Ludlow Rare Books Ludlow Rare Books

A collection of seven classic books by Jane Austen: Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Shorter Works, Emma, Sense & Sensibility. 

This set showcases Jane Austen's sparkling comedy of manners and gripping romance books, she remains one of the best-loved authors worldwide. You can buy any title separately, or bind the whole set, price will be quoted on request.

The tenth printing of the reset 1975 Folio Society editions. Introductions by Richard Church, with wood-engravings by Joan Hassall. Chapter headings are decorated with a band of wood-cut prints, with gilt lettering to the spine on burgundy and white cloth.

Price: £600 per book leather bound, set leather bound at discount please email us: info@ludlowbookbinders.co.uk includes shipping, ex-complex blocking dies. 

Binding suggestions: For a classic set of titles like these we can select a colour of leather that is in keeping with the English cottage garden, a deep green, wheat coloured yellow or a delicate pink. Why not jazz up the end papers with marbling, we have a range of colours to match the book cases. Would you like a slipcase made to measure, that can be arranged, simply select a shade and we can emboss it with an image or lettering. 

Jane Eyre is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë, first published in October 1847. It follows the experiences of its eponymous heroine, including her growth to adulthood and her love for Mr. Rochester, the brooding master of Thornfield Hall. At the time the novel revolutionised prose fiction. Lithographs illustrate the book by Anthony Colbert in pink and green.

Binding suggestion: We have a 1965 Folio society edition of this title which would benefit from a full rebind. We can replicate the detailed patterning on the spine and deboss the book in gold and black, add marbled papers in cream to off set the jacket and inner illustrations. We recommend a slipcase with a curved edge to mirror the book spine in a pine green leather.

If you'd like to personalise this book you can either buy it now and add your requirements at the checkout (in the comments box), or contact us and we'll walk through the options and costs with you.

A 2003 prime condition set of five of John Buchan’s best novels: The Thirty Nine Steps, Greenmantle, The Island of Sheep, Mr Standfast and The Three Hostages. With colour illustrations inside and on the jacket and spine by Nick Hardcastle. Buchan was a diplomat, soldier, barrister, journalist, historian, politician, publisher, poet and novelist. His literary output was remarkable. His distinctive thrillers – ‘shockers’ as he called them – were characterised by suspenseful atmosphere, conspiracy theories and romantic heroes, notably Richard Hannay. The Thirty-Nine Steps was the novel which has been adapted for film and television, including a film by Alfred Hitchcock.

Binding suggestions: We suggest rebinding this set in a green leather to give a uniform look to the books, complete with black lettering and marbled green and yellow endpapers. The illustrations on the cover and spine, blocked with a design by the artist can be reproduced. Add a matching ribbon to the books and top and tail bands to fit the same colour theme. You can enclose the set in a new slipcase, in black with gold lettering.

If you'd like to personalise this book you can either buy it now and customise your book at the checkout, or contact us and we'll walk through the options and costs with you. Cost includes book, plus cost of blocking dies. 

Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first novel of the author's Asian Saga. A major best-seller, by 1990 the book had sold 15 million copies worldwide. Beginning in feudal Japan some months before the critical Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Shōgun gives an account of the rise of the daimyō Toranaga. This book is a 1975 Hodder and Stoughton first edition, fourth printing.

Binding suggestions: We suggest giving this book a new look, with a full rebind in black leather, with the image of the sword debossed in gold on the front, and black and gold lettering to the front and spine. Add four raised bands to the spine, top and tail bands and a black ribbon to mark the page. 

First published on 25 April 1719, the first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents. The story follows the adventure if a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical desert island before ultimately being rescued. It is generally seen as a contender for the first English novel.

Binding suggestions: We suggest a rebind in pale peach leather, with black lettering, you can select one of the striking images from inside the book to be debossed in black on the front of the book. An example to consider is the linocut on page 13 by John Lawrence of the sea and the first boat trip taken in the opening chapter of the book. We can make a matching slipcase, with an inner lining of suedel. Add raised bands to the spine, tipped in gold, and a green silk ribbon to mark the page. 

We can source individual copies of these books, or leather bind the full set. 

A classic set of 20th-century literature, four of Daphne du Maurier’s best novels in a blocked slipcase, Rebecca, Frenchman’s Creek, Jamaica Inn and My Cousin Rachel. The books plots are varied and complex, with suspense, romance, and sometimes supernatural elements. Illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark.

Binding suggestions: It is nice to see a theme to a set of books, so why not rebind the set in your chosen shade of leather, say a royal blue. We can add individual illustrations debossed in gold on the front of each book. The bands across the book spines can be raised, and a golden silk ribbon added to each book. Gilt edges with speckled blue paint would complete this look.

