Search Results: Maritime, Ships, Boats from Louise Aird

From 1978 to 1981, Time-Life Books published a series called 'The Seafarers'. It was 22 volumes, all written by experts in their fields, on different aspects of maritime history.
All are 175-185 pages, all bound in thick black leatherette, all beautifully illustrated with drawings, paintings and photographs.
Of the 22, I have 12 left (the list is below). All are listed here on Biblio. You can buy one, or as many as you like.
Mine are from the first printing. Unless otherwise noted, all are in mint condition.
This one is The Explorers, reviewed as "An excellent book that discusses the Great Age of Exploration, and the voyages of Columbus, da Gama, Magellan and other great explorers."
Condition: Mint
From the series, I have:
- The Clipper Ships
- The Explorers
- Fighting Sail
- The Frigates
- The Great Liners
- The Men-of-War
- The Racing Yachts
- The Spanish Main
- The U-Boats
- The Venetians
- The Vikings
- Windjammers
NOTE: My quoted price for shipping OUTSIDE of North America is for surface mail… Read More

This is a first edition (UK 1975) of Fighting Ships of World War II, written by the British historian John Norton Westwood. It is an interesting selection of various types of ships from the navies of the warring powers, with descriptions and details. There is a photograph or table on every page.160 pages. I have the dust jacket but it's in terrible condition. The original ownersigned the front endpaper. There is a rub to the edgeof the cover, and a a couple of faint marks on the cover, hence the price. The inside is in perfect condition.

From 1978 to 1981, Time-Life Books published a series called 'The Seafarers'. It was 22 volumes, all written by experts in their fields, on different aspects of maritime history.
All are 175-185 pages, all bound in thick black leatherette, all beautifully illustrated with drawings, paintings and photographs.
Of the 22, I have 12 left (the list is below). All are listed here on Biblio. You can buy one, or as many as you like.
Mine are from the first printing. Unless otherwise noted, all are in mint condition.
This one is Fighting Sail, which covers the Golden Age of the Royal Navy in the half-century leading up to, and including, the Battle of Trafalgar.
Condition: Mint
From the series, I have:
- The Clipper Ships
- The Explorers
- Fighting Sail
- The Frigates
- The Great Liners
- The Men-of-War
- The Racing Yachts
- The Spanish Main
- The U-Boats
- The Venetians
- The Vikings
- Windjammers
NOTE: My quoted price for shipping OUTSIDE of North America is for surface mail without tracking. For other… Read More

This is a pristine copy of the first US edition (stated) of Fisher's Face, or Getting to Know the Admiral, written in 1969 by the Welsh historian Jan Morris.
John Fisher, aka Jacky or Jackie Fisher, was a British Admiral of the Fleet, and later First Sea Lord, known for his efforts at naval reform. He had a huge influence on the Royal Navy in a career spanning more than 60 years, starting in a navy of wooden sailing ships armed with muzzle-loading cannon and ending in one of steel-hulled battle cruisers, submarines and the first aircraft carriers. The argumentative, energetic, reform-minded Fisher is considered the second-most important figure in British naval history, after Lord Nelson.
Unclipped dust jacket, 297 pages, including photos. Front endpaper signed from daughter to father. Otherwise mint condition.NOTE: My quoted price for shipping OUTSIDE of North America is for surface mail without tracking. For other shipping options, please contact me.

