If you are looking for rare or first edition biography or autobiography books look no further than Raptis Rare Books. Browse through our entire collection of rare biographies and autobiographies below, view details about individual books and contact us to ask a question or find out more information.
Showing items 20-40 of 1089
London : John Blake, 2009.
First edition of the legendary tennis champion’s biography. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth, illustrated with color photographs. Boldly signed by Rafael Nadal on the half-title page and inscribed by biographer Tom Oldfield on the title page, “To Nain, Happy Easter! Love, Tom.” Near fine in a near fine dust jacket.
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The Metropolitan Magazine : New York, 1921.
Signed limited edition of Theodore Roosevelt’s second son, Kermit Roosevelt’s, memoir of his childhood experience in the great outdoors. Octavo, original publisher’s half cloth, gilt titles to the front panel, frontispiece, illustrated. Boldly signed by the author on the second front free endpaper, “Kermit Roosevelt.” In very good condition, inscription to the front free endpaper.
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New York : Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2001.
First edition of the author’s Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the title page to fellow author Peter Matthiessen, “For Peter Thank you! with warm regards Louis Menand.” From the library of National Book Award-winning author Peter Matthiessen with his bookplate to the front free endpaper. TheContinue reading "The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America."
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London : Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, in The Poultry, 1791.
First edition, first issue of both volumes of the most celebrated biography in the English language, which was published on May 16, 1791 in a print run of only 1,750 copies. Quarto, bound in full calf, gilt titles to the spine, morocco spine labels. Frontispiece portrait of Samuel Johnson, engraved by J. Heath after the Sir Joshua ReynoldsContinue reading "The Life of Johnson."
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London : Temple Press Limited, 1961.
First edition of the racing legend’s autobiography. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated throughout. Boldly signed by Stirling Moss, who contributed the foreword. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Michael Turner. In collaboration with Marcello Giambertone.
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New York : Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1965.
First edition, second printing of Reagan’s early autobiography. Octavo, original black cloth, illustrated. Boldly signed by the author on the front free endpaper, “Best wishes Ronald Reagan.” Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design Ned Glattauer. An exceptional example.
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Surrey : Colour Library International, 1981.
First edition of this work regarding Mother Teresa. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Lengthily inscribed by Mother Teresa in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, “My dear Sisters, Let us love Jesus with undivided love and others as He loves each one of us. God bless you, M. Teresa mc, 6/7/81.” Near fineContinue reading "For the Brotherhood of Man, Under the Fatherhood of God: Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Her Missionaries of Charity & Her Co-Workers."
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New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.
First edition of the account of the year following the death of the author’s husband. Octavo, original half cloth. Boldly signed by Joan Didion on the front free endpaper. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Carol Devine Carson.
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New York : Crown Publishers, 2006.
First edition of Obama’s second book. Octavo, original boards. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “To John and Rosemary- All the best! Barack Obama.” Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket photograph by Deborah Feingold.
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New York : William Morrow and Company, 1982.
First edition of this glorious love story. Octavo, original half cloth. Boldly signed by the author on the title page. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Honi Werner. Translated by Catherine Hutter.
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London : Colburn & Co., Publishers, 1851-1852.
Exceptionally bound set of Strickland’s monumental history of the Queens of England. Octavo, 8 volumes exquisitely bound in full Oxford blue morocco with gilt titles and elaborate botanical gilt tooling with red and white onlays to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, triple gilt ruling and emblematic corner ornaments to the front andContinue reading "Lives of the Queens of England, From the Norman Conquest…Embellished with Portraits of Every Queen."
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New York : Albert and Charles Boni, Inc, 1932.
First edition of this historical account on the friendship between writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and magician Harry Houdini. Octavo, original publisher’s orange cloth, top stain green, frontispiece of Conan Doyle and Houdini. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To Oscar S. Teale With every good wish from Bernard M.L.Continue reading "Houdini and Conan Doyle."
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New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 1969.
First edition of Acheson’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning classic. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, lengthily inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, “For Adolfo Alessandrini fellow author and colleague in the field of foreign affairs, with the best wishes of Dean Acheson October 1969.” Very good in a very good dustContinue reading "Present At The Creation: My Years In The State Department."
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New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 1975.
First edition of this biography of the famous labor activist. Octavo, original cloth, photographic endpapers, illustrated with 33 pages of photographs. Presentation copy, lengthily inscribed by Chavez on the half-title page, “To Jim Dyer best personal wishes viva la causa! Cesar Chavez 2-21-76 San Antonio Mission, Calif.” Fine in a very good dust jacket. JacketContinue reading "Cesar Chavez. Autobiography of La Causa."
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New York : Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1958.
First edition of Dr. Martin Luther King’s first book. Octavo, original half cloth, illustrated. Presentation copy, lengthily inscribed by the author opposite the half-title page, “To: Marian Taylor With best wishes and warm personal regards, and in appreciation for the stimulating interview that you provided for me. Martin Luther King, Sept. 17, 1958.” Taylor, under theContinue reading "Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story."
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New York : Simon & Schuster, 2004.
First edition of Dylan’s revealing autobiography. Octavo, original half cloth. Boldly signed by Bob Dylan on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Coco Shinomiya. PSA/DNA LOA and sticker to the title page. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box by the Harcourt Bindery.
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New York : Doubleday, 2025.
First edition of “the most spectacular, hilarious, and generous autobiography of the last quarter century–or ever” (The Boston Globe). Octavo, original boards, illustrated endpapers, illustrated. Boldly signed by Margaret Atwood. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Suzanne Dean, Kelly Hill, and Emily Mahan.
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New York : Simon & Schuster, 1994.
First edition of this dual biography on the Roosevelts. Octavo, original publisher’s half-cloth, illustrated with black and white photographs. Presentation copy, lengthily inscribed by the author on the title page, “For John, ‘As long as she continued to fight for his ideals, he would continue to live,’ Doris Kearns Goodwin.” Near fine in a nearContinue reading "No Ordinary Time. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II."
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Northampton : Andrew Wright for S. & E. Butler, 1804.
Finely bound edition of this biographical account of Jonathan Edwards’ life, ministry, and theological contributions. Octodecimo, bound in full calf with gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, morocco spine labels. In very good condition with light rubbing and toning, annotations from the previous owner in the margins toContinue reading "The Life and Character of the Late Reverend, Learned, and Pious Mr. Jonathan Edwards, President of the College of New-Jersey. Together with Extracts From His Private Writings & Diary, and Also Seventeen Select Sermons on Various Important Subjects."
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New York : James H. Heineman Inc, 1991.
First American edition of this record of Usborne’s involvement with the unmatched comedic novelist P.G. Wodehouse. Octavo, original boards. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper to his publisher, James Heineman, in the year of publication. Additionally signed by Usborne on the title page above his printed name which has beenContinue reading "After Hours with P.G. Wodehouse."
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Biography and Autobiography
Biography and Autobiography
Biography and Autobiography
Biography and Autobiography
Biography and Autobiography
Biography and Autobiography
