online store for collectors books on the Isle of Wight

1	Mate's Illustrated Guides. "Isle of Wight Illustrated."
	1901. W. Mate and Sons Ltd. Republished 2010. Wight Books. This is now a scarce guide book to the Island and to help preserve it, it has been republished. The many contemporary advertisements at the front and the rear of the book are a delight as they include Island business premises, hotels and shops most of which are now gone, but well remembered. The printing and paper quality is of the highest standard and the result is a delight. New. £15.
2	*George Brannon. "Vectis Scenery."*
	2002. Editor Robin McInnes. A faithful copy of the original work by George Brannon in 1865. The book is enclosed in a slip case. This particular copy is one of the author's proof copies. The boards are green with gilt titles and decoration, as is the slip case. Robin McInnes has signed the first free endpaper. Both the book and case are in fine condition. £55.
3	*Kelly's Directory. "Hampshire and the Isle of Wight."*
	1899. Kelly's Directories. One of the highly collectable and sought after directories with both maps present, complete and undamaged. The book has been tastefully rebound and as a result strengthened to last many more years. In very good condition. £135.
4	*Keir Foss. "The Book of Newtown."*
	2004. Halsgrove. Newtown is the ancient capital of the Isle of Wight and is steeped in history. Also incorporated into the book are the villages of Porchfield, Locks Green and Shalfleet. Beautifully illustrated. Both the book and the dustwrapper are in very good condition. £20.
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. The book is well illustrated. Green cloth covers and a dust jacket in very good condition. £65.
6	*HRH The Duchess of York with Benita Stoney." Victoria and Prince Albert. Life at Osborne House."*
	1991. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. The relationship between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert is explored in the home that they created in the Isle of Wight. Book and dust jacket are in very good condition. £22.
7	*R.B. Adams. "Red Funnel and Before."*
	1986. Kingfisher Railway Productions. The book records the history of the 'Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company." Well illustrated. The book and dust jacket in very good condition. £15.
8	*Vicky Basford. "Historic Parks and Gardens of the Isle of Wight."*
	1980. Isle of Wight County Council Cultural Services Department. Illustrated with colour plates and more illustrations in the text. The book describes the medieval deer parks, the early gardens of Roman times and the later Victorian gardens, many of which no longer survive. Card covers in clean uncreased very good condition. £10.
9	*Ron and Pat Winter. "Village Churches of the Isle of Wight."*
	1987. Forget-me-Not Books. The authors describe in full, twenty four of the most beautiful Island churches. The book is profusely illustrated with photographs taken by Pat Winter. The architecture of each building and the people who built them is covered. The book and dust jacket are in very good condition. £12. Card covered edition also vg condition £8.
10	*John Wolfenden. "The Countryside of the Isle of Wight."*
	1990. Service Tree Press Ventnor. The book describes the landscape of the Isle of Wight from the viewpoint of the walker. It is comprehensively illustrated with maps and photographs. This particular copy has been signed by the author. Both the book and the dust wrapper are in very good condition. £15.
11	*Bernice Slater. "Royal London Yacht Club 1838-1938."*
	1988. Published by the Royal London Yacht Club. One of the oldest yacht clubs in Britain. This is a one hundred and fifty year history of the club that was hitherto little known. With premises in London and Cowes, the club has an enviable history. Book and dust jacket in very good condition. £25.
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. £10.
13	*Flora Fraser. "Maud. The Diaries of Maud Berkeley."*
	1985. Secker and Warburg. In the world of the Isle of Wight, Maud Berkeley is followed by the reader on her adventures, on walks, picnics, dances and into amateur dramatics on the island and more. This Victorian diary is superbly illustrated by the diarist. Book and dust wrapper in very good condition. £12.
14	*Robin McInnes. " Isle of Wight Illustrated."*
	1989. Crossprint. Limited subscribers hardback edition, numbered 398 of 500 published copies. A fresh and very readable account of the most interesting aspects of the Isle of Wight still today. This is the hardest of the Robin McInnes books to find. The book and dust jacket are in very good condition. £85. Also available is a soft back copy in vgc at £45.
15	*George Brannon. "Views of the Isle of Wight."*
	1972. EP Publishing. Reprinted from the original 1824 edition. there are 26 plates drawn and engraved by George Brannon, illustrating the scenes, principal places and picturesque subjects. The book and dust wrapper are in very good condition. £20.
