October 1913.' Internally in very good condition.The dark blue boards with gilt titles are worn, but a tight copy in good reading order. £45.
28	R.J.Eldridge. "Newport in Bygone Days."
	1952. Isle of Wight County Press. This edition is a 1982 reprint. There is a reproduction Speed's map to the endpapers. This copy in card covers in very good condition. £5.
29	M.J. Trow. "The Adventures of Inspector Lestrade."
	1985. Macmillan. A signed copy of this, the first of the series of the Inspector Lestrade novels.This particular copy is in very good condition as is the dust jacket. £35.
30	Patricia Sibley. "Discovering the Isle of Wight."
	1977. Robert Hale. A well written and easy to read book on the Island and its history. The book contains a wealth of information that is interesting and reads like a novel. Book and dustwrapper in very good condition. £4.
31	George Clinch. "The Isle of Wight."
	1921. Second Edition. Methuen & Co.Illustrations by F D Bedford. Two maps, photographs and three plans. One of the Little Guide series. A small neat pocket guide that is comprehensive, yet complete. Red cloth covers, faded spine vg £12.
32	E. F. Laidlaw. "The Story of the Royal National Hospital Ventnor."
	1990. Cross print. Conceived in 1867, founded in 1868 and opened in 1869. Renamed as the "Royal National Hospital for Diseases of the Chest." Closed in 1964. Diseases of the chest were prevalent in the 1860's and Dr. Hassall described the Undercliff and Ventnor as being particularly favourable climatically for the treatment of respiratory diseases. And so it began. Card covers in very good condition. £10. Also available by the same author, "A History of Isle of Wight Hospitals." Also in very good condition, £7.50.
33	*Anthony Heckstall-Smith. "Sacred Cowes."*
	1955. Allan Wingate. First edition. Eleven plates. The cream of the Yachting society. This not a book about yachting, more a book about yachting people. Filled with stories of the great, the famous and the notorious.Book and dust jacket in very good condition. £15. A second edition also available at £12 in vg/vg condition.
34	Lawrence Wilson. "Portrait of the Isle of Wight."
	1965. Robert Hale. Illustrated and with map. From the early history of the Island and its people, the West Wight, the smuggling, the girl from St Helens to a Queen at Osborne. Fascinating stories. Book and the dustwrapper in vgc. £7.50.
35	Brian Hinton. "Message to Love."
	1995. Castle Communications. The Isle of Wight Festival 1968-1969-1970. The great pop festivals of the late sixties were a product of their time-youthful rebellion, popular art and derangement of the senses.The whole atmosphere collected here by the author. Card covers in a clean uncreased new condition. £12.
36	Dr. P.T. Armitage. "A Bibliography of George Brannon's Vectis Scenery 1820-1857."
	1974. Isle of Wight County Press. All the information is here on the George Brannon prints. The author is the recognised authority on the subject and the result is a highly informative work. There are many lists of the plates, their locations in the different editions and much more. The book itself is in very good condition with a worn dustwrapper. £28.
37	George Brannon. "Views of the Isle of Wight."
	1972. EP Publishing. Republished edition of the Views of the Isle of Wight drawn and engraved by George Brannon. This is a faithfull reproduction that is as interesting as the original at a more affordable price. Book and the dustwrapper in very good condition. £22.
38	J.C.Medland. "Shipwrecks of the Isle of Wight."
	1986. West Island Printers. The history of the seas around the Island shores. The stories of wrecks of Medieval Wight and much more in a large format card covered book in clean uncreased unmarked condition. £4.
39	C W R Winter. "The Ancient Town of Yarmouth."
	1981. Isle of Wight County Press. Yarmouth is a town that holds itself in a special place in history as a unique port in the Isle of Wight. Illustrated with photographs. Book and dust wrapper in very good condition. £12.50.
40	Nicky Hayward. "There's A Small Hotel."
	2000. Methuen. A glimpse behind the scenes of one of Britain's best small hotels. This book takes us through a busy year in the life of the Seaview Hotel. Both the book and the dustjacket are in very good condition. £10.
41	*Susan Scott. "The Isle of Wight Country House Cooking."*
	1993. Dovecote Press. The acclaimed Isle of Wight cookery book that the professionals use. Tastefully illustrated! Book and dustjacket in very good condition. £8.
42	Rear-Admiral D Arnold-Forster. "At War With the Smugglers."
	1970. Conway Maritime Press. The career of Doctor Arnold's father. The book takes us into the late 1770's and the activities of the smugglers and the Revenue cutters beside local and domestic affairs included together. Maps to endpapers. The book and dust jacket are in very good condition. £30.
43	Thomas Barber. "Picturesque Illustrations of the Isle of Wight."
	1973. EP Publishing. First published over 100 years previously. This facsimile of the 1845 work, faithfully reproduces the original. The plates are clear and the map is at the rear of the book as per the original. This copy has an inscription to the first endpaper, but otherwise is in very good condition with a similar dust jacket. £15.
