Truffles from the Invisible Library.

There is more to our bookstock than meets the eye. Besides the volumes on our open shelves, we also maintain a store of older titles in the basement of Twickenham Library. They may no longer be so physically attractive, but they will have proved their worth over the years. Often they were famous, infamous, or outrageously popular when new, and they have been sought by readers ever since. Or they may perhaps be the only book on their subject. And some will be of local interest. Whatever the reason for their enduring usefulness, we endeavour to retain these titles for some time (often many years) after the peak of their popularity has passed.

You will find them all listed on our catalogue, but their home is unfortunately not suitable for public access and browsing. Therefore each month we will present on these pages a small selection of titles. They may have some current resonance, or simply a quirky appeal which may tickle your fancy.

Should you wish to borrow any of them, please enquire at any library.

So, in no particular order, we present:

Malcolm BALENA
Very English Deceit: the secret history of the South Sea Bubble and the first great financial scandal.(2002)
Some lessons never seem to be learnt.

Jules ROY
The Trial of Marshall Petain.(1968)
The inhabitants of Vichy even now feel tarred by this man’s actions. What was his real crime?

Patricia COCKBURN
The Years of The Week: the story of Claud Cockburn’s legendary political news-sheet which blew the gaff on the 1930s.(1968)

Robert GIBBINGS
Sweet Thames Run Softly.(1940)
Account of a leisurely journey down the river, illustrated with wood engravings by the author, a master of the art.

Salvador de MADARIGA
Bolivar(1952)
Classic, detailed account of the life of the man who struggled to free South America form Spanish rule.

Grace WYNDHAM GOLDIE
Facing the Nation: television and politics 1936 – 1976.(1977)
Story of the development of political coverage and investigation by a renowned BBC producer who was closely involved.

CHIANG YEE
The Silent Traveller in London.(1938)
Chinese take on the city of the time. One in a series on cities of the world well known in its day.

J.P. GALLAGHER
Fred Karno: master of mirth and misery.(1971)
Life of music hall impresario who made a fortune, became a by-word, and enjoyed a louche lifestyle on the Karsino, a casino on a lavish houseboat at Taggs Island.

Christopher BOOKER
The Seventies: portrait of a decade.(1980)
An immediate response to events and people of the time, culled from his incisive contemporary journalism.

Victoria SACKVILLE-WEST
Passenger to Teheran(1990)
Account of a circuitous journey made in 1926, illustrated with photographs from the album she kept at the time.