September 2011 Newsletter

Hello All,

At the end of August, the book world around Edinburgh was delighted and perplexed by these mysterious book sculpture gifts. These books sculptures below have captured the imagination of the literary world and the artist is as yet still unknown. The sculpture "gifts" are always addressed directly to someone and some of them have been made using books written by Ian Rankin. They are always left as “gifts” at literary events such as The Edinburgh Literary Festival. So far the only things known about the paper artist are : “........it is somebody who's an Ian Rankin fan and a poetry fan and a book and film fan and a Twitter user who reads Edwin Morgan with an eye for tiny detail and subtlety," said Lilias Fraser, reader development officer at the Scottish Poetry Library.

To read more about these sculptures, have a look at this article on the mysterious book sculptures : http://community.thisiscentralstation.com/_Mysterious-paper-sculptures/blog/4991767/126249.html

In auction news this month, a copy of Irma Stern's Congo fetched a staggering price of R 155 000.00 on the September auction from AntiquarianAuctions.co.za It was a signed presentation copy from an edition limited to 300 copies only. There was an inscription from the artist on the front free endpaper in blue crayon – 'To André with all my love, Irma, Jonb, 1944.' It was clearly a good month for Irma Stern as a painting by her fetched the higest price paid for a South African artisit in South Africa on the September Strauss & Co. Auction. The Painting of Two Arabs, set a new record for a work of art in South Africa when it sold in Cape Town for R21 166 000.00
While we are talking high ticket items, a dust-jacket (pictured left) is expected to come to auction on the 20th of October 2011 at Sotheby's in New York. It is estimated that it will fetch $150,000-$180,000. It is the first state dust-jacket for the first edition of the The Great Gatsby. Apparently there was a small printing error in the blurb of the rear panel of the dust-jacket, where the "j" of Jay Gatsby appears in lower case. All known copies of this dust-jacket have the "j" changed via hand in black ink. This is such a copy. A similar copy fetched $182,000.00 on auction in June 2009.
We will keep you posted........

We asked Agatha-Panter, the book shop cat if she wished to make a contribution to the newsletter. however, she claimed she was already over-worked and promptly collapsed :

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This Months Featured Unused Books

Where are You Now?

by
Mary Higgins Clark

It has been ten years since 21-year-old Kevin MacKenzie, Jr. ('Mac') went missing. A Columbia University senior, about to graduate and already enrolled in Duke University Law School, he walked out of his room and has never been seen again. However, he does ritually call to his mother every year: on her birthday, on his birthday, and on Mother's Day. Each time, he assures her he is fine, refuses to answer her frantic questions, then hangs up. Even the death of his father, a corporate lawyer, on 9/11 does not bring him home, or break the pattern of his calls. Mac's sister, Carolyn, is now 26, realises that neither she nor her mother will ever be able to have closure and get on with their lives until they find her brother. She sets out to discover what happened to Mac, and why he has found it necessary to hide from them. Her journey into the world of people who willingly disappear from their own lives leads her to learn about others who may or may not still be alive, and ultimately to a deadly confrontation with someone close to her who suddenly becomes an enemy - and cannot allow her to disclose his secret ...

Published Price : R190.00
TALL STORIES PRICE : R65.00

Mary Higgins Clark is considered by many to be the undisputed Queen of Crime.

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Romanesque

Romanesque (Paperback)
Norbert Wolf (Edited by)
Series: Taschen Basic Genre Series