44	*R J Maycock and R Silsbury. "The Piers, Tramways and Railways at Ryde."*
	2005. Oakwood Press. This is the fourth title in what is now a five book series by these two authors on the subject of Isle of Wight railways. A beautiful book easy to read and very informative. Book and dustjacket in very good condition. £15.
45	*Rupert Besley. "Wight Smiles."*
	1998. Isle of Wight County Press. Cartoons that appeared in the County press from 1988-1998 and some more that weren't previously published. Most were very topical at the time of the weekly publication of the newspaper. Card covers in very good condition. £5. Copies of "More Wight Smiles" are also available in very good condition £2.50.
46	*Alan G Parker. "Isle of Wight Local History- A Guide to Sources."*
	1975. IW Teachers Centre. The definitive IW guide for publications on every source of local information. For general aspects of topography and history, it is an invaluable guide. Card covers, spiral bound in very good condition. £27.50.
47	*S.F. Hockey. "Insula Vecta. The Isle of Wight in the Middle Ages."*
	1982. Phillimore. The Isle of Wight's medieval history is particularly interesting and this is the first book on the subject, to have been published for over a hundred years. The content of the book has been set out under a score of topics, to include as much detail as possible. Book and dust jacket in very good condition. £12.
48	*M J Trow. "The Many Faces of Jack the Ripper."*
	1997. Summersdale. The author is a Ryde High School teacher with many book titles to his credit. Including the Inspector Lestrade and the Maxwell series. This book provides a complete pictorial account of the gruesome crimes of Jack the Ripper. Illustrated. Book and dustjacket in very good condition. £8.
49	*R E Burroughs. "The Great Isle of Wight Train Robbery."*
	1968. The Railway Invigoration Society. The story of the Isle of Wight railway closures. Map and photographs. The first Island steam train ran in 1862 and the last in 1966. This small card covered book is full of the facts and figures with photographs telling of the final years, months and days up to closure. In very good condition. £10.
50	*Philip Norman. "The Skaters' Waltz."*
	1979. Linden Press. A US publication of the book. The novel is set in 1954 where a boy wakes in a gloomy flat in a Victorian seaside house in Ryde. The pier, its skating rink and amusement arcades all feature in this moving account of a lost seaside age. The book is in very good condition with a dust jacket that has minor nicks to it. £12. Copies of Babycham Night are also available at £5 each in very good condition.
51	D.J.Quigley. "The Isle of Wight Rifles."
	nd. Published by the author. The illustrated Regimental History of Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles. Small illustrated card covers in very good condition. £12.50.
52	H V Basford. "The Vectis Report."
	1980. Isle of Wight County Council. A survey of Isle of Wight archaeology. Packed full of information and well illustrated. 172 pages in large format. In very good condition. £12.
53	Oliver Fraser. "The Natural History of the Isle of Wight."
	1990. Dovecote Press. An illustrated account of one of the most fascinating and diverse natural histories in the British Isles. Card covers in clean uncreased very good condition. £10.
54	Richard J Hutchings. "Smugglers of the Isle of Wight."
	1990. Isle of Wight County Press. Illustrated. The smugglers, the preventative forces and the Church all feature strongly in the accounts by the author. Card covered in clean uncreased condition. £5.
55	Ward Lock and Co. (Pubs) "Isle of Wight."
	1926-1927. Ward Lock & Co. Twenty-first edition. A pictorial and descriptive guide to the Isle of Wight. An Island map and series of town plans are present. Red boards with black titles in very good condition. £10. Other later editions available.
56	Paul Hooper. "Our Island In War and Commonwealth."
	1998. Cross Publishing. The Isle of Wight 1640-1660. This book provides a Seventeenth Century insight into one of the most turbulent periods in English history. Book and dustjacket in very good condition. £10.
57	A.E.Tagg and R.L.Wheeler. "From Sea to Air."
	1989. Crossprint. The Heritage of Sam Saunders. This the sequel to 'from River to Sea' tells of the firms progress through being involved in aircraft design and construction. 316 pages again in large format. Book and dustwrapper in vgc. £17.50.
58	Michael H Goodall. "The Wight Aircraft."
	1973. Gentry Books. The history of the Aviation Department of J Samuel White & Co. Ltd. 1913-1919. A brief appearance by the firm on the aviation scene during the first World War. Excellent photographs and with three view drawings of most of the Wight aircraft. Book and dustwrapper in very good condition. £20.
59	Gay Steedman and Ray Anker. "Ghosts of the Isle of Wight."
	1977. G G Saunders. The original ghost book by these authors, a first edition copy too. Photographs and accounts of eerie goings on. This copy has survived the 30 years it has been around with only shelf wear to show. A good copy. £5.
60	HRH The Duchess of York and Benita Stoney. "Victoria and Albert. Life at Osborne House."
	1991. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. From the first years of marriage, through the creation of Osborne, the happiest years, the sad years, the desolate years and a new beginning. A beautifully illustrated book. Both book and dustwrapper in very good condition. £22. This is just a taster of Isle of Wight books available from wightbooks.co.uk Please don't hesitate to ask if you are looking for another title. There are hundreds of books in stock.