This is a first edition of The Fleet That Jack Built: Nine Men Who Made a Modern Navy, published in 1931. Copies of this book are rare; most of the ones available are from the 1962 US printing.
It was written by Rear-Admiral Sir William Scarlett Jameson (1899-1966).
It is the story of the nine brilliant men whose efforts created the Royal Navy that dominated the 19th century, the Far East and two world wars—in spite of opposition from politicians: Admirals Wilson, Beresford, Fisher, Scott, Jellicoe, Beatty, Tyrwhitt, Keyes and Keppel. 'Jack' in the title refers to Admiral Fisher.
The front endpaper is first signed by the woman who owned it in 1962, then it was given to someone in memory of Jameson, in or after 1966, apparently by one of his relatives (see photo).
344 pages, no jacket—it likely never had one. The cover could use cleaning—you can do that with a little Absorene. The inside is perfect.
NOTE: My quoted price for shipping OUTSIDE of North America is for surface mail without tracking.… Read More

From 1978 to 1981, Time-Life Books published a series called 'The Seafarers'. It was 22 volumes, all written by experts in their fields, on different aspects of maritime history.
All are 175-185 pages, all bound in thick black leatherette, all beautifully illustrated with drawings, paintings and photographs.
Of the 22, I have 12 left (the list is below). All are listed here on Biblio. You can buy one, or as many as you like.
Mine are from the first printing. Unless otherwise noted, all are in mint condition.
This one is The Frigates, which covers the Constitution, the Essex, and other frigates used as warships by the U.S. Navy during the 19th century, along with the men who sailed them, and the battles in which they participated.
Condition: Mint
From the series, I have:
- The Clipper Ships
- The Explorers
- Fighting Sail
- The Frigates
- The Great Liners
- The Men-of-War
- The Racing Yachts
- The Spanish Main
- The U-Boats
- The Venetians
- The Vikings
- Windjammers
NOTE: My quoted price for shipping… Read More

This is a collection of five early novels by the great American writer Gore Vidal (1925-2012).It is a stated first edition, published in 1979 for the British market (bought in the UK).The books areWilliwaw--his first novel, published in 1946. It is a drama about war, maritime adventure and murder.The City and the Pillar--his third novel, published in 1948. It is about a young man who comes of age and realizes that he's homosexual.The Judgement of Paris--his 8th novel, published in 1952. Also a coming-of-age novel, about a young lawyer who spends a year in Europe.Messiah--his 13th novel, published in 1954. This one is satirical and is about a new religion that replaces Christianity.Julian--his 15th novel, published in 1964. This is a brilliant narrative novel about the Roman Emperor Flavius Julianus, or Julian the Apostate.This book is 874 pages and weighs 3 lbs.It is in superb condition. The spine is as you see it. The original owner put two bookplates at the front. The inside is perfect.
Note: If you… Read More

This is a first edition of Great Maritime Museums of the World, a very high-quality coffee table book. Each museum covered has case histories and descriptions written by their curators.
The museums covered are: Australian Maritime National Museum, Sydney, AustraliaMaritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaFisheries Museum of the Atlantic, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, CanadaVancouver Maritime Museum, British Columbia, CanadaViking Ship Museum, Roskilde, DenmarkMusée du Bateau, Douarnenez, FranceMusée de la Marine, Paris, FranceMusée de la Pêche, Concarneau, FranceDeutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum, Bremerhaven, GermanyYokohama Maritime Museum, Yokohama, JapanNederlands Schhepvaart Museum, Amsterdam, NetherlandsMaritime Museum Prins Hendrik, Rotterdam, NetherlandsNorsk SjØfartsmuseum, Oslo, NorwayMuseu de Marinha, Lisbon, PortugalBarcelona Maritime Museum, Barcelona, SpainNational Maritime Museum, Stockholm, SwedenVasa Museum, Stockholm, SwedenThe Iron Screw Steamship The Great Britain,… Read More

This is the 1982 re-print (1973) of The History of American Sailing Ships, written by the American naval architect and curator of maritime history at the Smithsonian Institute Howard I Chapelle (1901-1975). It was originally published in 1935.
It is a great reference for people who are into the details of ships--form, construction etc., and biographies of naval architects.
400 pages, including 200+ photos and drawings by Chapelle, George Wales and Henry Rusk.
It is in near-mint condition; its only deficit is repairs to the (unclipped) dust jacket. The front endpaper is signed, in pencil.
Note: If you are outside of North America, the quoted shipping price is for surface mail without tracking. For other options, please contact me.

