1. Karl BAEDEKER. Great Britain. London and its Environs. Leipzig, 1930. £120

This guide provides a fascinating look at pre-war London.

2. JOHN BETJEMAN. Selected Poems. Chosen and with a preface by John Sparrow.  London,1948. £1,375

I particularly like the association with Brian Aldiss. one of the best science fiction authors.

3. H. Rider HAGGARD. She. London, 1887. £550

This is one of my favourite adventure stories and I believe it has been copied many times since.

4. Major Erik SEIDENFADEN. Guide to Bangkok with Notes on Siam. The Royal State Railways, Siam 1928. £300

Thailand is one of my favourite places in the world  and this guide provides a good look at 1930’s Bangkok. I also like the connection to the cruise ship – the first one to have an outside swimming pool.

5. Harry St. John B. PHILBY. The Empty Quarter. London, 1933. £2,250

This journey through the desert in the 1930’s is remarkable and I think this is one of the best accounts of desert travels.

6. Evelyn WAUGH. Black Mischief. London, 1932. £2500

This is one of the best satirical novels ever published and I think it establishes Waugh as a genius. It is incredibly amusing and a book which is hard to put down.