Books

The Lanes Armoury & Bookshop. Military Based Books, Historical, Biographical, Reference, & Fictional. From Ancient to Modern 1st Editions & Autographed. We Are Now The Last, Original, Antique Bookshop in Brighton.

Since the very sad closure, after too many decades to recall, of our friend and colleague’s antique and secondhand bookshop Colin Page, just around the corner in Duke St. we are one of last of our kind, selling antique and modern books locally.
Although, fortunately, there are still just a few new, vintage and as new bookshops [and one comic shop] still remaining. We specialise in Ist Editions by such as Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, John Le Carre, Ian Fleming, and Rudyard Kipling.
With or without dust jackets, autographed copies especially desired. We have £25,000 awaiting for another Signed Ist Edition Charles Dickens Christmas Carol. We regularly stock thousands of books, but as they are our largest individual selling item, many under just £10 to £50, they come and go so fast that individual listing is too impractical. But we do list on this website a good selection of our 1st Editions and specialist books.

If you require a military, or historical book, either antique or modern, please email a request, stating; title, author, and publisher [if known].

Large quantity book purchases [over 30 volumes] can attract discounts wherever possible. We specialise in hardbacks, both for reference or the study of history, and 'coffee table' books. We also specialise in rare medieval books, leaves from the versions of illustrated Book of Hours, signed Ist Editions, autographed books and manuscripts, and Incunabula [ volumes printed before 1501]

During lockdown we offered a unique drop off and sell and drop in and collect no contact service at our farm. It was incredibly popular many driving from as far north as Birmingham. It was easily our most popular trade during those months, showing just how eager those isolated could reward themselves with an ample supply of well needed reading material. Some buying or selling up to 50 books at a time.  read more

Code: 22457

A Wonderful Collection of Cowper's Evocative Poetry. Stunningly Bound

A wonderful size pocket edition. If there was ever a single poet who should be read by every higher education student Cowper is the one. Poems by William Cowper of the Inner Temple. In two books, within this single volume of 480 pages. Printed for Longman and Co. Paper Ex Libris label of L E WEIR. George Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. In many ways, he was one of the forerunners of Romantic poetry. Samuel Taylor Coleridge called him "the best modern poet", whilst William Wordsworth particularly admired his poem Yardley-Oak. He was a nephew of the poet Judith Madan. The stages of William Cowper's life: forced into a career in the law that he did not want, forbidden from marrying the woman he loved, and insensed by certain religious and political views of his cousin, can be found within the lines of his verse. His words very much encapsulate the zeitgeist of the late 1700s. The religious tone of The Task, its domesticity, and its treatment of such topics as slavery and consideration for animals, are all anticipated themes associated with the evangelical revival which began in the late 1780s. The clash between Cowper's horror at his cousin's theories and his sense of family and personal obligations unleashed a great burst of creative energy. In the four months from December 1780 to March 1781 Cowper composed 2700 lines of verse, moral satires, in pentameter couplets. This portrait of a man divided particularly demonstrates the conflicting nature of the era. In decorative full calf bindings. Externally beautiful with most handsome tooling with only a little wear to the extremities. Generally very bright and clean with just occasional light spotting on the last two pages. 5.25 x 3 x1 inches approx.  read more

Code: 19925

Zeppelin-Weltfahrten Picture Card Book

A fascinating piece of German aeronautical history ephemera. rom the first airship in 1899 to the trips of the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin. 264 black and white images.

The fascination of the zeppelins, the silvery shimmering, sedate floating kings of the sky, has remained unbroken to this day. In the heyday of the Zeppelin era, during the 20s and 30s, the zeppelins opened up almost every continent on earth for well-heeled travelers. This is impressively demonstrated by this book published in 1932, into which extremely interesting photos on the subject of the Zeppelin could be glued.
The book which provides information about the technology and development of the zeppelins ... A picture album made with collectable photographs sold in the 1930's. 24cm x 34cm I card lacking.  read more