16	*W.J.Roberts. "Newport Secondary Grammar School."*
	1957. Isle of Wight County Press. The story of a county grammar school, its pupils and staff. Part 1. details the origins and growth of the school and Part 2. includes the recollections of over 50 years from those involved. Card covers which are spotted, but clean and uncreased. Internally, all is in very good condition. £18.
17	*G.C.Dunning. "The History of Niton Isle of Wight."*
	1953. Isle of Wight Natural History & Archaeological Society. A small booklet with lots of information, photographs and plans of Niton and the area in very good clean uncreased condition. £12.
18	*Richard Newman. "Southern Vectis - The First Sixty Years."*
	1989. Ensign Publications. The story of the familiar buses and coaches of the Isle of Wight in the 1980's and those from before. Lots of information and photographs. Laminated board covers in very good condition. £12.
19	*Ian Sherfield. "East Cowes Castle."*
	1994. Cannon Press. A pictorial history of one of John Nash's most entertaining works, gone and almost forgotten. Illustrated with plans, coloured and black and white plates. Both book and dust wrapper are in very good condition. £18.
20	*Thomas Barber. "Barber's Pictorial Illustrations of the Isle of Wight."*
	No date. Simpkin and Marshall. The dates contained within the book suggest this to be the 1832 edition with the map to the rear. The plates are all clean, present and tissue guarded. The first few and last few pages are lightly spotted. Tastefully respined in green cloth with new endpapers. £55.
21	*Walter Gladdon. "Wanderings in the Isle of Wight."*
	1848. The Religious Tract Society. The folding map contained within, is complete and at the front of the book. There are vignettes throughout. There is an inscription to the first free endpaper by the author. A lovely early example of a guide book to the Isle of Wight. With gilt titles and decorations to the front cover and spine. In very good condition. £55.
22	*R.V.Turley. "Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Bibliographies."*
	1975. Barry Shurlock. Selected Nineteenth Century Sources. This work brings together a selection of important bibliographies which are difficult and expensive to procure in their original states. A limited edition of just 250 copies were printed. In red cloth covers with gilt titles and a protective cover in very good condition. £45.
23	*Arthur Christopher Benson."The Letters of Queen Victoria."*
	1908. John Murray. A selection of Her Majesty's correspondence between the years 1837 and 1861. In three volumes, this work includes many letters written whilst at Osborne. Red cloth covers with gilt titles, all volumes are in very good condition. £20.
24	*Commander E.P.Statham. "The Story of Britannia."*
	1904. Cassell and Company. The Britannia was the training ship for the naval cadets training at Osborne, East Cowes, with some account of previous methods of naval education and of the new scheme of 1903. Blue cloth covers with gilt decoration and titles. This copy is in good condition. £25.
25	*Jack and Johanna Jones. "The Isle of Wight. An Illustrated History"*
	1987. Dovecote Press. First edition. The book has become a firm favourite with collectors and readers alike. Well written and photographed by this husband and wife team. The book and d/w are in vgc. £15.
26	Editor unknown. "Island Scenery."
	1899. James B Knapp. This unusual book contains a series of articles from the Victorian Connexional Magazine. It includes the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight and other British islands. The Isle of Wight section includes Ryde, Brading, Osborne, Carisbrooke, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor and Bonchurch. In blue cloth covers with gilt titles and in good condition. £12.
27	Avril Pedley. "A Georgian Marriage."
	2007. Dovecote Press. The family papers of Sir Nash and Lady Grose. In the eighteenth century the former inherited the priory at St. Helens on the Isle of Wight and Mary, the Lady Grose to be was the 14 year old daughter of an island farmer. Despite their social differences, they married and lived at the priory. Book and dust wrapper in very good condition. £15.
28	Matthew Wells. "Farewell to Steam."
	1985. Rochester Press. Forty five miles of closed railways, gone but not forgotten. Here is a well written, well photographed account of what was the islands railway system and what remains. Decorated laminated boards in very good condition. £10.
29	Fred Mew. "Back of the Wight."
	1974. County Press. Yarns of wrecks and smuggling in the true tradition of the 'Back of the Island' This edition is a hardback copy with dust wrapper in very good condition at £6. There is a vg card covered copy also available at £4.
