Dent & Sons Ltd. (London, UK)
Series dates: 1928-1930
Size: 5″ x 7″
Update 2/16/2025
First issued in 1928, Dent’s Outward Bound Library was advertised as “a series of illustrated handbooks for the information and entertainment of travelers and emigrants, and their friends at home.” The non-fiction series of new titles reached eight titles (in 1930), and no more titles were published. The series was advertised for a few years after that.
Mary E. Fullerton’s The Australian Bush was the initial title published in the series (in 1928). Jackets are common to the series, printed on heavy light blue paper with a series logo and the particulars of the author and title. The series name is included on the top of the jacket spine.
The rear of the jacket provides a prospectus for the series, edited by Ashley Gibson. Titles scheduled for publication in June of 1928, July of 1928 and September of 1928 are listed. The jackets (and books) were published at the Temple Press, where Dent printed many of its Everyman’s Library series books. The rear jacket flap advertises some related titles, not in the series.
The eight titles in the series are below. Several copies of Malta and Cyprus have a 1927 date, but this seems to be the original publication year.
The Australian Bush, by Mary E. Fullerton (1928, 1930)
The New Zealanders, by Hector Bolitho (1928)
The Cities of Australia, by Kathleen Ussher (1928, 1929)
Malta and Cyprus, by Gladys Peto (1928, [1927?])
The Malay Peninsula, by Ashley Gibson (1928, 1992)
The Egypt of the Sojourner, by Gladys Peto (1928)
Ceylon, by Ashley Gibson (1929)
Canada West, by Frederick Niven (1930)
The books are of higher-than-average quality. The bindings are blue cloth with gold typography and decorations. The series name is debossed on the book spine.
The front and rear endpapers include a map of Australia.
The half-title page:
An illustration faces the decorated title page.
The copyright page does not include a date.
