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<b>Bonhams:</b> MANDELSHTAM, OSIP. 1891-1938. Autograph Manuscript, 2 pp, [Petersburg,] January 1913, entitled

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Egodocuments, Biographies, etc., on Maritime and Colonial Exploration from Bestebreurtje Rare Books Satirical native drawing graces front and back covers of Bestebreurtje's latest catalogue. By Michael Stillman We recently received the latest catalogue from Gert Jan Bestebreurtje Rare Books of the Netherlands. It carries the title Egodocuments, biographies, monographs, journals, novels, etc. on maritime and colonial history and exploration. That first word confounded us. Egodocuments? I could guess its essential meaning, but had never seen it before. A bit of research turned up that the word was created by Jacques Presser (a Dutch historian despite that very French name). If this English-sounding word has not yet made it into the English lexicon, it apparently has made it into the Dutch one. So here is the official meaning: diaries, memoirs, personal letters, and other autobiographical writing. So, now that we have learned a new word, we can proceed to take a look inside the pages of this latest Bestebreurtje catalogue. There are almost 800 items offered. Overwhelmingly, they are inexpensive. Most are either later reprints of accounts of older travels, or more recent (though no less exciting) voyages. Occasionally, something very old will show up. Dutch is the main language, but there are still a great many in English or French. We will focus primarily on the English works as Dutch is not an intuitive language for English-speakers such as this reviewer, but there are many works in Dutch available herein. Item 19 is one of those harrowing voyage tales from days of yore, only it happened only a few decades ago. Maurice and Maralyn Bailey, the authors, set off on a ten-day trip from Panama to the Galapagos Islands. They never quite made it, as the title informs us - 117 Days Adrift. A whale struck their boat just short of its destination, and they had to quickly transfer themselves and what they could salvage to their life raft. This is the story of their almost four months surviving on fish and turtles they hooked, and rainwater they captured. Seven ships passed them by before they were finally rescued. Priced at €20 (Euros, or approximately $29 in US dollars. Here is another tale of a ship which went down, but under very different circumstances. This was a gunboat under the command of Dutch Lieutenant Jan Van Speijk in Antwerp on February 5, 1831. His ship was boarded that day by revolution-minded Belgians, who attempted to seize control. Van Speijk would have none of it. Being overwhelmed, he instead fired his pistol into a barrel of gunpowder, setting of an enormous explosion, destroying the ship and killing dozens of people, himself included. Van Speijk became a great Dutch hero for his courageous, or crazy, actions (depending on your point of view), but the Belgian Revolution was successful anyway. Item 382 is an 1832 biography of Van Speijk, Leven van Jan Carel Josephus van Speijk. €135 (US $195). Item 626 is an 1832 hand-colored aquatint plate of the funeral of Van Speijk along the waterfront, where he was honored as a great hero. €575 (US $834). For those who go for illustrations, item 15 is another - an engraved portrait of Admiral George Anson from 1751. In the background are five of the ships he led on his expedition a year earlier. Anson led a privateering journey against the Spanish in South America, a terrible disaster for most of the crew other than Anson himself. All but one of the ships was lost, and most of his men died, but Anson captured a Spanish galleon loaded with riches on the way back, and he returned a wealthy man. His was only the second British circumnavigation. €195 (US $282).
Egodocuments, Biographies, etc., on Maritime and Colonial Exploration from Bestebreurtje Rare Books One of 96 18th century diplomatic letters offered as item 539. Here is one more work of "art." It is a satirical drawing of an exaggerated island native behind a palm tree staring at a British official making notes of some sort. We are not sure exactly what the point was in this 19th century drawing pictured on the cover of this catalogue. Item 578. €295 (US $427). Here is another adventure of more recent variety: Desperate Voyage. This is a later edition of a book that recounts author John Caldwell's adventures at sea following the Second World War. Caldwell was a merchant marine who had married while in Australia, but then was shipped back stateside. Having no way to get back to her, he took a steamer to Panama, hoping to find transportation. None was available, so he purchased a sloop and set sail by himself. He had no experience sailing, relying on a book he brought along for on-the-spot training. Unfortunately, his boat was swamped in a hurricane and he drifted along without food or supplies for over a month and a half before landing in the Fiji Islands. He took regular transportation for the remainder of the journey to Australia. Some people think Caldwell may have embellished his account a bit, but obviously it was a most trying, though exciting, experience. €20 (US $29). Item 539 is a collection of very old Dutch diplomatic posts. It contains 96 manuscript letters, 84 in Dutch, 12 in French, sent from various posts around Europe to the Dutch government between 1715 and 1729. €795 (US $1,150). Gert Jan Bestebreurtje Rare Books may be reached at +31 (0)347-322548 or info@gertjanbestebreurtje.com. Their website is www.gertjanbestebreurtje.com.

