Search Results: Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece) from Louise Aird

In this book, two scholars bring us a broad panorama of the art, architecture and sculpture of 17th and 18th centuries, the most dynamic era in the history of art. Julius Held covers Flemish, Dutch and English painting, as well as Italian sculpture, Italian architecture and Northern European architecture. Donald Posner writes about France, Spain and Italy.

Dark red boards with brilliant gold lettering on the spine.
9" x 12", 439 pages, 487 illustrations.
As you can see, the dust jacket has seen better days but it has done its job—the book is in perfect condition, with no marks of any kind in it or on it.

It's heavy: 5 ½ lbs. The purchase price covers the high cost of postage, as long as you're in Canada or the USA. NOTE: The stated fee for shipping outside of the US and Canada is for surface mail, with no tracking. If you'd like air mail and/or tracking, I'll get you the exact price.

This is a first edition of The Bridesmaid, a best-selling 1989 novel by the British author Ruth Rendell. It is about a man whose feminine ideal is a Greek goddess; when he meets a woman who matches that image, he thinks he's found true love—until she demands that he commit murder. In 2004, it was adapted into the acclaimed French film La Demoiselle d'honneur.
This copy has not been read, or even opened. The spine is uncracked; the dust jacket is unclipped. There are no marks of any kind in it or on it.

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

The Chartreuse of Parma tells the story of an Italian nobleman in the Napoleonic era. It has always been a much-admired book and has been adapted for opera, film and television. This is a lovely book, 535 pages, printed on wood-free paper and bound in scarlet leatherette with a brilliant gold design on the cover and spine.
There is a book plate on the inside front cover, which will come off.
There are several black and white plates inside but the spine has not been cracked and I don't want to open it widely to photograph them.
It has not been read and is in pristine condition.

This is an unread first edition of The Complete Paintings of Pablo Picasso, Blue and Rose Periods. It was written/compiled by art historians Denys Sutton and Paolo Lecaldano and published in 1968.Works covered are from Picasso's Blue Period (1901-1904) and Rose Period (1904-1906), when he was in his early 20s.The book consists of a minimal amount of introductory text, then 64 pages of color prints. That is followed by 37 pages of proper information, including a list of exhibitions, a concordance table and black and white thumbnails of every piece produced by Picasso in these years. Accompanying each image is bibliographic information, location, ownership history and, in some cases, prices paid.This book has spent its life lying on its side on a shelf. Until now, it was never opened. So it's pristine, although there may be a little yellowing to the edges of the pages.

This is an excellent cookbook. But it's not just recipes; it tells the story of Italian Cooking. The editorial goes into great detail and there are loads of color photos, including maps and demos.Hard cover, 208 pages.There are a few marks on the cover. The spine is greatly darkened, just from sitting on a shelf for all of these years.The front endpaper is signed by the original owner and some of the pages have darkened a little.The rest of the inside is perfect. Pristine.

The Clever Gentleman Sir Quixote of La Mancha, written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, was originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615. It is the most important work to come out of Spain, is considered the first 'modern novel', and is considered by some to be the greatest literary work ever written.
This is a near-perfect copy, designed by George Salter and published by Random House in 1941. It was originally sold in a box sleeve, which has been lost. It is plain green buckram covers with a red and gold design on the spine. The spine is perfect except for a bit of shelf wear at the bottom. The paper is beautiful.It is a large heavy book--nearly 3 lbs and 567 pages, illustrated with numerous wood engravings by the German-American artist Hans Alexander Mueller. It has two flaws. There is what looks like original glue traces on page 14; a production error perhaps. And something, likely water, was splashed on pages 266 and 267. Other than that, it is a perfect, lovely book. Because… Read More

This is actually an art history textbook, but it's a fascinating read and a must-have for those interested in art history. It was first written by Helen Gardner in 1926 but was continuously updated; this is the 8th edition, written by Richard Tansey and Horst de la Croix.I attach photos of the table of contents.From a Review:"The market-leading text for art history, Gardner's Art Through the Ages is a comprehensive guide to the defining phases of the world's artistic tradition. It tells the story of art in its full historical, social, religious, economic and cultural context and provides a deep understanding of art, architecture, painting and sculpture."This copy is in near-mint condition. Its flaws are one fingerprint and two ink marks--one on the front cover and one on the back. It's 1008 pages, including loads of photos. It weighs 6 lbs.The purchase price includes the high postage, as long as you're in the US or Canada.

