Charles Oman — Castles

London, The Great Western Railway, 1926. First edition. Cloth. An excellent copy of the first edition of this volume, exploring the castles of England with some beautiful illustrations, complete with the fine, large coloured map inserted tot he rear pocket. British historian Charles Oman explored the history of England through some fascinating studies of the castles of Wales and the English counties along the Welsh border, as well as of Cornwall, Somerset, and Devon. The first impression of this work. The volume opening with a general introduction to castles and the history of English castles, and succeeding with chapters specific to the castles and history of the Thames Valley, Wessex, the West midlands, Devonshire, Corwall, Shropshire and Herefordshire, Monmouthshire and Brecknock, Glamorgan and Gower, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, and of North Wales. Illustrated with one hundred and five full page plates, numerous drawings and sketches in text, five plans, two coloured plates, and two maps, one loosely inserted to the rear pocket. Collated, complete. With the unclipped dust wrapper. Acquired from the sale of Paul Gallico's library, American novelist and short story and spots writer, best remembered for The Snow Goose and The Poseidon Adventure. In the original publisher's quarter cloth binding over paper covered boards. Externally very smart with minor shelf wear only and a minor bumping to the head and tail of the spine and extremities, with a minor chipping to the head of the spine and a minr warping to the boards. The dust wrapper is sound with some shelf wear and chipping, a minor puncture mark and a minor loss to the head and tail of the spine, which has slightly darkened; unclipped. Internally, firmly bound. The pages are bright and clean. Illustrated with one hundred and five full page plates, numerous drawings and sketches in text, five plans, two coloured plates, and two maps, one loosely inserted to the rear pocket. Collated, complete. With the unclipped dust wrapper.  Very Good . Ill.: Not Stated. Very Good/Good.