Reaching its peak in the 11th and 12th centuries, the Romanesque movement was marked by a peculiar, vivid, and often monumental expressiveness in architecture and fine arts. The main centres were located in Italy, France, the German-language countries, Spain, and England, though the voices of Scandinavia and Eastern Europe expressed themselves distinctly in the genre, which patterned itself on antique and Byzantine art. Despite untold losses, countless Romanesque masterpieces remain preserved today. Highlights include: Frescoes in Galliano near Cantu, Sant'Angelo in Formis, Saint Chef, Saint-Savin-sur Gartempe, Lambach, S. Pietro al Monte near Civate, S. Clemente in Rome, from S. Maria de Tahull, Berze-la-Ville, Tavant, Panteon de los Reyes in Leon, Castel Appiano, from Sigena; the golden Altar-Piece from Lisbjerg; the Bayeux Tapestry; stained glasses in the Cathedral of Augsburg and Le Mans, mosaics in S. Clemete, Rome, and in S. Marco, Venice; coloured panels und crosses from La Seo de Urgel, Sarzana and the panted ceiling in St. Michael, Hildesheim; sculptures in Souillac, Autun, Santiago de Compostela; and examples of metalwork, of manuscripts and enamels. Each book in TASCHEN's "Basic Genre" series features: a detailed introduction with approximately 35 photographs, plus a timeline of the most important events (political, cultural, scientific, etc.) that took place during the time period, and a selection of the most important works of the epoch; each is presented on a 2-page spread with a full-page image and, on the facing page, a description/interpretation of the work and brief biography of the artist as well as additional information such as a reference work, portrait of the artist, and/or citations.

Format: Paperback - With flaps
Pages: 96

Published Price : R99.00
TALL STORIES PRICE : R25.00

If you are at all interested and you use Twitter, you can visit us @TallStoriesBook , we give almost daily updates relating to the book world.

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Orders are Being Taken for the Following Books :

Small Arms of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902

Author: Ron Bester and Associates
Kraal Publishers, Brandfort, South Africa
Hardback - 386
ISBN: 1-874979-31-6

This large book contains a comprehensive study of all rifles, carbines, handguns and edged weapons used by the opposing forces during the Anglo-Boer War. Contains fifteen chapters and is lavishly illustrated in both black-and white and colour. Complete with diagrams and thorough data. Well researched and informative volume. Contributers include Terry Wilson, Fred von Solms, Johan Hattingh, Frik Jacobs, Denny Rademeyer, Loyce Hillman, Duncan Noble, Hamish Paterson and Johan Loock.

Tall Stories Price :
R 650.00

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Artillery of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902

By
Lionel Cook

A comprehensive study of the artillery-
men of both sides in the conflict and of
their armament, their horses and much
else that concerns a gunner. Edited by
Ron Bester.
Hard Back 386 pages. Size 30 x 24cm

Tall Stories Price : R650.00
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This Months Featured Book

'Carvings from the Veldt'

Part Two.A Pictorial History of Rifle Stock-Art from the Anglo-Boer War.

First Edition. Near Fine. Pictorial laminated boards. Quarto. Hard cover.
SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR.
349 pp. Profusely illustrated, mostly in colour. Illustrated end-papers.

Part One of ‘Carvings from the Veldt’ was remarkably well received, so much so that the author has produced a second ‘follow-on’ edition. The new book features 306 new firearms: rifles, carbines and handguns used by both sides, the Boers as well as British and Colonial soldiers. The hard covered book contains over 1,400 images of carved and engraved weapons. In addition there are a further 25 farm maps, official forms and letters & a selection of swords, bayonets, bandoliers, ammunition, medals, a large variety of unit badges and headgear worn by both sides. Also included are two new chapters covering Anglo-Boer War re-enactor groups (in six countries) and Anglo-Boer war trench-art and carvings.

"Folklore and verbal tradition has it that in late 1899 Commandant General Piet Jorbert, who was in command of the ZAR forces, ordered that ..."the Transvaal burgers mark their rifles and that they should start to wear distinguishing marks of their nationality". The reason for this instruction was because burgers from both the Transvaal (ZAR) and Orange Free State (OVS) republics were operating together in the Natal campaign.

Thanks to this Boer custom and to Piet Joubert, we can still find these historic rifles that have their owners' names carved onto the stocks. Many Boer Generals also set an example by having their rifles carved, for example Louis Botha, C.F. Beyers & Ben Viljoen. As you will see featured in this book, the most imaginative, artistic and adventurous burgers also carved battle names, the names of their farms and Commandos, or the towns that they came from." - taken from the Preface.

This book is guaranteed to be of interest to a wide variety of collectors, military historians, rifle collectors, shooters, medal and badge collectors,researchers and students

R 950.00
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