A 1999 Folio Society edition, with introduction by Penelope Fitzgerald and engravings by Simon Brett. George Eliot's influential novel Middlemarch is a “study of provincial life.” At its centre are the beautiful and inquisitive Dorothea Brooke and the ambitious young doctor Tertius Lydgate, who both have to abandon their idealist views when faced with the reality of daily life.

Binding suggestion: For this book the customer sent us his design ideas, with his chosen colour combination. We selected the leather, ribbon, top and tail bands and sent it to him for approval. The book was then beautifully bound in leather by Phil our most experienced bookbinder. This commission was a little different as we used leather labels on the book spine with the author and title blocked onto it. This looked very smart as it allows the front to be plain, it adds to the timeless and classic look of this book. 

If you'd like to proceed with this order please contact us.

The Mill on the Floss is a semi-autobiographical novel by George Eliot, first published in three volumes in 1860 by William Blackwood. Spanning a period of 10 to 15 years, the novel details the lives of Tom and Maggie Tulliver, siblings who grow up at Dorlcote Mill on the River Floss. It is a 1986 Folio Society edition, containing lovely wood engravings by Alison MacNeill of countryside life. There is an introduction to the book by Bel Mooney.

Binding suggestions: We suggest a rebind in royal blue leather, and for the gold patterning on the current case to be redone in a brighter shade of gold. The spine will show the title and author, with three raised bands in gold and gilded edges for impact. Complete with peach endpapers and a matching ribbon.   

If you'd like to proceed with this order please contact us.

Cranford is one of the better-known novels of the 19th-century English writer Elizabeth Gaskell. It was first published, in eight instalments in the magazine Household Words, which was edited by Charles Dickens. The text in this book was taken from the 1864 edition, the last to be revised by Mrs Gaskell before her death. Illustrations are by George Harrap & Co. The book is made up of a collection of satirical sketches, which sympathetically portray changing small town customs and values in mid Victorian England. It is Gaskell's affectionate portrait of people and customs that were already becoming anachronisms. The book is introduced by Susan Hill, Folio Society.

Binding suggestions: A rebind in brown leather would look nice for this title. You can add a new slipcase, in red to compliment the case, lined with red suedel to protect the book and add colour. The book is illustrated with wood engravings by John Hassel, which can be debossed on the jacket, next to red endpapers. The detail on the book spine can be added in gold, alongside the title and personalisation. 

British author Kenneth Grahame’s enduring classic, The Wind in the Willows is a well-loved novel for all ages. It follows the trials, tribulations and most importantly the friendships between animals who reside in the idyllic English countryside. This is a ninth edition Methuen publication in 1915, it has a frontispiece black and white illustration by Graham Robertson.

Binding suggestions: As this is a story set on the banks of a river, a blue leather binding would be a nice look for this book. The black and white illustrations are bold and could work well with pale yellow endpaper to contrast the leather. The detailed illustration on the spine can be debossed in gold, and the edges of the book coloured blue with speckles of gold. 

Dune is a 1965 science fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert. It won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel. It is the first instalment of the Dune saga. In 2003, it was described as the world's best-selling science fiction novel. Dune is set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which various noble houses control planetary fiefs. It tells the story of young Paul Ateides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis. While the planet is an inhospitable and sparsely populated desert wasteland, it is the only source of melange, or "spice", a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities. As melange can only be produced on Arrakis, control of the planet is a coveted and dangerous undertaking. The story explores the multi-layered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as the factions of the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of Arrakis and its spice.

Binding suggestions: this book would look good when bound in tan leather, gold lettering of title and author on the front and spine. The tops of the pages can be gilt, with a ribbon and top and tail bands to add a touch of colour, in red.

Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was an American-English novelist and playwright, the story follows a young girl sent to boarding school following a family tragedy, a resilient girl, her changed circumstances lead her to follow a new path and find new and unexpected friends.

Binding suggestions: Whilst pink is the obvious choice for this book, you could also consider a pepper red leather, this would tie in with the artwork by Harold Piffard in the inner pages. We could use the floral design of the book and create brasses with roses and hearts, as in the current design, or create something unique. Personalised initials on the book spine would be a lovely touch. A pink ribbon can be added to mark the page whilst reading.

Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and finds an invalid cousin and a mysterious locked garden. This is a 1986 Folio Society first edition, fourth printing, with drawings by Dodie Masterman. A beautiful green hardback book, with gilt lettering on the spine, green top edge to pages, complete with slip case. This is a 1986 Folio Society printing of The Secret Garden. 

