James Lees-Milne, five hardback volumes of diaries

Four first printings: Ancestral Voices (US edition), A Mingled Measure, Ancient as the Hills, and Deep Romantic Chasm; and one fourth printing: Beneath a Waning Moon

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Printing Details

This is a collection of five volumes of James Lees-Milne's famous diaries. All are hardback in dustwrapper, four are the first printing and they are all in at least good readable condition.

James Lees-Milne (1908–1997) was an expert on the English country house and worked for the National Trust from 1936 to 1973 being instrumental in the transfer of several important country houses into the ownership of the NT. His kept a diary from 1942, each volume being given a title from Coleridge's Kubla Khan (with the exception of the second volume Prophesying Peace).

1. Ancestral Voices (Scribners, New York, 1975). First US printing of the first volume, covering 1942 & 1943. Good condition. Slight fading to spine and light foxing to inner flap of wrapper. Some foxing to pages' top edge, otherwise a very decent copy. Wrapper by Reynolds Stone.

2. A Mingled Measure, Diaries 1953–1972 (John Murray, London, 1994). First edition, first printing. Dustwrapper sunned, some foxing to top edge, otherwise a solid copy.

3. Ancient as The Hills, Diaries 1973–1974 (John Murray, 1997). First edition, first printing. Dustwrapper heavily sunned to spine, spotted foxing to top, otherwise good.

4. Deep Romantic Chasm, Diaries 1979–1981 (John Murray, 2000) First edition, first printing. A good solid copy.

5. Beneath a Waning Moon, Diaries 1985–1987. (John Murray, 2003). First edition, fourth printing. A good copy, light sunning to the spine.

Condition

Despite the condition notes above, these five books remain in strong readable condition.

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