Dedicated to old Ladybird books - 1914 -1975

Robert the Bruce, 1964, Series 561 (DJ)

Robert the Bruce was the 18th title in the 561 series, colourfully written by L du Garde Peach and illustrated by John Kenney.

This is a colourful telling of the life of Bruce, the story builds up to the Battle of Bannockburn which is re-told with great vigour in words and pictures.  This book was one of the last ever to be originally issued with a dustwrapper.

This copy:

This copy still has its original dustwrapper, not price-clipped and it’s in good condition – nicks and fraying to edges and the spine panel is sunned.  The book is also in VG condition.  The last title listed on the back dj flap, I believe this to be a first edition.

 

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Robert the Bruce, 1964, Series 561 (matt)

Robert the Bruce was the 18th title in the 561 series, colourfully written by L du Garde Peach and illustrated by John Kenney.

This is a colourful telling of the life of Bruce, the story builds up to the Battle of Bannockburn which is re-told with great vigour in words and pictures.  This book was one of the last ever to be originally issued with a dustwrapper.

This copy:

This copy has matt boards and is in very good condition inside and out.  There’s very little wear to the boards and the pages are nice and clean. It dates to the 1960s and has the original price of 2/6 printed inside.

 

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Samuel Pepys, 1974, Series 561 (Blue)

Samuel Pepys was the 36th title in the 561 series, colourfully written by L du Garde Peach, illustrated by Roger Hall after John Kenney (Peach’s erstwhile artist collaborator) retired due to ill-health.

Pepys’s life and diary is used in the book as the backdrop to document the history and great social changes that took place after the republic, with the Restoration, the Great Plague and Great Fire of London.  This book was never issued with a dust-wrapper but a first edition will have the traditional full-colour boards.

This book has the later style blue window-style front cover but is in exceptional condition inside and out.  I would describe it as nearly-new with crisp, tight pages.  It dates to the 1970s and has the original price of 40p on the back.  An excellent copy of a hard-to-find title.

 

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Sir Francis Drake, 1977, Series 561 (Copy)

Sir Francis Drake was the 42rd title in the 561 series.  Because it is so late in the series, it was produced after the era of  L du Garde Peach and John Kenney – both died a few years before.  It was written byEdyth Harper and illustrated by Frank Humphris.  It was only ever published with this style of cover – unlike other books in this series.

This copy:

In very good condition inside and out; not much wear to the boards and nice clean pages.    It dates to the late 1970s but doesn’t have a price on the back.  A nice copy of quite a hard-to-find title.

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Sir Walter Raleigh, 1957, Series 561

One of the earlier titles in the 561 series, colourfully written by L du Garde Peach and illustrated by John Kenney. The earliest editions of this book have a dustwrapper over plain boards.

This copy

This copy has matt boards.  It is in very good condition inside and out except for some light ring marks on the back cover and a little rubbing to spine (see photo).  It dates to the 1960s and has the original price of 2/6 printed inside.

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Sir Walter Raleigh, 1957, Series 561 (DJ)

One of the earlier titles in the 561 series, colourfully written by L du Garde Peach and illustrated by John Kenney. The earliest editions of this book have a dustwrapper over plain boards.

This copy

This copy still has its original dust wrapper which is in fair-good only.  On the back panel there is a long area of insect damage which has removed the colour.  There are also some marks and discolouration on the front panel (see photos).  Inside the book, which has blue, open-winged endpapers, is in better condition, although there is the odd foxing spot – especially on title page.

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Sir Walter Raleigh, 1957, Series 561 (revised version)

This is the revised version of Sir Walter Raleigh – which was one of the earlier titles in the 561 series, colourfully written by L du Garde Peach and illustrated by John Kenney. The revised bersion of the book was, instead, written and illustrate by Frank Humphris.  Who knows what it was in the 1950s version that was deemed unacceptable in the 1970s and led the company to go to the effort and expense of getting this book re-written and re-illustrated?  Most other books in this series were left alone in terms of contents but issued in the later-style cover.

This copy

This matt edition  dates from the late 1970. It’s in very good condition with clean, tight pages.

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Stone Age Man in Britain, 1961, Series 561 (DJ)

Stone Age Man in Britain was the 11th title in the 561 series, colourfully written by L du Garde Peach and illustrated by John Kenney.  Early editions were issued with a dustwrapper.  The versions with a dustwrapper have a cover correctly showing the top lintels on the great stones of Stone Henge, while – rather oddly – the later matt copies show the same scene with these lintels removed.

This DJ copy is in almost Very Good condition inside and out.  DJ not price-clipped, a small mark top of front panel.  Inside there’s a large, busy name and date marring the free endpaper.

This is the last title listed on the back DJ panel and I believe it to be a first edition.

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Stone Age Man in Britain, 1961, Series 561, Matt

Stone Age Man in Britain was the 11th title in the 561 series, colourfully written by L du Garde Peach and illustrated by John Kenney.  Early editions were issued with a dustwrapper.  The versions with a dustwrapper have a cover correctly showing the top lintels on the great stones of Stone Henge, while – rather oddly – the later matt copies show the same scene with these lintels removed.

This matt copy  It is in very good condition inside and out.  There’s some very pale foxing to the cover and page tips but generally the pages are nice and clean.  It dates from the 1970s and has an original price of 15p on the back.

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