This is the first reprint of History of the Royal Navy, by the British naval historian Antony Preston (1938-2004). It was first published in 1983 and was a best-seller.
See photo of contents.
It's a beautiful book. It's big: 10 ½" x 14" and 192 pages.
The dust jacket is unclipped and is in excellent condition, with minor shelfwear to the bottom.
The book itself appears to have never been read.
No shelfwear, no marks inside or out. It's mint.

This is a first edition of An Illustrated History of the Royal Navy, by Royal Navy Lieutenant-Commander John Winton (1931-2001). It was published in 2000, in association with the Royal Naval Museum (Portsmouth), which supplied the hundreds of photographs, maps, charts etc. contained in the book. It's extremely informative and captures the military splendor, the magnificent tradition, the majesty and the skill and bravery of the finest navy the world has ever seen. It begins with the 13th century and goes to the Gulf War (see photo of the contents).
It's a beautiful book. It's big: 10 ½" x 14" and 224 pages.
The dust jacket is unclipped and is in excellent condition, with minor shelfwear to the bottom.
The book itself is absolutely mint. No shelfwear, no marks inside or out. It appears to have not been read.
NOTE: My quoted price for shipping OUTSIDE of North America is for surface mail without tracking. For other shipping options, please contact me.

This is the second reprint of Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I, originally published by Jane's in 1919.
This is now the world's greatest reference work of its kind, accepted everywhere as a symbol of accuracy and authority. It begins in 1914 with photographs, line drawings and data tables of warships and includes submarines and the aircraft that were integrated into the naval efforts. Comparisons of the fleets of Great Britain, Germany, the United States, Japan, France, Italy, Austro-Hungary and Russia reveal similarities as well as differences. These pages document design considerations and the rise of the aircraft carrier. An extraordinary one-volume encyclopedia of World War I warships.
It's a large, heavy book: 10" x 13" and 320 pages.
Superb condition: minor wear to the dust jacket. As you can see, there are some little white spots on the cover. Inside, it's perfect.

Note: Also listed here, I have Jane's Fighting Ships 1950-51, and Jane's Naval History of World War II.

If you are outside of… Read More

This is the 1975 reprint of Jane's Fighting Ships 1950-51. The original book is a collector's item; so is this reprint.
It's an important book because it illustrates the pattern of development of the world's navies after WWII. It shows the development of the aircraft carrier, and the American Navy's first atomic-powered submarine. It's an exact reprint, in that it includes all of the original advertisers. Then it covers the ships, including drawings, specs, flags etc., of 61 countries and includes a 'Special Italian Supplement'.
506 pages. It's a heavy book. In excellent condition. There is lots of wear to the dust jacket. Some dappling to the cover, and some wear to the edges of the book. The inside of the book is perfect.
Note: Also listed here, I have Jane's Fighting Ships of WWI and Jane's Naval History of WWII
If you are outside of North America, the cost of shipping this book will be high. Please contact me so I can give you an exact price.

This is a first edition (British) of Jane's Naval History of World War II, written by Jane's editor Bernard Ireland. It covers the different types of warships that fought in the war, from aircraft carriers to submarines, assault ships to destroyers and cruisers. Ireland offers new insights, investigating how German U-boats ultimately lost the battle of the Atlantic while US submarines annihilated Japan's merchant navy.
This book does not appear to have been read. It is in perfect condition.
Note: Also listed here, I have Jane's Fighting Ships 1950-51, and Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I

Note: If you are outside of North America, the shipping fee is for surface mail without tracking. For other options, please contact me.

