Edinburgh Books has a vast range of books on many subjects. Our books are Antiquarian and Nearly New, 50p and £500, Silly and Serious.
Book Buying
We are always happy to look at quality books and libraries with a view to purchasing them and we will consider buying collections. We like: military books, Scottish books, history, literature, travel and topography, military, science, leather bindings, illustrated books, philosophy, theology, good children’s books and some more besides. We are not so keen on thrillers, romance, tatty nineteenth century copies of Sir Walter Scott, coffee table books and twentieth century encycopedias.
Online Catalogue
About 10% of our stock is listed online. To search our books, please click here.
Fiction Books
We have a well-stocked general fiction section where you can browse old classics, modern classics, some genre fiction and many other spendid novels that have come our way. We are particularly proud to have so many interesting editions: beautiful old Penguins, nicely bound hardbacks and of course books that have been loved, scuffed and are going cheap. We also have some very-nearly-new books at half the price you’ll find them in a chain bookshop.
Scottish Books
We have an entire room devoted to all things Scottish. There is Scottish fiction, history, religion, politics, nature, art, architecture, music, general and misc. Also, books about all areas of Scotland, from Orkney to Auld Reekie. There is also a knitted bagpiper and an owl.
Antiquarian
Whether you are a committed collector or a bewildered spouse looking for a present for your other half, we may be able to help. We have first editions, fine bindings, books with interesting illustrations and venerable books that have seen the rise and fall of monarchs.
History & Military Books
We have a decent military section, with a particularly good range of books on WWII. British history, social history and popular history are in separate sections. History books about Europe and the rest of the world are in the relevant geographical sections.
Classics and Ancient Civilisations
We have a good classics section which is divided into translations, alpabetically arranged, as well as books which are in Greek and Latin. We also have books on ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, and on various archaeological digs and ancient historical sites.
Round the World in Considerably More than 80 books
Europe, England and Ireland are upstairs, whilst everwhere else is down in the basement and threatening to erupt next door as well. Whether you would like an exciting book on a Himalayan explorer or a serious tome about someone executed in the French Revolution, we can help, providing you are a wee bit flexible in your specifications.
Theology Books
We have a good selection of Christian books with an emphasis on reformed theology. Also, sections on Catholicism, Church History and Eastern Orthodoxy. We also have plenty of Bibles, as well as a large selection of Scottish Church History and Theology.
Social Sciences, Philosophy, Politics
Politics and philosophy are packed against one wall, bulging with polysyllabic titles and bristling with intelligence and/or verbosity.
Science, Engineering, Law, Economics and Maths
Books range from popular and slightly silly, to highly specialised with lots of diagrams. These sections are not enormous, but we do have the largest selection of second-hand science books in Edinburgh.
Languages
Parlez-vous Français? We have a range of books in foreign languages, ranging from French to Italian and Russian. We also have a plentiful supply of phrase books in case you’d like to have a stab at ordering a beer or finding the railway station in Bulgarian.
Other
We have a range of £1 books, maps, divided cunningly into ‘Scottish’ and ‘not Scottish,’ some records priced at 50p, greetings cards priced at £2, old stamps from the Isle of Man that we got as a job lot from an auction, and some postcards. Clarence and Graham are not for sale.
Alba Musick
One basement room is rented by Alba Musick of Glasgow and is full of sheet music.
“Alba Musick deals in second-hand and antiquarian sheet music of all types together with related books. This vast collection of classical music, probably the largest in Britain, includes much of the standard repertoire and many items that are now out of print. We aim to have as much as possible of the standard repertoire for all instruments available in the shop at bargain prices. Our customers come from all over the world and include famous musicians.”
For enquiries and more information please browse: www.albamusick.co.uk.