Underwater Archaeology

Blot, Jean-Yves, Underwater Archaeology: Exploring The World Beneath The Sea, London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1996, pp176 inc. illustrations.

This is a small paperback with many colorful photographs and illustrations about raising treasures from the waters. I'd bought this book in 1997 from the Kinokuniya bookstore situated in Ngee Ann City at Orchard Road.

archaeology
books

Shipwrecks & Sunken Treasure

Wells, Tony, Shipwrecks & Sunken Treasure in Southeast Asia, Singapore: Times Editions Pte Ltd, 1995, pp159 inc illustrations. Paperback. New.

This is a great paperback that was published and printed in Singapore. I was fortunate enough to buy an autographed book at Times The Bookshop downtown on the day it was released for sale.

archaeology
books

Sea Tragedy and Sunken Treasure

Horner, Dave, Shipwreck: A Saga of Sea Tragedy and Sunken Treasure, New York: ibooks, 2002, pp295 inc illustrations. Paperback. Nice used.

Here's another sea adventure paperback that I'd bought from Romie just a few years ago. This book is about a modern-day exploration and salvage of sunken treasure from a Spanish galleon.

archaeology
books

Goldfinder, Discovery of Untold Riches

Jessop, Keith, Goldfinder: The True Story of One Man's Discovery of the Ocean's Richest Secrets, London: Pocket Books, 1999, pp420 (text), pp24 (b/w & color photos). Paperback. As good as new.

Occasionally, Romie sells a few sea adventure paperbacks like this title, and it's great reading material for an armchair adventurer like me.

archaeology
books

Ship of Gold, read by Bruce Davison

Kinder, Gary, Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea, New York: Random House Audio Publishing, 1998. Audiobook, 4 audio cassettes, 5 hours.

This pack of audiocassettes was bought from the online superstore called Amazon.com in January 2004, about a year before I'd bought the paperback of the same title from Romie. Sometimes it is fun to hear someone reads a book to you.

archaeology
books

Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea

Kinder, Gary, Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea, New York: The Atlantic Monthly Press, 1998, pp507. Large paperback. As good as new.

This is a large paperback that I'd bought from Romie sometime at the end of 2004 or the beginning of 2005. A year or two before that, I'd noticed a paperback of the same title on the bookshelf but I didn't buy it 'coz its front cover was a little tattered.

I guess a little patience in waiting helps in searching for another used book of better condition.

archaeology
books

Stalin's Silver

Beasant, John, Stalin's Silver, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1996, pp216 (text), pp8 (b/w photos). Paperback. Nice used.

The back cover of this paperback proclaims the true story told in this book as "One of the enduring and compelling mysteries of the Second World War." It decribes a high-tech salvage of $380 million in silver from a shipwreck in the Arabian Sea.

This interesting paperback was bought some years ago from Romie, who runs Books Galore downtown at Scotts Road.

books
history

A Conspiracy to Steal Billions

Bower, Tom, Nazi Gold, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997, pp381 (text), pp16 (b/w photos). Dust-jacket. New. Bought in the late 1990s from Borders Singapore bookstore situated in Wheelock Place at Orchard Road, this is a hardcover book that talks about gold bullion and other treasures looted by Nazi Germany. books history

A Dreadful Scratch on the Dustjacket

Ian Sayer and Douglas Botting, Nazi Gold: The Story of the World's Greatest Robbery and Its Aftermath, First American Edition, New York: Congdon & Weed, Inc: 1984, pp423. Out-of-Print. Dustjacket. As Good As New. I'd bought this large hardback from the online store amazon.com in 1999 for a high price of $63.54 (US$36.94), including shipping and handling. But I was not told before my purchase that its dustjacket has got a dreadful scratch across the title. You can see that scratch clearly in my second photograph. I like to think that scratch was not done on purpose by any of the packing staff. amazon.com books history

Paperback Imported and Sold

Ian Sayer and Douglas Botting, Nazi Gold, First Black Cat Edition, New York: Grove Press, Inc., 1986, pp544. Nice used. SOLD!

This thick paperback was bought from the online superstore called Amazon.com in 1999 for a hefty price of US$13.94 (including airmail postage) and it was sold to a bidder at Yahoo! Auctions Singapore in December 2005.

amazon.com
books
history

The Solid Gold Buddha

Canaway, W.H., The Solid Gold Buddha, London: Futura Publications Limited, 1979, pp216. Nice used.

