Saturday, November 20, 2010

Georgette Heyer: Historical Novels

Georgette Heyer... well, there was supposed to be an introductory piece here and I did start one, but unfortunately I went down with a cold and haven't felt up to finishing it. If I get a chance to do so I'll make sure you know about it. In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy the pics. Tomorrow... Georgette Heyer's crime novels.

The Black Moth (London, Constable, 1921)
Pan M92, 1965. Cover by J. Oval

The Great Roxhythe (London, Hutchinson, 1922)

Powder and Patch (The Transformation of Philip Jettan by Stella Martin, London, Mills & Boon, 1923; as Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer, London, Heinemann, 1930)
Pan G220, (Mar) 1959, 160pp, 3/6. Cover by Peff
——, 2nd imp., 1962; 3rd imp., 1962; 4th imp., 1964; 5th imp., 1964; 6th imp., 1965.
——, 7th imp., 1966, 160pp, 2/6. Cover by J. Oval
Pan 02063 8th imp., 1968, 160pp, 4/-. Cover by J. Oval
——, 9th imp., 1968, 160pp, 3/6. Cover by J. Oval
——, 10th imp., 1970.
"I do not want a raw country bumpkin," she had said cruelly—and even his father had called him "a damned dull dog".
__So Philip set horse for Paris—where he proved an apt pupil in the art of trifling elegantly, and in the use of powder and patch.
__But Philip was no painted puppet—though he might look like one—and he returned bent on teaching Miss Cleone a lesson.
Instead of the Thorn (London, Hutchinson, 1923)

Simon the Coldheart (London, Heinemann, 1925)

These Old Shades (London, Heinemann, 1926)
Pan GP51, (Sep) 1956. Cover by Bruce Windo
Pan  X119, 2nd imp., 1962, 313pp, 3/6. Cover by James E. McConnell
——, 3rd imp., 1962; 4th imp., 1963; 5th imp., 1963.
——, 6th imp., 1965;7th imp., 1966.
Pan M269, 8th imp., 1968, 313pp, 5/-. Adapted cover by McConnell
France, in the reign of Louis XV, an age when corruption blooms luxuriantly.
__Justin, Duke of Avon, also flourishes. Notorious as a libertine, he nurses a life-long hatred for the Comte de St. Vire.
__Then, from a murky Parisian backstreet he plucks Leon—a red-headed scamp with strangely familiar looks...
__Among the splendours of Versailles and the dignified mansions of England, Justin unfolds his plan of revenge, and the adoring Leonie—the urchin turned ravishing beauty—unwittingly plays her part in many startling roles, not least as a reforming influence!
Helen (London, Longman, 1928)

The Masqueraders (London, Heinemann, 1928)
Pan X357, (Feb) 1965, 3/6.
----, 2nd imp., 1965; 3rd imp., 1966
Pan 330-10357-1, 4th imp., 1968, 255pp, 5/-.
"The whole of this affair," announced my lord in an awful voice, "is deplorable in the extreme... My daughter, as I understand, is riding all over the country like a hoyden with a man who has not yet obtained my consent to be affianced to her. The impropriety of it leaves me speechless."
__"Instead of which," said Robin, inspecting the lacing on one of his great cuffs, "she might be lying snug in prison. Horrible, sir."
__The story of a charming deception made necessary by the capricious politics of a dangerous era.
Beauvallet (London, Heinemann, 1929)
Pan X254, (Oct) 1963, 220pp, 3/6. Cover by J. Oval
——, 2nd imp., 1964; 3rd imp., 1965; 4th imp., 1966; 5th imp., 1967.
Pan 10254-0, 6th imp., 1969, 220pp, 5/-.
——, 7th imp., 1969.
Battle between a great Spanish galleon and Nick Beauvallet's little Venture—the stirring opening to this tremendous novel of Elizabethan days.
__How Nick falls in love with a beautiful enemy, braves dangers (even those of the Inquisition) for her sake, wins her stubborn heart, and carries her off through a thousand perils—this is the plot of one of the most compelling stories the author of The Conqueror and The Foundling has given her vast public.
Pastel (London, Longman, 1929)

Barren Corn (London, Longman, 1930)