Gourmet Magazine, the Magazine of Good Living.
May 1992

See Table of Contents Scans
Highlights
- Gourmet Getaways: Martha's Vineyard
- Gourmet Holidays: Sailing the Maine Coast
- Feature: Barcelona
- Feature: Prague
- Moving to the Perigord
220 Pages
Excellent Condition: there are a few dogears and a tiny tear where the cover meets the spine, which I've taped.

This is a stated first edition (1966) of The Grass Crown, the second historical novel in the epic Masters of Rome series by the great Australian writer Colleen McCullough (1937-2015).

From the publisher:
In this great drama, Marius, the general who saved Rome from barbarian invasion and became consul an unprecedented six times, has fallen into decline. Sulla, his closest associate, has withdrawn himself from his commander's circle in preparation for his own bid for power. As a deadly enmity develops between the two men, Rome must fight its own battle for survival - first against her neighboring Italian states, then against the barbaric Asian conqueror. Births, deaths, prophecies and rivalries combine to create a whirlwind of drama, and a remarkable insight into the passion and torment of ancient Rome.

894 pages, with lots of maps and illustrations.

The (unclipped) dust jacket has no wear at all. The spots you see on the cover image are part of the design.
As you can see in photo #4, the spine of… Read More

This is a first edition (1966) of I, The King, a best-selling work of non-fiction by the American writer Frances Parkinson Keyes (1885-1970). It tells the story of the Philip IV of Spain (1605-1665), an accomplished and talented man who gave us the Golden Age of Spanish culture--and then was blamed for the decline of Spain. His story is told in the context of the four women who most affected his life.
This copy is in excellent condition. The dust jacket (unclipped) has the shelfwear that you see. It did encounter a spill, which stained the inside of the back of the dust jacket, and the front endpapers as far as the Contents page. The paper has darkened, according to its age.

Other than that, it's perfect. Clean covers with no shelfwear, and no marks of any kind on the rest of the pages.

This is a first Readers Union (UK) edition of The Ides of March, which was first published in the US in 1948. It is by the American playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) and is about the last days of the Roman Republic and the events leading up to the murder of Julius Caesar.
It's a very plain book. Red covers with Wilder's signature on the front and silver lettering on the spine. No dust jacket. No interior adornment. 198 pages.
There's a little mark on the cover. Other than that, it's in mint condition.

This is an unread copy of Imperial Rome, part of the Great Ages of Man series which Time-Life Books began publishing in the 60s. This book was written in 1965 by the American academic Moses Hadas (1900-1966); Time-Life's editors updated it and it was republished in 1979.

This book was well received. One review says "Great use of art, engaging prose by Hadas, and a nice blend of classical reference and modern anthropological insight."

It's 8 3/4" x 10 3/4". 190 pages, including loads of photos, maps and drawings.
There is an attractive bookplate on the inside front cover, which is already coming off on its own.
There is a little wear to the outside fabric edge and spine.
Otherwise pristine condition.

Note: Also here on Biblio, I have three other books from this same series: Ancient Egypt, Ancient China and Rise of Russia.

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… Read More

This is a stated first edition of Italian Folk Tales, the best-selling collection selected and retold by the Italian author Italo Calvino (1923-1985). The English translation was first published in 1980 and it was on the New York Times Top Ten Best Books list for that year. It is 200 tales, of fantasy and mystery, romance and adventure.
In 1982, it was issued in paperback. This is one of those copies. It is very high quality, with lovely paper and many woodcut illustrations. It has not been opened or read and is in near-perfect condition; its only flaw is to the right edge of the front cover, where the paper is frayed a little, from improper storage. The inside is pristine.

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 trade paperback of The Liri Valley: Canada's WWII Breakthrough to Rome, written by the Canadian military historian Mark Zuehlke.
For the Allied Armies fighting their way up the Italian boot in early 1944. Rome was the prize that could only be won through one of the greatest offensives of the war. It is a gripping story of courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
The Liri Valley was a long, flat corridor through miles of rugged mountains. At one end stood the formidable Monte Cassino, at the other, Rome. In May 1944, I Canadian Corps drops up this valley toward the Italian capital, facing the infamous Hitler Line -- a bastion of concrete bunkers fronted by wide swaths of tangled barbed wire, minefields, and "Tobruk" weapon pits. The ensuing battle resulted in Canada's single bloodiest day of the Italian campaign. But the sacrifice of young Canadians during the twenty-four days of relentless combat it took to clear the valley paved the way for the Allies to take Rome.The Liri… Read More

