Country Life Ltd. (London, UK)
Series dates:Â 1933-1936
Size:Â 5.5″ x 8″
Titles in the Tavistock Library, reprinting “famous sporting books,” were all published in one year (1933, and advertised for a few years after that) and reached only 6 in number, 5 by the same author (G.J. Whyte-Melville). The series was published by Country Life magazine, which covered golf, racing, hunting, rural life, estate architecture, and gardening. The books are of good quality and nicely designed. The series name was probably taken from the street name where the Country Life offices were located in London.
The Tavistock Library name was previously used for a series published by Frederick Warne and Co., in the 1893-1894 era.
Jackets are printed on cream-colored heavy linen paper with horizontal bands running along the top and bottom. A fox hunting scene is illustrated in profile along the bottom of the jackets. The series name is printed across the top of the front of the jacket. A blurb about the author is printed on the jacket flap, along with the price (6s.).
The jacket rear lists six titles in the Tavistock Library.
G.J. Whyte-Melville, Market Harborough
G.J. Whyte-Melville, Riding Recollections
G.J. Whyte-Melville, Kate Coventry
G.J. Whyte-Melville, Katerfelto
G.J. Whyte-Melville, Hunting Songs and Verses
Thomas Smith, Extracts from the Diary of a Huntsman
No other titles were published.
The books are bound in cloth with red and green printing. A stylized WM is printed on the front of the book, alluding to the author’s initials.
Half-title page:
A list of 5 titles in the series is printed on the reverse of the half-title page:
An illustration faces the title page. The author’s name and the publisher are printed in red on the title page.
Indicated on the copyright page: “This Edition First Published in 1933”