Egodocuments, Biographies, etc., on Maritime and Colonial Exploration from Bestebreurtje Rare Books

Satirical native drawing graces front and back covers of Bestebreurtje's latest catalogue.

By Michael Stillman

We recently received the latest catalogue from Gert Jan Bestebreurtje Rare Books of the Netherlands. It carries the title Egodocuments, biographies, monographs, journals, novels, etc. on maritime and colonial history and exploration. That first word confounded us. Egodocuments? I could guess its essential meaning, but had never seen it before. A bit of research turned up that the word was created by Jacques Presser (a Dutch historian despite that very French name). If this English-sounding word has not yet made it into the English lexicon, it apparently has made it into the Dutch one. So here is the official meaning: diaries, memoirs, personal letters, and other autobiographical writing. So, now that we have learned a new word, we can proceed to take a look inside the pages of this latest Bestebreurtje catalogue.

There are almost 800 items offered. Overwhelmingly, they are inexpensive. Most are either later reprints of accounts of older travels, or more recent (though no less exciting) voyages. Occasionally, something very old will show up. Dutch is the main language, but there are still a great many in English or French. We will focus primarily on the English works as Dutch is not an intuitive language for English-speakers such as this reviewer, but there are many works in Dutch available herein.

Item 19 is one of those harrowing voyage tales from days of yore, only it happened only a few decades ago. Maurice and Maralyn Bailey, the authors, set off on a ten-day trip from Panama to the Galapagos Islands. They never quite made it, as the title informs us - 117 Days Adrift. A whale struck their boat just short of its destination, and they had to quickly transfer themselves and what they could salvage to their life raft. This is the story of their almost four months surviving on fish and turtles they hooked, and rainwater they captured. Seven ships passed them by before they were finally rescued. Priced at €20 (Euros, or approximately $29 in US dollars.

Here is another tale of a ship which went down, but under very different circumstances. This was a gunboat under the command of Dutch Lieutenant Jan Van Speijk in Antwerp on February 5, 1831. His ship was boarded that day by revolution-minded Belgians, who attempted to seize control. Van Speijk would have none of it. Being overwhelmed, he instead fired his pistol into a barrel of gunpowder, setting of an enormous explosion, destroying the ship and killing dozens of people, himself included. Van Speijk became a great Dutch hero for his courageous, or crazy, actions (depending on your point of view), but the Belgian Revolution was successful anyway. Item 382 is an 1832 biography of Van Speijk, Leven van Jan Carel Josephus van Speijk. €135 (US $195). Item 626 is an 1832 hand-colored aquatint plate of the funeral of Van Speijk along the waterfront, where he was honored as a great hero. €575 (US $834).

For those who go for illustrations, item 15 is another - an engraved portrait of Admiral George Anson from 1751. In the background are five of the ships he led on his expedition a year earlier. Anson led a privateering journey against the Spanish in South America, a terrible disaster for most of the crew other than Anson himself. All but one of the ships was lost, and most of his men died, but Anson captured a Spanish galleon loaded with riches on the way back, and he returned a wealthy man. His was only the second British circumnavigation. €195 (US $282).

Egodocuments, Biographies, etc., on Maritime and Colonial Exploration from Bestebreurtje Rare Books

One of 96 18th century diplomatic letters offered as item 539.

Here is one more work of "art." It is a satirical drawing of an exaggerated island native behind a palm tree staring at a British official making notes of some sort. We are not sure exactly what the point was in this 19th century drawing pictured on the cover of this catalogue. Item 578. €295 (US $427).

Here is another adventure of more recent variety: Desperate Voyage. This is a later edition of a book that recounts author John Caldwell's adventures at sea following the Second World War. Caldwell was a merchant marine who had married while in Australia, but then was shipped back stateside. Having no way to get back to her, he took a steamer to Panama, hoping to find transportation. None was available, so he purchased a sloop and set sail by himself. He had no experience sailing, relying on a book he brought along for on-the-spot training. Unfortunately, his boat was swamped in a hurricane and he drifted along without food or supplies for over a month and a half before landing in the Fiji Islands. He took regular transportation for the remainder of the journey to Australia. Some people think Caldwell may have embellished his account a bit, but obviously it was a most trying, though exciting, experience. €20 (US $29).

Item 539 is a collection of very old Dutch diplomatic posts. It contains 96 manuscript letters, 84 in Dutch, 12 in French, sent from various posts around Europe to the Dutch government between 1715 and 1729. €795 (US $1,150).

Gert Jan Bestebreurtje Rare Books may be reached at +31 (0)347-322548 or info@gertjanbestebreurtje.com. Their website is www.gertjanbestebreurtje.com.