This is a fiction thriller paperback that I'd bought from Romie some years ago and I ain't sure if I'd done reading the last part of the book.

books
fiction
Thailand

The Tribunal, War Fiction Paperback

Burk, Michael, The Tribunal, London: Coronet Books, 1978, pp288. Nice used.

Romie sells many war fiction paperbacks in his bookshop, Books Galore. Although I seldom buy novels or fiction paperbacks but once in a while, I would buy a good one like this 'coz this is worthwhile to read.

books
fiction

CHÉ GUEVARA, Hardback, Rare Book

THE COMPLETE BOLIVIAN DIARIES OF CHÉ GUEVARA AND OTHER CAPTURED DOCUMENTS, edited by Daniel James, First Edition, New York: Stein and Day, 1968, pp330 (text), 32 pages of monochrome photographs. Dust-jacket. Nice used.

Bought in the mid-1990s from a former bookshop at Coleman Street, this is one of my favorite hardcover books. ¡Vidas de Ché!

Bolivia
books
history

Kuwait Journey, Hardcover Book

Daniels, John, Kuwait Journey, Luton, UK: White Crescent Press Ltd, 1971, pp190 (text), pp24 (b/w photos). Dust-jacket. Nice used.

Here's a great hardcover book about travel that I'd bought from Romie sometime in the mid-1990s when he was then running Sultana Bookstore at Selegie Road.

books
Kuwait
travel

A Search Through Portugal

Proper, Datus C., The Last Old Place: A Search Through Portugal, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992, pp254. Dust-jacket. As good as new.

On December 12, I'd dropped into Romie's bookshop Books Galore and bought this interesting book about travel. Romie sells several travel books and I think this book was placed onto his bookshelf only quite recently.

books
Portugal
travel

Romie, Proprietor of Books Galore

BOOKS GALORE
14 Scotts Road,
#05-107,
Far East Plaza,
Singapore 228213.

Sole Proprietor: Romie (top photo).
Telephone Numbers: 67328773 and 93852696.

Check out my friend's bookshop selling mostly second-hand (used) books like Fiction (Novels), Non-Fiction (Self-Help, Inspirational, Motivational, Business, Hobbies, Fashion, General), Children's Books, Comics, and Imported Magazines.

Best bookshop downtown selling and renting used books. No regrets walking into Romie's bookshop 'coz I've been buying used books and magazines from Romie since 1991.

This is the man who has been selling books since the good old school days at Bras Basah Road. He will gladly answer all your questions about books.

books
Singapore

The Almighty Dollar Bill

Golday, Adrienne, The Almighty Dollar Bill: Journey To Riches, First Edition, Los Angeles: Wisdom Book Publishers, 1985, pp60 inc color illustrations.

Bought in the mid-1990s from Romie who runs Books Galore at Scotts Road, this out-of-print hardcover book was autographed by its author in 1986. It has easy-to-read large prints on its pages. The pages, prints, and illustrations are clean and neat. Nice front & back covers. Nice colorful dust-jacket. Good quality paper. Nice used.

banknotes
books

Standard Catalog of World Paper Money

Pick, Albert, Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, General Issues, Volume Two, 5th Edition, Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1986, pp1088 inc black & white illustrations.

This out-of-print heavy hardcover giant catalog weighs about 2.2 kilograms and it is a wonderful reference catalog for the serious collector of paper money. I bought it in 1987 for US$43.00 -- the currency exchange rate at that time was US$1.00 to about S$2.00 -- and had it shipped via surface mail for US$3.66.

I guess when I am almost done selling my banknotes, I would like to offer this catalog at a reasonable price to any serious collector who appreciates the pleasure of owning a nice reference guide book like this. So please watch this space and don't go too far away.

banknotes
books

Collecting Paper Money and Bonds

Colin Narbeth, Robin Hendy and Christopher Stocker, Collecting Paper Money and Bonds, London: Studio Vista, 1979, pp119 inc illustrations.

Bought new at a high price from a bookshop downtown in 1980, this is quite a large hardcover book about notaphily and scripophily, that is simply the collecting of paper money (banknotes) and bonds.

