The Library

I'm very sad today. Not having checked my e-mails, I was at my tennis club when I heard the news via a text message from Charles. This was not inappropriate, as I know Iwan was a keen tennis player, playing well into his seventies, until that first heart attack curtailed his sporting activities a f...

It's tragic to think that Clinton House will be lost forever. I haven't got around to seeing it, and I don't suppose I will now. I did make a return visit to Lymington a few weeks ago, and just looking at the garden walls of Grove Place, and thinking what used to lie within them, brought back the tr...

Hello Jack, Welcome to the Library. It is always nice to see a new face contributing to this site. I hope you find plenty of DW information to interest you. St. John's Wood is a very 'DW' location; it also means you are handily placed to attend our Conventions at Elstree! I hope we might meet you th...

Good heavens, it doesn't seem five minutes ago that Charles excited us all with news of the Chorion acquisition!

But I see that it's nearly four years! How time flies!

Let's hope that the new arrangement will be more fruitful.

All Best, Steve[font=Courier New] [/font]

Dear Charles,

A curious piece, but it would be more interesting with the photo.

Did you manage to get to Birkenhead last month to see a performance?

All Best, Steve[font=Courier New] [/font]

Dear Charles, I'm afraid I can't share your enthusiasm for the cover of The Fabulous Valley. For me, the leopard looks far too cuddly! If this were a still from a film, I would say that the props man had just thrown a stuffed leopard at the actress who's playing the heroine. As for talking to a pict...

Ok Charles, I'll act upon your suggestion of a new thread, and list some of my favourite dustwrappers... Where to start? I'll go through chronologically, and consider only first editions. Some reprint covers are better than the 1sts, but I'll leave them for a separate thread. The Devil Rides Out I a...

Ok Charles, I'll act upon your suggestion of a new thread, and list some of my favourite dustwrappers... Where to start? I'll go through chronologically, and consider only first editions. Some reprint covers are better than the 1sts, but I'll leave them for a separate thread. The Devil Rides Out I a...

Happy Birthday Dennis Wheatley once again! Born in the Diamond Jubilee year of Queen Victoria. Died in the Silver Jubilee year of H. M. Queen Elizabeth II. And here's to his 115th Anniversary in the Diamond Jubilee year of H. M. Queen Elizabeth II. Let's hope it's a splendid year for the Diamond Jub...

Dear Steve, I had indeed wondered why your reviews contain fairly elaborate summaries of the plots; your reason seems as good a reason as any. (I personally use my failing memory as an excuse to re-read DW's books.) Another benefit is that anyone who needs a quick resume of the plot of a DW novel ca...

Splendid! I'm looking forward to the fifth Convention already...

Thanks everyone, for making the fourth so enjoyable.

All Best, Steve
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Hi Garry. My opinion, for what it's worth, is that Saturdays With Bricks is well worth having. Apart from all the brick-laying tips, which I found quite enlightening, and the Great War memories (I don't know if these are exactly the same as in Officer And Temporary Gentleman , as I don't have my cop...

Excellent, Jim. 'Roger Brook's Royal Liaisons' is certainly more discreet than my (admittedly tongue-in-cheek) suggestion.

As Dornford Yates would say, I give you best.[font=Courier New] [/font]

Hi Jim, I'm not sure if you intend 'Roger Brook Goes To War' to cover 'The Sultan's Daughter' and 'The Wanton Princess' or 'Evil In A Mask' and 'The Ravishing Of Lady Mary Ware'? (Presumably not 'The Dark Secret Of Josephine' and 'The Rape Of Venice'?) Couldn't we manage something a bit more imagina...

I think that, as the Roger Brook novels tend to be longer than is usual even for DW, a set of six volumes each containing two titles would be more appropriate. The first two could retain the original titles from the Hutchinson omnibus editions, 'The Early Adventures of Roger Brook' and 'Roger Brook ...