Binding suggestion: This vibrant spring green shade of leather feels an appropriate choice for this book, the gilt lettering to the spine can be replicated and the end papers can feature a natural pattern, we can add end papers that look like the bark of a tree, evoking the garden scenery in the book.

From Here to Eternity is the debut novel of American author James Jones, published by Scribner's in 1951. Set in 1941, the novel focuses on several members of a U.S. Army infantry company stationed in Hawaii in Barracks on the island of Oahu, in the months leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This is a 1952 copy published by Collins. 

Binding suggestion: A teal leather with blind frame to the front, blue speckled edges to the spine and a golden ribbon would look good for this book. Add three raised bands to the spine, with the book title and authour in gold lettering. You can add a personal message to the front if it is a gift to mark a special occasion. 

Millennium Trilogy, with combined sales of over 55 million worldwide. An unlikely duo is hired to investigate an unsolved missing persons case. A disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist, and the tattooed computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander. As they connect this disappearance with other crimes, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family secret.

The limited-edition Folio Society trilogy, first published in 2010 as part of a boxed set includes four pictorial hardcovers with an illustrated black slipcase. The set include, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest, The Girl Who Played With Fire and an Afterword containing essays by those who knew and worked with the author. All have gilt illustration on the front cover and gilt lettering to the spine. The books are illustrated with black and white maps, and drawings.

Binding suggestion: To fit the mood of this dark thriller, why not bind the set of books in slate grey leather with silver lettering. Each book can then be stamped with an individual images - a dragon, a flame and a hornet. We can preserve the book illustrations inside and compliment the black and white maps with red, gold, black and cream marbled end papers. Finished with a blind frame and slipcase to hold the set. 

Smiley's People the spy novel by John le Carré, published in 1979. Featuring British master-spy George Smiley, it is the third and final novel of the "Karla Trilogy", following Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Honourable Schoolboy. George Smiley is called out of retirement to investigate the death of one of his old agents. 

Binding suggestions: To give this set a uniform look, we will bind all three books mid-blue leather. We will add matching marbled endpapers in blue and gold, and a blue silk ribbon to mark the page. You may wish to have all the books in the Karla Trilogy together in one slipcase, the perfect gift for those who enjoy a spy novel.

Herman Melville’s tale of the hunt for the white whale, Moby Dick, is a sublime work of the imagination, an American Odyssey. It is at once an adventure story of the high seas, and an exploration of the uncharted regions of the soul. This is a folio society first edition.

Binding suggestion: We have a leather that is a blue-grey shade which is appropriate for a book that focuses on the ocean. We can add a blind frame, and an image of a whale debossed in black on the front of the book. Add top and tail bands in navy and white, and four gold raised bands to the spine. Gold edges to the pages would complete the look, and make this a luxury gift or a title to treasure. 

If you'd like to proceed with this order then please contact us

A 2009 Folio Society edition of Iris Murdoch’s Booker Prize Winning novel, The Sea The Sea. It is a tale of the strange obsessions that haunt a self satisfied playwright and director as he begins to write his memoirs. The book is introduced by John Sutherland with illustrations by Tatsuro Kiuchi.

Binding suggestions: A deep blue leather for the jacket with gold and white images on the front and spine would stay true to this edition’s style. However, the full colour illustrations within the book draw out other colour palettes, with natural shades of blue, green, tan, white and terracotta, all of which would look beautiful on the jacket. Add marbled end papers in white, blue, and gold – and which look like oil on water - and you have a personalised book and slipcase inspired by the seaside landscape.    

His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman consisting of Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. It follows the coming of age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, as they wander through a series of parallel universes. This book, published in 2001 contains all three books in the series in one volume. 

Binding suggestions: Black and gold would look good for this leather rebinding. The title and authour added to the front and spine in gold lettering. Gold edges to the top pages and added marbled end papers in red, gold and white. A black silk ribbon to mark the page, and a blocked gold image to the front of a golden compass. 

An eye-catching 1993 first edition of Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. With copper engravings by Chris Daunt and an introduction by Bel Mooney. The book has 12 engravings in fine black and white print to illustrate the narrative. The book is a feminist and anti-colonial response to Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre, describing the background to Mr. Rochester's marriage from the point-of-view of his mad wife Antoinette Cosway.

Binding suggestions: A full rebind in teal leather would work nicely for this book with silver lettering for the title and along the spine. A simple maritime image would work well on the front of the case or on the spine debossed in silver, a wave pattern or coastline. You can also have a name printed, initials, or personalised message added. The edges of the book paper can be gilded or speckled with a fine dye to evoke sea spray. Finish with blue and white head and tail bands and a white blue ribbon.