Wednesday 8 October 2008

Them that dies'll be the lucky ones!

More scans from my son's book collection for you today. The lucky little tyke has inherited his mum's stash of Ladybird books, a fine bunch of 70s literature which includes the magnificent: Ladybird book about Pirates.

This masterpiece contains potted biographies of 22 REAL LIFE pirates written by the grandly named L. Du Garde Peach and is beautifully illustrated by one F. Humphris. I've never heard of this Humphris chap before, but he was very talented.

His cover alone is worth the 15p price tag! It's a powerful watercolour painting which is rendered all the more dramatic by the 38 years worth of muck that has accumulated on the book. I'd love to own the original. Here t'is. ARRRRRH!!!!

Click the image to supersize the high seas shenanigans

The interior art is equally as good. Here's Blackbeard...

The image is a bit blurred around the edges because of my crappy scanner, but you can still enjoy the flaming red pirate rage of Blackbeard in action. Top stuff.

There's even some lady pirate action to be had. Here's Anne Bonny and her companion Mary Read...

Magic.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This was my favourite book when I was 11. Even better than Grange Hill and Press Gang TV novelisations.