This is a first edition of a rare book: Modigliani, a folio published by Harry N Abrams as part of its Great Art of the Ages series. It is a collection and short biography of the famed Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920).The text is by the French sculptor Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973), who was Modigliani's best friend, and a collector of his work. Commentaries are by the Austrian art historian Alfred Werner (1911-1979).The outside of the book has very little shelfwear; the dust jacket is a fitted glassine case.Inside, the book is in excellent condition, although the paper containing the text and black and white images is starting to darken. The binding is starting to loosen, although it's not really binding but light stitching.It contains 13 color plates: The Cellist, Caryatid, The Fat Child, Head of Kisling, Portrait of Paul Guillaume, Jacques Lipchitz and His Wife, Portrait of Jean Cocteau, Le Beau Major, Nude on a Cushion, Girl With Braids (also on the cover), Portrait of… Read More

This is an unread (stated) first edition of The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, an illustrated novel by Italian writer Umberto Eco. It was first published in Italian in 2004; in English in 2005. The title is taken from the title of an Italian edition album of an episode of the American comic strip Tim Tyler's Luck.
It is about a book dealer who loses his memory and has to go back through his life to regain his identity. This involves studying The Mysterious Flame, which is filled with images from books, magazines and comics.
It is plain orange boards with gold lettering on the spine. There are hundreds of illustrations, and comic book clippings, mostly in color. The dust jacket is unclipped; there is the tiniest amount of shelfwear to the top of the jacket. There are no marks anywhere in or on it.
This book has not been opened. It is in mint condition.

This is a pristine First American Edition (1975) of Napoleon by the English author John Bowle. It is the biography of the great general, going from birth to death.
It was first published in the UK in 1973. This copy was also printed in the UK, then shipped to the US for marketing by a Chicago publisher.
Laminated covers. Unclipped dust jacket. Loads of illustrations, in color and black and white.
There is no evidence that this book was read. The paper has darkened a little but there isn't a mark on it or in it. It's perfect.

This is a mint-condition first edition (1973) of The Peninsular War, by the military historian Roger Parkinson. The Peninsular War was the military conflict fought by Spain and Portugal, assisted by the United Kingdom, against the invading and occupying forces of France for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. It began in 1808 with Napoleon at the height of his power and ended with his attempted suicide in 1814. It is the war that made Arthur Wellesley the Duke of Wellington.This narrative recalls the horror, excitement and drudgery of history's first guerilla war. The battles of Vimiero, Corunna, Talavera, Bussaco, Fuentes de Onoro, Albuera, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vitoria and Toulouse are firmly embedded in the British military psyche, and are emblazoned on many British Army regimental colours. It is reviewed as "an excellent book, written in a brisk and accessible style." This book does what it does very well; it is a brief overview of a very significant period in European… Read More

This is a first edition of Perspectives on Man: The Primitives of Italy, part of the The Universal History of Painting, a series published in 1979 by Ferni Geneva. (I also have The Impressionists from the same series.)
It was written by Daniel Arasse (1944-2003), a French art historian who specialized in Renaissance and Italian art.
From a review: Arras' book on Italian primitives is splendidly illustrated and interesting, and seeks to demonstrate how the painters of Sienna, Ferrare, Florence and other cultural centers in the 14th and 15th centuries developed their particular styles and how they led to the Renaissance of Michelangelo and Raphael. There is a lot of insight into local differences and deep insight into their culture and the new ideas they brought to wood panel painting and the development of perspective.
There are dozens of color plates, and the book is laid out in such a way that you can remove them without damaging the book or losing text.
The book is 334 pages and it weighs 4 lbs.
It… Read More

This is a very handsome copy of The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision, by the British historian Henry Kamen, who is an expert on the subject. In it, he dispels many of the myths and misconceptions about what happened during that dark time; he argues that there was less persecution and violence than we think.
This book was first published in 1965. Kamen updated it in 1997, then abridged it. The Folio Society printed that abridged version in 1997 and it went to three printings. This is a copy of that third printing.
It is in a plain black slipcase, which has a scuff on one corner. As you would expect from the Folio Society, the paper and design are beautiful; it contains a few pages of photos but is mostly unadorned.
No one has read this book. It is in mint condition.