A Catalogue of Books and Announcements of Methuen and Company, October 1902

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A Catalogue of Books and Announcements of Methuen and Company, October 1902

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By John White Posted on Dec 22, 2025

In Category - Flight Science

Authors: Methuen & Co. Published By : Methuen & Co.

Book Language: English

Okay, hear me out. I just spent an evening with a book that isn't really a book—it's a 1902 publisher's catalogue. Sounds dry, right? Wrong. It’s a time capsule. This little pamphlet from Methuen & Co. is a snapshot of what London was reading at the dawn of a new century. It’s not about one story, but hundreds of them waiting to be discovered. You get history, science, poetry, and adventure novels all competing for attention. The real mystery is figuring out what this list says about the people who would buy these books. What were they worried about? What did they dream of? It’s a quiet, fascinating puzzle for anyone curious about the past.

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themselves. A Life of Lamb by Mr. Lucas will follow next year. THE LIFE AND LETTERS OF OLIVER CROMWELL. By Thomas Carlyle. With an Introduction by C. H. Firth, M.A., and Notes and Appendices by Mrs. S. C. Lomas. _Three Volumes. 6s. each._ [_Methuen’s Standard Library._ This edition is brought up to the standard of modern scholarship by the addition of numerous new letters of Cromwell, and by the correction of many errors which recent research has discovered. CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL ESSAYS. By Lord Macaulay. Edited by F. C. Montague, M.A. Three Volumes. Crown 8vo. 6s. each. [_Methuen’s Standard Library._ The only edition of this book completely annotated. IN MEMORIAM, MAUD, AND THE PRINCESS. Edited by J. Churton Collins, M.A. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ [_Methuen’s Standard Library._ THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. By Thomas Carlyle. Edited by C. R. L. Fletcher, Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. _Three Volumes. Crown 8vo. 6s. each._ [_Methuen’s Standard Library._ This edition is magnificently equipped with notes. LORD STRATHCONA: The Story of His Life. By Beckles Willson. Illustrated. _Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d._ OTHELLO. Edited by H. C. Hart. _Demy 8vo. 3s. 6d._ [_The Arden Shakespeare._ ROBERT HARLEY, EARL OF OXFORD. By E. S. Roscoe. Illustrated. _Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d._ WALTER RALEIGH. By Miss J. A. Taylor. With 12 Illustrations. _Cloth, 3s. 6d.; leather, 4s. net._ [_Little Biographies._ LORD TENNYSON. By A. C. Benson, M.A. With 12 Illustrations. _Cloth, 3s. 6d.; leather, 4s. net._ [_Little Biographies._ ERASMUS. By E. F. H. Capey. With Illustrations. _Cloth, 3s. 6d.; leather, 4s. net._ [_Little Biographies._ CHRISTMAS BOOKS. By W. M. Thackeray. Edited by Stephen Gwynn. _Pott 8vo, cloth, 1s. 6d. net; leather, 2s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Library._ ESMOND. By W. M. Thackeray. Edited by Stephen Gwynn. _Two Volumes. Pott 8vo, cloth, 1s. 6d. net; leather, 2s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Library._ CHRISTMAS BOOKS. By Charles Dickens. Edited by Stephen Gwynn. _Two Volumes. Pott 8vo, cloth, 1s. 6d. net; leather, 2s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Library._ THE INGOLDSBY LEGENDS. Edited by J. B. Atlay. _Two Volumes. Pott 8vo, cloth, 1s. 6d. net; leather, 2s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Library._ A LITTLE BOOK OF ENGLISH SONNETS. Edited by J. B. B. Nichols. _Pott 8vo, cloth, 1s. 6d. net; leather, 2s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Library._ THE SCARLET LETTER. By Nathaniel Hawthorne. Edited by Percy Dearmer. _Pott 8vo, cloth, 1s. 6d. net; leather, 2s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Library._ THE INHERITANCE. By Susan Ferrier. _Two Volumes. Pott 8vo, cloth, 1s. 6d. net; leather, 2s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Library._ PARIS. By Hilaire Belloc. Illustrated. _Crown 8vo, 6s._ CORNWALL. By A. L. Salmon. Illustrated by B. C. Boulter. _Pott 8vo, cloth, 3s.; leather, 3s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Guides._ KENT. By G. Clinch. Illustrated by F. D. Bedford. _Pott 8vo, cloth, 3s.; leather, 3s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Guides._ BRITTANY. By S. Baring-Gould. Illustrated by J. Wylie. _Pott 8vo, cloth, 3s.; leather, 3s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Guides._ THE ENGLISH LAKES. By F. G. Brabant, M.A. Illustrated by E. H. New. _Pott 8vo, cloth 4s.; leather, 4s. 6d. net._ [_The Little Guides._ ON COMMANDO. By D. S. van Warmelo. With Portrait. _Crown 8vo. 3s 6d._ THE BRUNT OF THE WAR. By Emily Hobhouse. _With Map and Illustrations. Crown 8vo._ THE HEART OF JAPAN. By C. L. Brownell. Illustrated. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ A lively description of Japan and the Japanese. OLD PICTURE-BOOKS. By A. W. Pollard, M.A. With many Illustrations. _Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d. net._ A KEY TO THE TIME ALLUSIONS IN THE DIVINE COMEDY. By _G. Pradeau_. With a Dial. _Small quarto. 3s. 6d._ THE STRUGGLE FOR PERSIA. By Captain Donald Stuart. With a Map....

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So, what's the story here? There isn't a plot in the traditional sense. 'A Catalogue of Books and Announcements' is exactly what it says on the tin. Published in October 1902, it's a sales brochure from the London publisher Methuen & Co. It lists all the books they had for sale that season, from new releases to established titles. You'll find everything from serious historical works and travelogues to popular fiction and children's stories. It's a direct line to what was on the shelves—and minds—of readers over 120 years ago.

Why You Should Read It

This is for the curious browser, not the plot-driven reader. Flipping through it feels like literary archaeology. You see the birth of some famous titles and the quiet disappearance of others. The descriptions are marketing copy from another age, full of grand promises and formal praise. It’s surprisingly personal. You get a real sense of the publisher's personality and what they thought would sell. It shows how books were packaged and sold long before online algorithms. For me, the magic is in the details—the prices, the binding options, the very specific genres that have faded away.

Final Verdict

Perfect for history lovers, book collectors, or anyone with a soft spot for the Edwardian era. It’s a specialist's delight, but also a wonderful, quick dip for a casual reader looking for something completely different. Don't expect a novel. Do expect a fascinating, 30-minute journey to a London bookshop in 1902. It’s a quiet little treasure.

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