In those early years in Singapore, most of the collectors of numismatic items were into coins rather than into paper money, and they wouldn't give much attention to this kind of book.

banknotes
books

Guide to Grading of Coins and Banknotes

Singh, Saran, Pictorial Guide to Grading of Malaysian Coins and Bank Notes, First Edition, Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia Numismatic Society, 1978, pp143 inc illustrations. Dust-jacket. As good as new. SOLD!

Bought in 1980 at a price of S$15.00 from MPH Bookshop at Stamford Road, this is an extremely useful and informative guide book about the grading of banknotes and coins. So far, I haven't come across any used copy of this title for sale in any of our local second-hand (used) bookstores. By the way, this book was sold to a bidder at Yahoo! Auctions Singapore in September 2005.

For your information, I had a chance to meet the author, a very knowledgeable numismatist who was then the Honorary Secretary of MNS, at a souvenir shop in Lucky Plaza at Orchard Road in September 1980. We shook hands and talked about coin and paper money collecting for about 15 minutes.

books
Malaysia
Singapore

Best Catalog on Coins of Malaysia and Singapore

Singh, Saran, The Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (1400-1986), First Edition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysia Numismatic Society, 1986, pp675 (inc illustrations) and pp58 (price guide). Sold!

In my opinion, this large hardcover book is the most authoritative and comprehensive catalog written about the coins of Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore. I'd bought this book in the late 1980s from a good friend who'd used to run a numismatic shop downtown.

In September of 1980, before this catalog was published, I had a chance to meet the author, a very knowledgeable numismatist who was then the Honorary Secretary of Malaysia Numismatic Society, at a coin shop inside Lucky Plaza at Orchard Road. We shook hands and talked about coin and paper money collecting for about 30 minutes.

books
Malaysia
Singapore

Lost Book Found and Bought

Schwarz, Ted, Coins as Living History, New York: Arco Publishing Company, 1976, pp224 inc illustrations. A good friend of mine had borrowed this nice and neat book about coin collecting in 1980 from the former National Library at Stamford Road, but he'd misplaced it somewhere in his home (a big house) after reading it for a week. He'd declared the misplacement as book lost to the library staff and paid the full price amounting to about S$30 as compensation to the library. Some months later, he'd found this book tucked away somewhere in his home. Sometime in the late 1980s, my good friend had shown this interesting book to me and I'd asked him to sell it to me. He'd told me the story about this book and I'd gladly paid him for what he'd paid to the library. books library Singapore

Two Old Books Discarded by NLB

Bliss, Dorothy E., Shrimps, Lobsters and Crabs: Their Fascinating Life Story, New Jersey: New Century Publishers, 1982, pp242 inc illustrations.

Gale, Bruce, Musa Hitam: A Political Biography, Malaysia: Eastern Universities Press (M) Sdn Bhd, 1982, pp290 inc b/w photos.

You're looking at two old but readable hardcover books discarded by the National Library Board many years ago. I recall the NLB's first time ever cheap sale of a huge lot of discarded books inside the compound of its Bukit Merah branch library, and I'd bought these two books at a give-away price. The dust-jackets and the pages of these two books are quite nice and neat.

books
library
Singapore

Were these books discarded, lost, or hidden?

That image above isn't that of a book but an old postcard showing the demolished National Library at Stamford Road.

In the early 1990s, I'd read an interesting book (Goldstein, Joshua S., Long Cycles: Prosperity and War in the Modern Age, Yale University Press, 1988, pp384) at the reference section of the National Library and it had a catalog number R338.542GOL. Lately, I've tried to search for this book to read it again, but it isn't there in the new building. Does the National Library Board discard away a good academic book like this?

Again in the early 1990s, I'd used the old catalog index card system and found an interesting title (Moss, William Stanley, Gold is Where You Hide It: What Happened to the Reichbank Treasure, London: Andre Deutsch, 1956) but the book, which had a catalog number 332.41MOS, was nowhere to be found on the bookshelf at that time.

My search using the then newly-installed computerized Octopac system had revealed two catalog numbers, CL-332.41MOS and BM-332.41MOS, available for lending. That would mean that there were two books of the same title, one located at the Central Lending section of the National Library at Stamford Road, and the other at the Bukit Merah branch library. Needless to say, both these books of the same title could not be found, presumably lost, I would guess. Or had anyone been hiding them?

books
library
Singapore

A Nice Discarded Hardcover Book

Fisher, Charles A., Three Times A Guest: Recollections of Japan and the Japanese, 1942-1969, London: Cassell Ltd, 1979, pp272 (text), pp8 (b/w photos). Dust-jacket. Nice used.