30	Sheila Caws. "The Isle of Wight."
	nd. c1948. Published by J Samuel White. Printed privately. Probably never sold as new, but were presented as mementoes or gifts. This book details the history of the shipbuilding family and the development and success of the Cowes shipbuilding firm. The covers are grey with silver decoration in very good condition. £55.
31	Leonard G Cramp. "Piece for a Jigsaw."
	1974. Somerton. The Island author an acknowledged expert with work on flying saucers and ufo's, has put this work to the forefront on the subject. The book has been reprinted and reissued, such was the demand. This is a technical work that is widely acclaimed. A signed copy with a dedication by the author. Book and dust wrapper in very good condition. £12.
32	Brian Hinton. "Wight -An Island from the Air." and "Wight - An Island from the Air - The second flight."
	1994 and 1995. Island Books. A unique collection of thirty six and thirty five superbly detailed colour photographs respectively of the island, in fascinating clear detail. Both are card covered in very good condition. £15 each.
33	*Patricia Sibley. "Isle of Wight Villages."*
	1983. Robert Hale. The story of all of the Isle of Wight villages as only an islander can tell it. There are lively descriptions of island landmarks and the settings for local characters and the more famous names, Tennyson, Keats, Dickens and Julia Margaret Cameron. The book and disrepair are in very good condition. £6.
34	*E F Laidlaw. "A History of Isle of Wight Hospitals."*
	1994. Cross Publishing. Dr Eric Laidlaw provides a series of fascinating snapshots of an important aspect of the Island's history. Some interesting maps of the locations of the smaller Island hospitals, ie Ryde Isolation Hospital. This copy is in card covers which are clean and uncreased in very good condition. £10.
35	Brian Hinton. "Message to Love."
	1995. Castle Communications. The Isle of Wight Festivals. 1968-1969-1970. Pop festivals of the late sixties were new and exciting. They weren't awfully well run and this was part of the magic. They are fondly remembered today and can never be repeated, try as we may. The author has captured the atmosphere brilliantly. Card covers in very good condition. £15.
36	Ian Dear. "The Royal Yacht Squadron 1815-1985."
	1985. Stanley Paul. The history of one of the worlds most exclusive clubs through 170 colourful years. Full of characters and many photographs, the history can be enjoyed as much as the yachting itself. Book and dust wrapper in very good condition. £20.
37	Maldwin Drummond and Robin McInnes. "The Book of the Solent."
	2001.Cross Publishing. Including the Isle of Wight Voyage. This beautifully illustrated book has been compiled with the additional assistance of a number of experts in their own rights. Coastal protection along the islands shoreline, is vital and the authors have brought to the fore the need to preserve our heritage. A lovely book in very good condition. £45.
38	James A Mackay. "Isle of Wight. Islands Postal History Series No. 12."
	1981. Published by the author. The history of the islands post marks, now disappeared and the post offices throughout the island. This copy with its protective cover is in very good condition. £10
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. £15.
40	David M Martill and Darren Naish. "Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight."
	2001. The Palaeontological Association. 433 pages, well illustrated with photographs and drawings. Card covers in a clean uncreased unmarked very good condition. £12.
41	*Edmund du Boulay. "Bembridge Past and Present."*
	Originally published in 1911 by the Observer Press in Ryde. This edition republished by Bembridge Sailing Club in 1986 as a limited edition. This copy numbered 268 of 600. A scarce book that is keenly sought after. Red cloth covers with gilt titles in very good condition. £80.
42	Evelyn Prinsep. "Freshwater Gates."
	1945. Isle of Wight County Press. A miscellany of poetry and prose including the titled offering. Hard to find, this copy is signed by the author and is in very good condition. £20.
43	Kathy Barter. "Serving Life at Osborne. 1955-2000."
	2001. Biltmore. A real insight into the life of the author whilst she was working in this remarkable house. A well illustrated book in card covers in very good condition. £5.
44	*W.H.Davenport Adams. "The Isle of Wight."*
	1884.Nelson and Sons. With sixteen pages of sectional maps and plans and a large folding coloured map is present in its sleeve. Well illustrated. This one of the recognised Victorian guide books to the island. Inscription signed to the first free endpaper by the author P G Winthrop dated 1889. Green cloth covers with black and gilt titles in very good condition. £45.