The Conqueror (London, Heinemann, 1931)
Pan X151, (Sep) 1962, 349pp, 3/6.
——, 2nd imp., 1963.
Pan M63, 3rd imp., 1964.
——, 4th imp., 1965, 349pp, 5/-. Cover by J. Oval
Base-born son of Richard, Duke of Normandy, William the Bastard had to fight for his crumbling heritage, then to subjugate in battle his feudal lord, the King of France.
__Spurned in love he horse-whipped the lovely Princess Matilda, then made her his bride.
__Thwarted by the Saxon Earl Harold of a solemn promise of the throne of England, he sailed with his armies to a moment of destiny at Hastings.
__With her unfailing talent for recreating the past in vivid splendour, Georgette Heyer retells the heart-stirring exploits of England's last conqueror.
The Convenient Marriage (London, Heinemann, 1934)
Pan X304, 1964, 235pp.

Devil's Cub (London, Heinemann, 1934)
Penguin 910, 1953, 255pp.
Peacock Books PK10, 1963, 256pp.
Pan 0330-02361-6, 1969, 285pp.
——, 1980.

Regency Buck (London, Heinemann, 1935)
Pan X39, 1959, 319pp, 3/6. Cover by De Marco
——, 2nd imp., 1960; 3rd imp., 1961; 4th imp., 1962.
——, 5th imp., 1964, 319pp, 3/6. Cover by J. Oval
Pan M266, 1966. Cover by J. Oval
Rich and lovely, ardent and wilful, any restraint maddened Judith.
__But in her handsome, rakish guardian she met her match—and more.
__And she came to hate him!
__A gay, swashbuckling story of adventure and romance which catches all the dash and gusto of the Regency.
The Talisman Ring (London, Heinemann, 1936)
Pan G311, Jun 1960.Cover by James E. McConnell