Once in awhile, Romie is able to get a few old books discarded by the National Library Board. I'd bought one such book from Romie some years ago. It's really a nice used one 'coz it has the lending card and date due leaflet still intact. This book had only been borrowed twice in 1981 and that's why its dust-jacket and pages are nice and neat, almost like new.

books
Japan
Singapore

Romie's Bookshop Downtown Singapore

BOOKS GALORE
14 Scotts Road,
#05-107,
Far East Plaza,
Singapore 228213.

Sole Proprietor: Romie (left).

Telephone Numbers: 67328773 and 93852696.

Check out my friend's bookshop selling mostly second-hand (used) books like Fiction (Novels), Non-Fiction (Business, Self-Help, Inspirational, Motivational, Fashion, General), Children's Books, Comics, and Imported Magazines.

Best bookshop downtown selling and renting used books. No regrets walking into Romie's bookshop 'coz I've been buying used books and magazines from Romie since 1991. This is the man who has been selling books since the good old school days at Bras Basah Road. He will gladly answer all your questions about books. Have a nice day.

books
Singapore

Hidden Values in Coins

Hobson, Burton, Hidden Values in Coins, London: Oak Tree Press Ltd, 1966, pp124 inc illustrations. Dustjacket. Nice used.

This interesting book is perhaps the first book about coins that I'd ever bought. Though it has an ink stampmark of Educational Book Emporium formerly situated at Bras Basah Road, but then I'd bought it as a nice used book in 1976 from Ensign Bookstore at High Street.

books
coins

Gold Coins of the World, Large Reference Book

Friedberg, Robert, GOLD COINS OF THE WORLD, 5th Edition, New York: The Coin and Currency Institute, Inc., 1980, pp484. Hardcover. Dustjacket. Nice used.

This large hardback reference book was bought from a local numismatic dealer in 1980 for a pricey sum of S$70.00. It was then sold in the mid-1980s to a good friend, but I'd bought back this book from this friend after eight years.

books
coins
gold

The World of Gold

Green, Timothy, The World of Gold: The Inside Story of Who Mines, Who Markets, Who Buys Gold, London: Rosendale Press, 1993, pp388.

When a classic book on gold like this hit the bookshelf in Times The Bookshop at Orchard Road at the beginning of the year 1994, I'd just gotta buy this book rightaway and read it.

books
gold

World Gold Deposits

Bache, J.J., World Gold Deposits: A Geological Classification, Translated from the French by J. Wanklyn, London: North Oxford Academic Publishers Ltd, 1987, pp179. Dust-jacket. New.

It wasn't everyday that I could come across any hardback of academic material about gold like this. Thus when I'd chanced upon this book in 1990 while browsing for books inside Times The Bookshop at Orchard Road, I'd simply bought it without much hesitation.

books
gold

The Power of Gold

Bernstein, Peter L., The Power of Gold: The History of An Obsession, New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2000, pp432.

This is one book that you may want to read it for the second time after reading it once. Is reading this book twice an obsession?

books
gold

The Lost Treasures of Troy

Moorehead, Caroline, The Lost Treasures of Troy, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1994, pp306 (text), pp16 (b/w illustrations). Dust-jacket. As good as new.

This hardback was as good as new when I'd bought it about five years ago from Romie who runs a bookshop, called Books Galore, in Far East Plaza at Scotts Road.

archaeology
books

The Gold of Troy

Payne, Robert, The Gold of Troy: The Story of Heinrich Schliemann and the Buried Cities of Ancient Greece, New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1959, pp273 (text), pp16 (b/w photos). Dust-jacket slightly torn. Nice used.

Bought from that bookshop formerly situated in The Adelphi at Coleman Street, this is a nice used hardback and it's easy to read and understand.

archaeology
books
gold

Lost pages in a book entitled Lost Cities

Cottrell, Leonard, Lost Cities, New York: Rinehart & Company, 1957, pp251 (text), pp24 (b/w photos). Dust-jacket. Nice used. Missing pages pp1~30.

This is a nice used hardback that I'd bought about 12 years ago from a bookshop formerly situated in The Adelphi at Coleman Street. This book has its copyright page, content page, and pages 1 to 30 ripped off but the shop proprietor sold it to me cheaply and so I ain't complaining about those missing pages.