45	*Reverend J Woolcock. "A History of the Bible Christian Churches on the Isle of Wight."*
	1897. Frederick Lee. Newport Isle of Wight. Illustrated. From the first service and the first hymn, the book traces the formation of the first Bible Christian Society up until 1897. Brown cloth covers with gilt titles. the book is tight and in very good condition. £45.
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. £20..
47	*Legh Richmond. "The Dairymans Daughter."*
	No date. The Religious Tract Society. A superb example of this lovely book, that is bound in decorated covers of its time. In very good condition. £10.
48	*Adrian Searle. "Isle of Wight at War. 1939-1945."*
	1989. Dovecote Press. The first book to document the history of the Isle of Wight in text and photographs during World War 2. Well illustrated with photographs. Book and dust wrapper in very good condition. £25.
49	*A T Gilliam. "Wight Air Wrecks."*
	2002. Tempus. Many crashes were WW2 wartime, but many were peacetime too. This book is a definitive history of those crashes from pioneer days to the present. Card covers in very good condition. £12.
50	*Henry Irwin Jenkinson. "Jenkinson's Smaller Practical Guide to the Isle of Wight."*
	1890. Edward Stanford. Fifth edition. With two maps, one of which is folding and in very good condition. An exceptionally good copy of this Victorian guide in green cloth with gilt titles. £55.
51	G.W.O'Connor. "The First Hundred Years."
	1961. Camelot. The history of the Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Packet Company Limited, whom we all know now as Red Funnel. This is story of the Company and its fleet. All well documented with lots of photographs. In blue cloth covers with gilt titles in very good condition. £25.
52	James S. Dearden "Hare Hunting on the Isle of Wight."
	1996. Isle of Wight Foot Beagles. The history of the hunting of the hare, its origins and touching on the hunting of the deer and the fox in the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century on the island. well illustrated and with reminiscences. Well illustrated. Green cloth with gilt titles in very good condition. £25.
53	Oliver Frazer. "The Natural History of the Isle of Wight."
	1990.Dovecote Press. An illustrated account of the most fascinating and diverse natural histories in the British Isles. Card covers in very good clean, uncreased condition. £10.
54	Dom. S F Hockey. "The Cartulary of Carisbrooke Priory."
	1981. Isle of Wight Records Office. This is Volume 2 in the series. There is a map to the endpapers. The cartulary sheds much light on to the early history of the Isle of Wight. Green cloth covers with a dust wrapper in very good condition. £20.
55	Ward Lock & Co. (Pubs.) "The Isle of Wight."
	1926-1927.Twentyfirst edition, with over one hundred illustrations, a map of the island and street plans of Island towns. These annual guides were published from the 1870's through to 1981. They were revised and updated every year and form a very important record of the changing face of the Isle of Wight over a 100 year period. This copy is in very good condition. £12. Other copies from other years available.
56	Vic King, Mike Plumbley and Pete Turner. "Isle of Wight Rock."
	1994. Isle of Wight Rock Archives. The music anthology of the Isle of Wight rock scene from the 1950's to 1994. Busting with information on the bands, the players and the music. Well photographed throughout. Large format protected card covers. 168 pages in very good condition. £80.
57	A E Tagg and R L Wheeler. "From Sea to Air."
	1989. Cross Publishing. The maritime heritage of Sam Saunders. This book traces the history of the East Cowes firm of Saunders Roe from the late 1920's when the company was formed. This copy in very good condition. £17.50.
58	C.S.Ward. "Isle of Wight."
	1909. Thomas Nelson. One of the Thorough Guide series. This new revised edition contains eight maps and plans. A guide book to the island and typical of its time. It is packed full of information for the traveller and the visitor. In very good condition. £15.
59	D.J.Quigley. "Princess Beatrices Isle of Wight Rifles."
	No Date. Published by the author. The regimental history of the Rifles with many photographs. Small card covers in very good clean condition. £12.
60	Robin McInnes. "A Picturesque Tour of the Isle of Wight."
	1993. Cross Publishing. The author takes us on a journey around the Island with an eye firmly fixed on the past. Excellent illustrations abound. inscription signed by the author. Book and dust jacket are in very good condition. £30.








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