This is a first US edition of five complete novels of the British writer Joseph Conrad (1857-1924). The title of one of the books is considered offensive; it was published in 1897 and is now commonly referred to as 'The Narcissus'. The other novels in this book are Lord Jim (1900), Typhoon (1902), Nostromo (1904) and The Secret Agent (1907).This book's cover shows a photo of Peter O'Toole in Lord Jim--a film he produced and starred in in 1965. 861 clean, creamy white pages. One dogear to pages 704-706.There are two little spots of missing paper on the inside front cover. Other than that, it's in perfect condition.PLEASE NOTE: THE STATED EXPECTED SHIPPING DATE APPLIES ONLY WITHIN NORTH AMERICA. THE SHIPPING CHARGE APPLIES TO NORTH AMERICAN BUYERS, OR TO INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WHO ACCEPT SURFACE MAIL. DUE TO PANDEMIC-RELATED SHIPPING ISSUES, UNLESS YOU PAY TO HAVE YOUR ITEM DELIVERED BY AIR, OR BY A PRIVATE CARRIER, DELIVERY CAN TAKE FROM 2 TO 5 MONTHS.

This is a signed first edition of Kialoa US-1, Dare to Win, the autobiography of American yachtsman Jim Kilroy (1922-2016) who pioneered maxi-yacht racing.
From the '50s to the '80s, Kilroy's ocean racing yachts, all name Kialoa, amassed a record of victories that remains unrivalled in the highest levels of Grand Prix racing.
This book is the behind the scenes story of commerce and competition; of what it takes to succeed; of adventure and glory on the high seas. There is also a motivational aspect to it.It is 447 pages, packed with photographs and maps.8 3/4" x 11 1/4" x 1/12. It weighs 4 1/2 lbs. Kilroy's signature panel is on the inside front cover.This book has not been read. Aside from a tiny bit of shelfwear to the dust jacket, it is in pristine condition.

This is a stated first edition, and first US printing, of Last Essays, by Joseph Conrad. It was published in 1926 and includes 'Legends', the essay he was working on when he died (of a heart attack). It also includes a photo of the hand-written text of 'Legends'; these are the last words he wrote.
As you can see, this book originally belonged to the B'Nai Brith Hill Foundation of Toronto, which stamped the front and back endpapers and put a memorial bookplate on the inside front cover.
171 pages, mostly unadorned.
The binding has been split in the center but is otherwise nice and tight.
Dark blue boards with gold on the cover; there was gold on the spine but it has worn away.
There are the expected little spots here and there but, overall, it's in excellent condition.

This is a first edition (I think--see image 5) of Let the Sea Make a Noise, A History of the North Pacific from Magellan to MacArthur, written by the American Historian Walter McDougall.
From a review:
In this exceptionally innovative work, Walter McDougall projects on a large screen four hundred years of exciting voyages of discovery, pioneering feats, engineering marvels, political plots and business chicanery, racial clashes and brutal wars. It is a chronicle complete with little-known facts and turning points, but always focused on the remarkable people at the center of events, among them the America-loving Japanese ambassador to Washington on the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Russian builder of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and a Hawaiian queen during the first period of Western competition for the islands.Let the Sea Make a Noise . . . is a gripping account of the rise and fall of the empires in the last, vast, unexplored corner of the habitable earth -- an area occupying one-sixth of the… Read More

This is the 1973 printing of The Macmillan Book of Boating, a history of boating/sailing in North America written by William N. Wallace, better known as the the New York Times sports writer Bill Wallace. It was first published in 1964. A photo of the contents is attached.249 pages, including lots of photos, in color and black and white. This book has clearly not been read--aside from some faint yellowing at the edges of the pages, it is in pristine condition.

This is a first edition of Man-of-War, a History of the Combat Vessel, published in 1968. It is richly illustrated, and discusses how these ships made, and formed, history. It is the first to chronicle the epic of the fighting ship--"a thing of beauty and grace"--from ancient Egypt, when Rameses III was repulsing The Sea People, to the naval operations at the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964. Over 300 illustrations, many in color, show structure and form, equipment, machinery and weapons.273 pages. It's a big, heavy book.The dust jacket, which is unclipped, is not in the best of shape. It's worn at the edges and has a lot of scuff marks.The book itself is pristine.