An Infamous Army (London, Heinemann, 1936)
Pan X88, (Jun) 1961, 412pp, 3/6. Cover by James E. McConnell
——, 2nd imp., 1962; 3rd imp., 1962.
Pan M62, 4th imp., 1964. Cover by J. Oval
——, 5th imp., 1965; 6th imp., 1965; 7th imp., 1967.
Pan 20062, 8th imp., 1968, 412pp, 6/-. Cover by J. Oval
——, 9th imp., 1969.
Glittering lights, scarlet and gold of uniforms eclipsing splendid gowns, flushed faces, bold—and anxious—eyes...
__The Duchess of Richmond's ball—Brussels, June 15th, 1815—the eve of Waterloo.
__There is still time for romance—for the lovely, shocking young widow, Lady Barbara Childe, to trifle with Charles Audley, aide-de-camp to the great Duke of Wellington.
__At dawn the army must march, leaving a silent city of women awaiting the distant thunder of guns...
__A moving story of love... drama... heroic actions... and the battle that ended a tyranny...
Royal Escape (London, Heinemann, 1938)
Pan M101, 1965, 383pp, 5/-. Cover by J. Oval
——, 2nd imp., 1966; 3rd imp., 1966.
"Sire, you must save yourself. They're breaking in on all sides. There's no more to do here..."
__Royal Escape is Georgette Heyer's vivid account, in the form of an historical novel, of the young Charles II's escape after the crushing defeat of his army at the Battle of Worcester. Capturing all the excitement and drama of the times, the swiftly-paced narrative follows the outlaw king and his tiny party on a dangerous journey through Cromwell's England to a Channel port and eventual safety.
The Spanish Bride (London, Heinemann, 1940)
Pan M49, 1964, 366pp, 5/-. Cover by J. Oval
——, 2nd imp., 1965; 3rd imp., 1966; 4th imp., 1967; 5th imp., 1967.
Pan 330-20049-6, 6th imp., 1970, 366pp, 6/-.
"I have only you. If you die, I must also. Do you see?"
__April 1812, the siege of Badajos...
__From the moment that Juana looked into the eyes of Harry Smith, the dare-devil officer in rifle-green, she knew they were made for each other.
__It was a love that took the child-bride from the battlefields of Spain to fashionable London and the agony of Waterloo.
__Here is all the dash, vigour, courage and humour that filled the hearts of Wellington's soldiers allied to the very breath of romance.
The Corinthian (London, Heinemann, 1940; as Beau Wyndham, New York, Doubleday, 1941)
Pan 61, (Oct) 1948, 250pp, 2/-. Cover by Bruce
Pan G570, 2nd imp., 1962, 2/6. Cover by James E. McConnell
——, 3rd imp., 1962.
Pan X285, 4th imp., 1963. [cover as per G570]
——, 5th imp. 1964.
——, 6th imp., 1965;
——, 7th imp., 1966, 207pp, 3/6. Cover by J. Oval
——, 8th imp., 1967.
The Corinthian, a Regency romance, is (to quote the London Daily Telegraph) "an excellent example of Georgette Heyer's skill. Her dialogue is easy, amusing and natural—an unusual virtue in an author who writes in period idiom. Hero and heroine come to life under her pen and swing the tale along." Sir Richard Wyndham is one of those bored beaux of Brummell's day, a wealthy gambler, a wit and a sportsman who can take his stand in the ring or handle the ribbons as competently as anyone in his set. As he walks home from Almack's in the cool air of dawn, a trifle fuddled and pondering the prospect of being reluctantly betrothed to the unprepossessing Melissa Brandon, a girl dressed in boy's clothes falls into his arms from a rope of knotted sheets hanging out of a second-storey window. This strange meeting starts a series of light-hearted adventures that include a jewel robbery and end as all good rollicking, romantic yarns should end.
Faro's Daughter (London, Heinemann, 1941)
Pan 234. (Mar) 1953.
Pan X319, [2nd imp.] (Aug) 1964, 218pp. Cover by J. Oval
——, 3rd imp., 1964; 4th imp., 1965; 5th imp., 1966.
——, 6th imp., 1967, 218pp, 3/6.
"A wife out of a gaming-house!!! One of Faro's daughters! If I had my way women of your stamp would be whipped at the cart's tail..."
__Deborah Grantham is the lovely, high-spirited niece of Lady Bellingham, whose gambling establishment in St James's Square is chronically insolvent. Yet she obstinately refuses Max Ravenscar's handsome offer of £20,000 not to marry his youthful cousin, Adrian, Lord Mablethorpe.
Friday's Child (London, Heinemann, 1944)
Pan X70, (Dec) 1960, 333pp, 3/6. Cover by James E. McConnell
——, 2nd imp., 1961; 3rd imp., 1963; 4th imp., 1964.
——, 5th imp., 1965, 333pp, 3/6. Cover by J. Oval
——, 6th imp., 1966.
Pan M265, 7th imp., 1968, 333pp, 5/-. Cover by J. Oval
——, 8th imp., 1968.
"I'll marry the first female I see!"
__Rejected by the incomparable Isabella, finished with love, but desperately anxious to obtain his inheritance, young Lord Sheringham determines on a marriage of convenience!
__And the first woman he sees is the adorably unsophisticated Hero Wantage, who has loved him since childhood...
The Reluctant Widow (London, Heinemann, 1946)
Pan X108, 1961.
Pan M71, 1964.

