Author, sailor, and indomitable spirit Annie Brassey.
Annie Brassey had a much better go of it than the poor Hall sisters. She was a wealthy woman, with a successful husband who was elected to Parliament, and five fine children. She gladly assisted charities, in particular the St. John Ambulance Association, when not sailing on her yacht the Sunbeam. Sailing was her love, and she wrote books about her adventures at sea. Evidently, many people enjoyed vicariously living her adventures through her books, as they were very popular and reprinted many times. Item 29 is her A voyage in the 'Sunbeam' our home on the ocean for eleven months, an edition from 1879. Item 28 is the same work in French, from 1878. Each is priced at €150 (US $237). Lest you think everything in life was perfect for a wealthy lady, this was the 19th century, and medicine was not what it is today. On her final voyage in the Sunbeam, Annie came down with malaria, died and was buried at sea off the Australian coast.
Here is a man who also visited Australia, several times, with much better results. Item 45 is Reizen rondom de weereld... the 1774 first Dutch edition of Captain James Cook's first voyage (written by John Hawkesworth). Cook made numerous discoveries along the sixth continent during his three voyages, and while not suffering Annie Brassey's fate, was killed by natives in, of all places, Hawaii. No place was safe for vacations in those days. €1,250 ($1,976).
Who might you think wrote a book titled Afrikanische Wanderungen eines Naturforschers und Jagers? Probably not Teddy Roosevelt, but he is the author of this book published in 1910. It is the account of one of his big-game hunting trips to Africa, the first German edition. While Roosevelt wrote the book, we would imagine someone else converted his words to German. Item 181. €150 (US $237).
Gert Jan Bestebreurtje Rare Books may be reached at +31-(0)347-322548 or info@gertjanbestebreurtje.com. Their website is www.gertjanbestebreurtje.com.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Francesco Colonna. Hypnerotomachie, Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Nausea. De principiis dialectices Gorgias, and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Billon. Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur, Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of Sense and Sensibility, the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9a74d9ff-42dd-46a1-8bb2-b636c4cec796.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.")