Will 30 lost pages make any difference when you're reading a book entitled Lost Cities? You'll be more lost after reading it.

archaeology
books

The Existence of the Holy Grail

Phillips, Graham, The Search for The Grail, London: Century, 1995, pp182 (text), pp8 (b/w photos). Dust-jacket. Nice used.

The caption at the lower end of the front of the dustjacket says about the "Astonishing new proof of the existence of the Grail in Britain." This is a modern-day quest based on new evidence for the existence of the sacred cup that initiated a twentieth-century search for the Holy Grail.

archaeology
books
Holy Grail

Lost Secrets Discovered

Gardner, Laurence, Lost Secrets of The Sacred Ark: Amazing Revelations of The Incredible Power of Gold, London: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2003, pp395. Dust-jacket. New.

The secret of the Ark of The Covenant is as compelling a mystery as the quest for the Holy Grail. What is it? Why is it? And, indeed, where is it? All these are good questions listed at the top of the back cover of this book. The secrets of the Ark of the Covenant and the anti-gravitational power of gold are revealed in this book.

archaeology
books
gold

The Exodus and Mount Sinai

Blum, Howard, The Gold of Exodus: The Discovery of The True Mount Sinai, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998, pp365. Dust-jacket. New.

Where is Mount Sinai? Did the Exodus really take place? Is the Bible a work of history, or simply literature? These are the questions asked at the back cover of this new hardback.

I'd bought this book in 2003 from the large bookstore, Kinokuniya, in Liang Court Complex at River Valley Road, just a week or two before it closed down.

archaeology
books

More Secrets and Mysteries Revealed

Phillips, Graham, Act of God: Moses, Tutankhamun and The Myth of Atlantis, London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1998, pp358 (text), pp24 (b/w illustrations). Dust-jacket. As Good as New.

This kind of serious stuff is getting exciting. "A 3,000 Year Old Mystery" is stated as a caption at the top of the dust-jacket of this hardback. This interesting book was bought in 2001 from Sultana Bookstore at Selegie Road, sometime after Romie had quit running that bookshop. I don't recall this book was part of the inventory left behind 'coz otherwise I would have noticed it and bought it very much earlier.

archaeology
books

Pyramid Secrets and Mysteries Revealed

Smyth, Piazzi, The Great Pyramid: Its Secrets and Mysteries Revealed, New York: Bell Publishing Company, 1978, pp675, over 40 illustrations. Dust-jacket. As Good as New.

This is heavyweight stuff for your bookshelf and serious stuff for your reading. Once in a while, when I could come across a great hardback like this selling for a reasonable price in any used bookshop, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. This book was bought slightly more than 10 years ago from a bookshop at Coleman Street.

archaeology
books

Stonehenge, Prehistoric Man, and the Cosmos

North, John, Stonehenge: A New Interpretation of Prehistoric Man and the Cosmos, New York: The Free Press, 1996, pp607 (text), pp24 (b/w photos). Dust-jacket. As good as new.

I've dropped by Romie's bookshop, Books Galore, yesterday afternoon and decided to buy this heavy hardcover book from Romie. I'm quite sure that I'd seen this book in one of the bookshelves about a year ago, but it had disappeared for all the while and then re-appeared yesterday just in time for me to buy it. How do I interpret this?

The interpretation in this book is serious academic stuff and I ain't sure I'll absorb all this stuff when I am done reading this book. In the meanwhile, I hope this book will not disappear from my bookshelf at home.

archaeology
books
Stonehenge

Trading in Oil Futures, Hardback, Rare Book

Clubley, Sally, Trading in Oil Futures, Second Edition, Cambridge, UK: Woodhead-Faulkner Limited, 1990, pp129.

I bought this readable hardback about 10 years ago from a bookshop formerly situated in The Adelphi at Coleman Street. Having seen crude oil prices hitting record high lately this year, I guess this book was written well ahead of its time.

books
crude oil

Expert Practical Advice you could use

Sarnoff, Paul, Trading in Financial Futures, Cambridge, UK: Woodhead-Faulkner Limited, 1986, pp134.

This is one book that I'd bought about 10 years ago from an obscure bookshop I can't recall its whereabout.

That interesting caption written on the top of the dust-jacket says "Expert practical advice on how to make profitable use of the financial futures markets" but I doubt I could ever make use of that practical advice, having read this book once since I'd bought it.

books
investments