Rare Maps 
Rare Atlases 
Rare Books 
Rare Prints 
Globes and Planetaria Sign up to hear about our latest acquisitions, exhibitions and events
Find Us
New York
PO Box 329, Larchmont, NY, USA
Opening hours, London Gallery
Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 18:00
Saturday: by appointment
Closed: all bank holidays and 1-31 August
Opening hours, New York
By appointment only
Opening hours
"But first they must catch you; digger, listener, runner, Prince with the swift warning"
Watership Down.
- Author: ADAMS, Richard; and HEMMETT, Marilyn
- Publication place: London,
- Publisher: Rex Collings,
- Publication date: 1972.
- Physical description: First Edition. Octavo (215 by 135mm), viii, 414pp, folding map at rear, publisher's brown cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine, dust jacket in near fine condition with just a couple of small closed tears to the extremities.
Issue: The publisher's printed price of £3.50 net is present to the front flap. - Inventory reference: 22215
Notes
Richard Adams's immigration parable, 'Watership Down', centring on anthropomorphic bunnies and their adventures in north Hampshire.
The Book
"All the world will be your enemy, Prince of a Thousand enemies. And when they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you; digger, listener, runner, Prince with the swift warning. Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed".
The above prophecy, foretelling the destruction of the warren, leads the rabbits to abandon all and emigrate. Crossing the River Enborne, and seeking a new home, Bigwig, Hazel, Fiver et al's journey is fraught with challenges, including various wild animals, a shotgun, a car, and a military dictatorship.
The story is Richard Adams's debut novel, and began life as stories told to his young daughters Juliet and Rosamund during long car journeys. In his autobiography, 'The Day Gone By', Adams wrote that he based 'Watership Down' and the stories in it on his experiences during Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem, in 1944.
'Watership Down' was rejected by several publishers before being accepted by Collings. It then when on to win both the Carnegie Medal and Guardian Prize, as well as other book awards. The novel was adapted into an animated feature film in 1978 and, from 1999 to 2001, an animated children's television series.
The Map
The map is by cartographer Marliyn Hemmett, and is orientated with north at the left. It extends east to west to south from Kingsclere to Whitchurch, and north to south from Sandleford Park to Overton. It has a familiar 'Ordnance Survey' feel to it, but with added grid lines. The map shows various toponyms from the book, including the ancient Harroway where Efrafa is located at the "crossing point of two bridle paths", Nuthangar Farm, Watership Down and Hampshire's famous River Test chalk stream where the rabbits made their way to safety on a raft.
The Book
"All the world will be your enemy, Prince of a Thousand enemies. And when they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you; digger, listener, runner, Prince with the swift warning. Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed".
The above prophecy, foretelling the destruction of the warren, leads the rabbits to abandon all and emigrate. Crossing the River Enborne, and seeking a new home, Bigwig, Hazel, Fiver et al's journey is fraught with challenges, including various wild animals, a shotgun, a car, and a military dictatorship.
The story is Richard Adams's debut novel, and began life as stories told to his young daughters Juliet and Rosamund during long car journeys. In his autobiography, 'The Day Gone By', Adams wrote that he based 'Watership Down' and the stories in it on his experiences during Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem, in 1944.
'Watership Down' was rejected by several publishers before being accepted by Collings. It then when on to win both the Carnegie Medal and Guardian Prize, as well as other book awards. The novel was adapted into an animated feature film in 1978 and, from 1999 to 2001, an animated children's television series.
The Map
The map is by cartographer Marliyn Hemmett, and is orientated with north at the left. It extends east to west to south from Kingsclere to Whitchurch, and north to south from Sandleford Park to Overton. It has a familiar 'Ordnance Survey' feel to it, but with added grid lines. The map shows various toponyms from the book, including the ancient Harroway where Efrafa is located at the "crossing point of two bridle paths", Nuthangar Farm, Watership Down and Hampshire's famous River Test chalk stream where the rabbits made their way to safety on a raft.
Image gallery
/
Sign up to hear about our latest acquisitions, exhibitions and events
Find Us
New York
PO Box 329, Larchmont, NY, USA
Opening hours, London Gallery
Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 18:00
Saturday: by appointment
Closed: all bank holidays and 1-31 August
Opening hours, New York
By appointment only