Code: 16729

All Now Sold +++Individual Illuminated Psalter Leaves, 12th to 13th Century

19 remaining Vellum leaves from a Psalter from the reign of King Philip Augustus (1179-1223), with burnished gold initials, from Northern France. Each leaf will be around £2,400 gbp. Twenty plus lines of the finest Gothic angular script on the recto and verso, decorated with initials adorned in gold leaf and pen work ornamentation
in red and blue tempera. Margins filled with floral scrolls, characters and stylized heads or grotesque. This was a way for the scribes of this period to add little individual touches to their work.
A part of the Psalm 73 to Psalm 76, then 79 to 84. Psalm 73 of the Book of Psalms is one of the "Psalms of Asaph"; it has been categorized as one of the Wisdom Psalms".
Probably produced in North-Eastern France, perhaps in the region around Soissons, Noyons, and Lyon, or at least certainly influenced by court productions of this area and manuscripts produced in Ile-de-France, especially those of Abbey St. Victor.
Although the original patron cannot be identified, the lavish use of gold leaf and high quality lead us to suspect that the work was possibly produced for a member of the court.
24 cm height x 16.75 cm width Sample example but generic photos. Email for further enquiries, we had 19 psalter pages remaining from the collection of 29 but all now sold.  read more

Code: 21616

A Super Collection of 300 20th Century Books of Military Interest Arrived This Week!!

Acquired from a former military officer and collector of historical reading matter. Please email us details of any out of print military based book, historical, reference et cetera et cetera, printed in the last century, that you have been looking for, and we may have it within the collection. We have been promised another 500 volumes, including over 30 various books signed personally by Winston Churchill, that he still retains, hopefully they should arrive with us after lockdown sometime in the New Year.

Every Customer Should Expect & Will Receive Our World Renown 5* Star Service, Day In, Day Out, 365 Days of the Year

We have received the greatest honour of being described by almost every visitor to our store in Brighton, as possibly, the very best and most remarkable specialist shop in the country, if not the world. Our standards of personal service, honed through the generations for over 100 years, we hope, are second to none, and every possible effort is made to create the best possible atmosphere and assistance, for every single customer, be it for a single item, or hundreds, in person, or via our website.
No stone is left unturned in order to ensure every single customer’s buying or selling experience is a pleasure and a joy. Thankfully, dozens of you confirm this to us every single day, these days electronically, and for that we cannot thank you enough. Stay Healthy, Stay Safe.  read more

Code: 23458

The Gun Report Volume III No 5 October 1957, Plus 200 Others All £15 Each

We have just acquired over two hundred archived copies of the Gun Report From the 1950's to 1980. All at £15 each or 10 for £100. They are simply wonderful reading, and fabulous reference works, with advertisements and reports that likely will never be seen again. A little bit of history with lots of information, photos and enjoyment, nicely bound. Contact for details on the other 200 issues we have. All sold for £15 each.
Aledo IL World-Wide Gun Report 1957 Soft cover. Very Good Example Magazine. Very good condition, light cover wear. Boutet Gun Designer by F Theodore Dexter, Specialization by Robert A Erlandson, Captain David L Payne by Chester C Heizer, Powder Horns by Chester Williams, Old Time Bullet Seaters by Richard H Chamberlain, 60070-60072, From Rodent Rifle to "Gangster's Gat" by James A Leftwich, Who's Who in the Gun World (Featuring John Roten, Wharton, TX) by Annie Lee Williams, A Restored Flintlock Pistol by Ronald Lister, The Story of the Alamo Part I by Paul C Janke. 48 pages. 11 1/2" X 8 1/2" format  read more

Code: 23062

History of the Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles

Published in 1921 principally the detailed history of the regiment, the men who served and who died in the Great War. The original Westminster City Reference Library copy [offically withdrawn]. A superbly detailed work of one of the famous volunteer regiments of WW1.  read more

Code: 20053

Die Grossen der Weltgeschichte

The great history of the world", complete cigarette card album, Publisher Eckstein Halaus GmbH, Dresden. Circa 1935. The Middle Ages Findings, Reformation , religious wars - The time of the Great Elector - The time of Frederick the Great - French Revolution , Napoleonic Wars - between Napoleon and Bismarck - The Bismarck era - On the eve of World War II  read more

Code: 19672