The Strand Bookstore, 12th Street and Broadway, is one of my favorite places to visit in New York City. Eighteen miles of books! Used and New. What’s not to love?
Last Sunday Amanda, our friend Kwana and I went to The Strand. I mean, after a day at Book Expo, in which Kwana managed to get two shopping bags of books, what we all really needed was…more books. 
(from left to right, the photo shows Kwana, me, Hope Tarr, and Amanda the night before)
We spent most of the time in the England History aisles at The Strand. I suspect we only saw about one mile of the 18 miles of books.
We each bought these cool totebags to hold our purchases and Amanda and I kicked ourselves for not buying more of them for contest giveaways and such. It turns out you can order these online, along with other cool The Strand stuff, HERE.
And here are my purchases!
London Homes (1952) by Ralph Dutton: “…traces the development of the residential areas of London through three and a half centuries.”
The Last Duel (2005) by James Landale: “In 1826 a merchant named David Landale shot his banker dead in a duel….one of the final fatal duels in European history.” The author is a descendant of David Landale.
The Life and Death of Benjamin Robert Haydon (1948) by Eric George: “…an outstanding figure among men of art and letters in the first half of the nineteenth century.”
Frances Anne, Lady Londonderry (1958) by Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry: Frances Anne was the second wife of the brother of Lord Castlereagh, who inherited the title after his brother’s suicide.
Wellington’s Peninsular Victories (1996) by Michael Glover: “Four great military victories: the Battles of Busaco, Salamanca, Vitoria and the Nivelle.” (Come on, you knew I’d buy a Napoleonic war book!)
Wellington (2005) by Elizabeth Longford: This is a slim abridgement of her two volume biography.
Your Most Obedient Servant: James Thornton, Cook to the Duke of Wellington (1985) by James Thornton: This is a reprint of an 1851 interview conducted with the man who cooked for Wellington during his campaigns.
A Hundred Years of Georgian London from the Accession of George I to the Heyday of the Regency (1970) by Douglas Hill. The title says it all!
A Holiday History of Scotland (1986) by Ronald Hamilton: Gotta laugh. I thought this was a history of the holidays of Scotland, but it is a short history of what vacationers to Scotland might want to know about the country’s past to enhance their “holiday” experience. Duh!
Kwana or Amanda, what was the name of that book that you both snatched off the shelf before I could get to it? Something about Nineteenth Century London???? I need it!!!
Have you bought any good research or non-fiction books lately? Do you have a favorite used bookstore?
What do you think about reusable totebags? Do you use them?
I’m still giving away backlist books at my website contest.
The Vanishing Viscountess WON the Golden Quill for Best Regency.