The Foundling (London, Heinemann, 1948)
Pan M31, (Apr) 1963.
——, 2nd imp., 1964; 3rd imp., 1964; 4th imp., 1965; 5th imp., 1966; 6th imp., 1967; 7th imp., 1967.
——, 8th imp., 1968, 351pp, 5/-. Cover by J. Oval
Pan 20031, 9th imp., 1970, 351pp, 6/-. Cover by J. Oval
"I had thought that when I came to marry I should choose a wife for myself..."
__Despite his fortune, Gilly, the young Duke of Sale, was bored. Blue-devilled with the Polite World, he longed to give his adoring household the slip and sample the robust life of the Regency as plain Mr Dash.
__Cousin Matthew's indiscretion gave Gilly the opportunity to plunge into a full-blooded world peopled with footpads, runaway schoolboys, duels, chases, and Belinda—whose limpid beauty made her a prime decoy for a ruthless blackmailer...
Arabella (London, Heinemann, 1949)
Pan X328, (Oct) 1964, 250pp, 3/6. Cover by J. Oval
——, 2nd imp., 1965; 3rd imp., 1967; 4th imp., 1967.
Pan 02074, [5th imp.] 1968, 250pp, 5/-. Cover by J. Oval
"Alas!" said Arabella, "I am fabulously wealthy! It is the greatest mortification to me! You can have no notion!"
__Arabella, the bewitching daughter of a country parson, is sent to London to make a good marriage. On the way an encounter with Mr. Beaumaris, that most eligible of Corinthians, leads her to pose an an heiress anxious to avoid suitors. Arabella becomes the talk of the town and the catch of the season, but the deception brings complications and a near disaster...
The Grand Sophy (London, Heinemann, 1950)
Pan X64, (Sep) 1960, 316pp, 3/6. Cover by James E. McConnell
——, 2nd imp., 1962; 3rd imp., 1963.
Pan M70, 4th imp., 1964, 316pp, 5/-. Cover by J. Oval
——, 5th imp., 1965; 6th imp., 1966;7th imp., 1967; 8th imp., 1967.
Pan 20070, [9th imp.] 1969, 316pp, 6/-. Cover by J. Oval
Fresh from the ballrooms and battlefields of Wellington's Europe—the dashing, unconventional Sophy disrupts her aunt's staid London household. With wit and brisk commonsense she sets about extracting her cousins from their entanglements—the autocratic Charles, with his tiresomely virtuous fiancee—Herbert, in the hands of a money-lender—and Cecelia, neglecting an eligible suitor for an addle-pated poet.
__How Sophy accomplishes her self-imposed tasks—and in so doing meets her own destiny—makes a gay and diverting comedy.
The Quiet Gentleman (London, Heinemann, 1951)
Pan M114, (Jan) 1966, 285pp. Cover by J. Oval

Cotillion (London, Heinemann, 1953)
Pan M150, (Aug) 1966, 334pp, 5/-. Cover by J. Oval
——, 2nd imp., 1967; 3rd imp., 1967.
"One of you shall have her, and my fortune into the bargain."
__Such was the whimsical, some would say outrageous, statement of the aging Mr. Penicuik, to the three of his great-nephews gathered around him.
__The future of his vivacious step-daughter Miss Kitty Charing, was thus assured, provided she married one of the handsome beaux now seeking her hand. But being a spirited girl she was in no hurry to conclude a contract, and a simple stratagem allowed her to enjoy her diminishing freedom...
The Toll-Gate (London, Heinemann, 1954)
Pan M177, (Jan) 1967.
——, 2nd imp., 1967.
——, 3rd imp., 1967, 284pp, 5/-. Cover by Edward Mortelmans
——, 4th imp., 1967.
Pan 20177, 5th imp., 1968.
——, 6th imp., 1969, 284pp, 5/-. Cover by Edward Mortelmans
"How can I know that you are to be trusted? I never set eyes on you until yesterday!"
__Georgette Heyer is famous for her delightful Regency romances, and there is a modern sophistication about her handling of them that makes the stories irresistible. This post-Waterloo adventure is no exception.
__A handsome captain of Dragoon Guards becomes involved with an engaging highwayman, a taciturn Bow Street runner and a stolen hoard of gold coins whilst protecting the squire's attractive niece from black villainy.
__Read it and you will at once join the happy circle of Miss Heyer's innumerable admirers.
Bath Tangle (London, Heinemann, 1955)
Pan M237, 1967.

Sprig Muslin (London, Heinemann, 1956)
Pan 0330-02179-6, 1968, 249pp.

April Lady (London, Heinemann, 1957)
Pan 330-02423-X, 1970, 238pp, 5/-.
"Had I not been possessed of a large fortune, you wouldn't have married me, would you, Nell?"
__The new Lady Cardross so filled her days with fashion and frivolity that the Earl began to wonder whether she had indeed only married him for his money.
__And now, Nell dared not tell him the truth...
__What with concern over his wife's heart and pocket, sorting out her brother's scrapes, and trying to prevent his own half-sister from eloping, it was no wonder that the much-tried Earl almost missed an opportunity to smooth the path of true love in his own marriage...

