Vandergoose Peter (4 results)
More imagesLanguage: English
Published by Jordan & Maxwell, London 1807
- Hardcover
- First Edition
Seller: Hyraxia Books. ABA, ILAB, Hutton Cranswick, United KingdomHyraxia Books. ABA, ILAB
Contact seller4-star sellerCondition: Used - Good
US$ 3,822.74
US$ 22.94 shippingShips from United Kingdom to U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketHardback. Condition: Good. 1st Edition. London, Jordan & Maxwell, 1807. First Edition. First Impression. Hardback. Very uncommon. Pink paper boards with spine label. Interplanetary adventure. Preceding Frankenstein in its use of galvanisation for genesis. Though let's not get carried away. Where Shelley speculated on the use of…electricity to reanimate a re-joined corpse, Vandergoose moulds golems from the wax of a giant bee (which had just fought a giant bear). If you're wondering what the protagonist-narrator did with the bee's honey.filled a lake with it, made that lake water super-tasty and downed the lot. So, Shelley's science wasn't on par with Alessandro Volta, but Vandergoose's was basically about one ppm science. Actually, I'm being very unfair, there is science in the book, and all that facetiousness apart, there are some very interesting bits, that I believe warrant academic investigation. Thankfully, there's more of the Munchaussen than the Gulliver. I quote "Reflecting upon the nature of the heat with which Prometheus imparted life and animation to his figures; I had no doubt but that it was produced by Galvanism: a secret known perhaps, in those times, to none but himself. Sensible by experience of its efficacious power, I proceeded to construct a Galvanic battery. By means of two different fluids and a piece of iron, it was soon formed. I then left it awhile to charge itself. In the mean time, I launched into an ocean of reflections, and indulged myself to the utmost in speculations upon futurity" (almost certainly the first reference to naval contemplation whilst awaiting the ponderous charging off a battery; c.f. every teenager once their phone battery drops below 1%). Now, don't assume silly 21st century reader of fiction, that we're excused from our protagonist-narrator's musing, indeed not. We get to revel in his peregrinations around the moral and ethical implications of a pawn-broker's usuriousness against his client, who just happened to be a Jew, who in turn lays an (unspecified) snare to "impiously" capture the pawn-broker (long story short: impossible situation because of regulation in the pawn-broker world; thank goodness dear Vandergoose was so prescient and exactly 200 years later there was no global economic crisis due to stringent banking regulation). The diatribe meanders to consider "whether what was thus considered condemnable in a Jew, should be commended in those sacred societies who, actuated by the love of God, and by charity towards their brethren, have piously undertaken the glorious task of punishing the transgressions of mankind, and who, to do them justice, spare no pains, no cares, to keep the law employed." Alas, Vandergoose is not too succinct, but my reading of it suggests a firm 'no' on the matter (at least to our protagonist-narrator, I suspect though not perhaps to Vandergoose). We then move onto forgery and Russia "Immortal Catherine!", but, like a teenager distracted by a the ping of a new Insta-follower, our protagonist-narrator's Galvanic battery is fully 'impregnated' ('charged' seems so lacklustre by comparison) and the wool-gathering ceases. And so we head back to the Promethean fire: "By great good fortune [not Providence, God or Lachesis?] I happened to have a piece of wire of a considerable length in my pocket; and by means of it, I immediately brought all the figures in contact with the battery. The effect was instantaneous. Violent and distorted motions, winking, smelling, chewing, swallowing, kicking, smelling, chewing, and capering [capering! thank the pantheon that there was capering], were at once produced in all the figures. The sudden appearance of such hideous confusion, staggered all my philosophy. The next section a precis: the battery rests on a great quantity of metallic ore (heavily seamed with gold) which seems to run all the way to the forest and thus the forest is set alight (in all seriousness, this is a great early example of the unintended consequences of wild science). The fire melts.
