John Hadfield (1907–1999)

A lovely happy book about Jasper, a discontented civil servant sent into the English countryside to audit a tiny and obscure government department. The department is located at the country home of an eccentric lord and his family; Jasper is fascinated and disturbed by what he finds there. Sly and funny.

This book is, quite simply, perfection. Should join Barbara Pym, Wodehouse, Saki and Kenneth Graham on the required reading list for all aspiring Anglophiles.

An interesting book with poems and quotes, and illustrations to match the words on a given page. The illustrations are varied from lithographs, paintings, etc. On my copy, it appears the previous owner has added 2 newspaper clippings of untraceable J. M. W. Turner paintings, Lulworth Cove and Lausanne from Le Signal and what may be a postcard, hand-printed below, Claude Lorraine Aeneas & the Cumean Sibyl. (Lorrain's name misspelled). The painting itself is at the Louvre. These are located show more before the title page. On the last page and the blank page following are 2 more pasted clippings from newspapers or magazines, another lost J. M. W. Turner, The Temple of Jupiter Panellenius. The last J. M. W. Turner watercolour pasted on the last blank page must have crossed a centerfold because it is in 2 matched pieces is of Ludlow Castle, Shropshire (England). This painting sold on Christie's Auction in 2020 for GBP 515,250 show less

Great articles on comedians and fairgrounds with accompanying photographs and a fine article by John Lewis on popular printing.