Sylvester; or, The Wicked Uncle
(London, Heinemann, 1957)
Pan 330-02589-9, 1970, 332pp, 6/-.
----, 2nd imp., 1972
----, 3rd imp., 1974, 331pp, 40p.

Venetia (London, Heinemann, 1958)
Pan 0330-02779-4, 1971, 323pp.


The Unknown Ajax
(London, Heinemann, 1959)
Pan 0330-02903-7, 1972, 319pp.
----. Xth imp., 1977.

A Civil Contract (London, Heinemann, 1961)
Pan 0330-23519-2, 1973, 248pp.

The Nonesuch (London, Heinemann, 1962)

False Colours (London, Bodley Head, 1963)
Penguin 2511, 1966, 314pp, 5/-. Cover photo by Dave Gittens
Penguin 0140-02511-1, 1971, 314pp.

Frederica (London, Bodley Head, 1965)
Pan M272, 1968, 330pp,  5/-. Cover by J. Oval
"... I should perhaps inform you that I am never of use to anyone!"
__Frederica gazed at him in astonishment. "Never? But why not?"
__Alverstoke shrugged. "Pure selfishness, ma'am, coupled with a dislike of being bored."
__The cynical Marquis of Alverstoke finds boredom vanishes once the self-possessed Frederica Merriville enlists his aid to launch her lovely young sister in London society and act as guardian to her school-boy brothers. Alverstoke's growing interest in Frederica matches his concern for the problems of this venturesome and warm-hearted family.


Black Sheep (London, Bodley Head, 1966)
Pan 330-02230-X, 1969, 239pp, 5/-. Cover by Edward Mortelmans
——, 2nd imp., 1969.
"May I speak frankly to you, sir? About your nephew? I do not wish to offend you, but I fancy he is more the black sheep of your family than you are!"
__"Oh, I shouldn't think so at all!" Miles responded.
__Abigail Wendover was determined to prevent Fanny, her pretty high-spirited niece, from being gulled into a clandestine marriage with Stacy Calverleigh, a good-looking town-beau of shocking reputation and an acknowledged fortune-hunter.
__The arrival of Stacy's uncle seemed to indicate an ally, but Miles turned out to be the most provoking creature Abigail had ever met—with a disconcerting ability to throw her into giggles at quite the wrong moment.

Cousin Kate
(London, Bodley Head, 1968)
Pan, 1971, 315pp. 
Pan 0330-02684-4, 1979, 315pp.

Charity Girl (London, Bodley Head, 1970)
Pan, 1971, 253pp.
Pan 0330-023863-4, 1980, 254pp.

Lady of Quality (London, Bodley Head, 1972)
Pan 0330-23649-0, 1979, 252pp.

My Lord John (London, Bodley Head, 1975)
Pan 0330-25014-0, 1977, 374pp.

COLLECTIONS

Pistols for Two and Other Stories (London, Heinemann, 1960)
Pan 0330-24771-9, 1976, 213pp.
——, Xth imp., 1984.
Mandarin 0749-30442-1, 1993, 239pp.
Arrow 0099-41645-X, 2001, 240pp.
Arrow 0099-47638-X, 2005, 205pp.
Affairs of honour, affairs of the heart, and all the gallantry, villainy and elegance of the age that Georgette Heyer has made her own are exquisitely revived in these eleven short stories of the Regency.

4 comments:

  1. Heyer is my absolute favorite author of Regency romances...although oddly enough, she didn't write my favorite Regency romance.

    Thanks for sharing these wonderful covers. What a delightful treat.

    Smiles,
    Teresa

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! Really brings back memories of school days in the 1970s when I first discovered Geogette Heyer's books. I still dip into my collection for a read. Just finished 'False Colours' Tq for the post.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My sister and I have been reading Georgette Heyer since the early 80s and it is wonderful to see the variety of covers you have posted here. Only the old Heinemann covers are missing and it would be wonderful if you could post those as well. Keep posting book reviews along with the covers; we really appreciate the time and effort you put in.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful collection of book covers. I just love how they pick a moment from the book. Thank you for taking the time to post such an extensive collection of works by Heyer.

    ReplyDelete

BEAR ALLEY BOOKS

BEAR ALLEY BOOKS
Click on the above pic to visit our sister site Bear Alley Books