Language: English
- Hardcover
- Print on Demand
Seller: S N Books World, Delhi, IndiaS N Books World
Contact seller5-star sellerLeatherbound. Condition: NEW. BOOKS ARE EXEMPT FROM IMPORT DUTIES AND TARIFFS; NO EXTRA CHARGES APPLY. Leatherbound edition. Condition: New. Leather Binding on Spine and Corners with Golden leaf printing on spine. Bound in genuine leather with Satin ribbon page markers and Spine with raised gilt bands. Pages: 268. A perfect gift… for your loved ones. Reprinted from 1807 edition. NO changes have been made to the original text. This is NOT a retyped or an ocr'd reprint. Illustrations, Index, if any, are included in black and white. Each page is checked manually before printing. As this print on demand book is reprinted from a very old book, there could be some missing or flawed pages, but we always try to make the book as complete as possible. Fold-outs, if any, are not part of the book. If the original book was published in multiple volumes then this reprint is of only one volume, not the whole set. IF YOU WISH TO ORDER PARTICULAR VOLUME OR ALL THE VOLUMES YOU CAN CONTACT US. Resized as per current standards. Sewing binding for longer life, where the book block is actually sewn (smythe sewn/section sewn) with thread before binding which results in a more durable type of binding. Volume --- Language: English Pages: 268 Volume ---.
More images- Hardcover
- Print on Demand
Seller: Gyan Books Pvt. Ltd., Delhi, IndiaGyan Books Pvt. Ltd.
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: New
US$ 39.15
Free ShippingShips from India to U.S.A.Quantity: Over 20 available
Add to basketLeather Bound. Condition: New. Language: English. {Size: 14.60 x 22.86 cms} Presenting an Exquisite Leather-Bound Edition, expertly crafted with Original Natural Leather that gracefully adorns the spine and corners. The allure continues with Golden Leaf Printing that adds a touch of elegance, while Hand Embossing on the rounded…spine lends an artistic flair. This masterpiece has been meticulously reprinted in 2023, utilizing the invaluable guidance of the original edition published many years ago in 1807. The contents of this book are presented in classic black and white. Its durability is ensured through a meticulous sewing binding technique, enhancing its longevity. Imprinted on top-tier quality paper. A team of professionals has expertly processed each page, delicately preserving its content without alteration. Due to the vintage nature of these books, every page has been manually restored for legibility. However, in certain instances, occasional blurriness, missing segments, or faint black spots might persist. We sincerely hope for your understanding of the challenges we faced with these books. Recognizing their significance for readers seeking insight into our historical treasure, we've diligently restored and reissued them. Our intention is to offer this valuable resource once again. We eagerly await your feedback, hoping that you'll find it appealing and will generously share your thoughts and recommendations. Lang: - English, Pages:- 260, Print on Demand. If it is a multi-volume set, then it is only a single volume. We are specialised in Customisation of books, if you wish to opt different color leather binding, you may contact us. This service is chargeable. Product Disclaimer: Kindly be informed that, owing to the inherent nature of leather as a natural material, minor discolorations or textural variations may be perceptible. Explore the FOLIO EDITION (12x19 Inches): Available Upon Request. 260.
More images- Hardcover
- Print on Demand
Seller: Gyan Books Pvt. Ltd., Delhi, IndiaGyan Books Pvt. Ltd.
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: New
US$ 64.15
Free ShippingShips from India to U.S.A.Quantity: Over 20 available
Add to basketFull Leather Bound. Condition: NEW. Language: English. {Size: 14.60 x 22.86 cms} A Unique Premium Leather-Bound book for elite readers/collectors of old rare books. An Original Leather is being used for binding this book with Golden Leaf Printing and designing on Spine, front and Back of the book with edge gilding. WE HAVE MULTI…PLE OPTIONS IN COLOR OF LEATHER RED, GREEN, BLUE, MAGENTA, TAN, PURPLE DEEP BROWN, BLACK AND WITH DIFFERENT COLOR LABELS. YOU MAY CHOOSE ANY COLOR OF YOUR CHOICE AND MAIL US. This service is chargeable. Original edition was published in [1807] and this unique edition is Reprinted in 2023 with the help of original edition. Black & white printing on high quality natural shade paper with sewing binding for longer life, professionally processed without changing its contents. As these are old books, we processed each page manually on computer and make them readable. We give our best to give you the best book but in some cases we have to adjust few pages which are blur or missing or black spots. If it is multi volume set, then it is only single volume. We hope that you understand these issues in these old treasure. This is an important book for the readers who want to know more about our old treasure. Our dedicated team is trying to bring these rare books back to the shelves. We are also giving service of printing the hard-to-find books which are not listed in our store. Hope you will like it and give your comments and suggestions. Lang: - English, Pages 260, Print on Demand. Product Disclaimer: Please be aware that because leather is a natural material, slight discoloration or change in texture may be visible. {FOLIO EDITION (Size 12x19 Inches) IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON REQUEST}. 260.
