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Biography and Autobiography

Rare Biography & Autobiography Books for Sale Online

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 80-100 of 1089

Reiss, Johanna

The Upstairs Room.

New York : Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1972.

First edition, early printing of this poignant autobiographical novel that recounts the author’s experiences as a Jewish child. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To Corrie with best wishes. Joanna Reiss June 27 ’73 Las Vegas.” Very good in a very good dust jacket. Bookplate to theContinue reading "The Upstairs Room."

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$300.00
Item Number: RRB-150561

Dickens, Charles

Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi. Edited by “Boz.”

London : Richard Bentley, 1838.

First edition of Dickens’ popular retelling of the memoirs of celebrated English clown Joseph Grimaldi. Octavo, two volumes bound in full polished calf by Root with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, gilt titles and tooling to the spin in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt rulings to the panels, gilt turn-ins andContinue reading "Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi. Edited by “Boz.”"

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$2,500.00
Item Number: RRB-148217

Gorbachev, Mikhail [Lech Walesa]

Memoirs.

New York : Doubleday, 1996.

First edition of Gorbachev’s autobiography. Octavo, original half cloth, illustrated. Boldly signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and additionally signed by Lech Walesa on the title page. Lech Wałęsa is a Polish labor leader and statesman who co-founded Solidarity, the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc, which became a driving force in the struggle againstContinue reading "Memoirs."

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$2,800.00
Item Number: RRB-150442

Herzl, Theodor. Translated by Lotta Levensohn. Preface by Stephen S. Wise [David Ben-Gurion]

Old-New Land [“Altneuland”].

New York : Bloch Publishing Co, 1941.

First edition in English of Herzl’s classic work. Octavo, original cloth. A gifted copy accompanied by a slip from the first prime minister of the State of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, laid in, “With Compliments from D. Ben-Gurion.” David Ben-Gurion (1886–1973) and Theodor Herzl (1860–1904) were two of the most significant figures in the history ofContinue reading "Old-New Land [“Altneuland”]."

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$4,000.00
Item Number: RRB-149223

Einstein, Albert

Albert Einstein: Philosopher-Scientist.

Evanston : The Library of Living Philosophers, Inc, 1949.

Signed limited edition of Einstein’s singular autobiography. Octavo, original brown cloth, top edge gilt, frontispiece, illustrated throughout. One of 760 numbered copies signed and dated “Albert Einstein ‘49”, this is number 225. In fine condition. Housed in the original slipcase which is in near fine condition. Edited by Paul Arthur Schilpp. Frontispiece portrait of EinsteinContinue reading "Albert Einstein: Philosopher-Scientist."

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$14,800.00
Item Number: RRB-149307

Branch, Taylor

America in the King Years Trilogy: Parting the Waters 1954-63; Pillar of Fire 1963-65; At Canaan’s Edge 1965-68.

New York : Simon and Schuster, 1988-2006.

First editions of the author’s epic trilogy on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American Civil Rights Movement. Octavo, 3 volumes, original publisher’s half cloth, illustrated with black and white photographs. Parting the Waters is a presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the third free endpaper, “For Jack and Alice Bass, Thanks for theContinue reading "America in the King Years Trilogy: Parting the Waters 1954-63; Pillar of Fire 1963-65; At Canaan’s Edge 1965-68."

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$750.00
Item Number: RRB-149279

Wozniak, Steve

iWoz.

New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 2006.

First edition, early printing of this work which “traces the life and times of a brilliant, gifted…individual whose contributions to the scientific, business and cultural realms are extensive” (Bookpage). Octavo, original half cloth, illustrated with black and white photographs. Presentation copy, inscribed by Steve Wozniak on the title page, “To Cindy Woz.” Fine in aContinue reading "iWoz."

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$450.00
Item Number: RRB-149297

Clark, Jim [Stirling Moss]

Jim Clark At The Wheel: The World Motor Racing Champion’s Own Story.

London : Arthur Barker Limited, 1964.

First edition of the racing legend’s autobiography. Octavo, original publisher’s green cloth, top stain blue, illustrated with black and white photographs. Signed by Stirling Moss on the front free endpaper. Sir Stirling Moss was a British former Formula One racing driver. An inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, he won 212 of theContinue reading "Jim Clark At The Wheel: The World Motor Racing Champion’s Own Story."

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$475.00
Item Number: RRB-149315

Roosevelt, Theodore

Through the Brazilian Wilderness.

New York : Charles Scribners Sons, 1914.

First edition of this classic adventure taken by Theodore Roosevelt. Octavo, original cloth with gilt titles to the spine and front panel, top edge gilt, tissue-guarded frontispiece. Illustrated from photographs taken by Kermit Roosevelt and other members of the expedition, and with 3 maps, including 1 folding in the rear. Presentation copy, warmly inscribed by the authorContinue reading "Through the Brazilian Wilderness."

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$6,000.00
Item Number: RRB-149263

Benson, Arthur Christopher [John Maynard Keynes] [J.M.]

The Leaves of the Tree: Studies in Biography.

London : Smith, Elder, & Co, 1911.

First edition of this work on the challenges of writing biography. Octavo, bound in full synthetic leather with gilt titles to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands. Association copy, inscribed twice by John Maynard Keynes to his mother Florence Ada Keynes, once on the title page without the date and once onContinue reading "The Leaves of the Tree: Studies in Biography."

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$4,800.00
Item Number: RRB-149266

Churchill, Winston S

My Early Life; Thoughts and Adventures; Great Contemporaries; Step by Step.

London : Odhams Press Limited, 1936-1939.

First Odhams press edition of four of Churchill’s best-known works. Octavo, 4 volumes, original cloth with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, illustrated. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page in My Early Life, “To E.T. Vassallo from Winston S. Churchill, 1948. ” With a typed letter signed by Nina Edith Sturdee, Churchill‘s privateContinue reading "My Early Life; Thoughts and Adventures; Great Contemporaries; Step by Step."

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$15,000.00
Item Number: RRB-150502

Smith, James Edward; Edited by Lady Smith

Memoir and Correspondence of the Late Sir James Edward Smith, M.D.

London : Printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, 1832.

First edition of this comprehensive biographical portrait of one of Britain’s most influential botanists and founders of the Linnean Society, compiled by his widow Pleasance Smith. Octavo, two volumes, bound in half-cloth with paper titles to the spine. In near fine condition. Edited by Lady Smith.

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$375.00
Item Number: RRB-149484

Lennon, John

In His Own Write.

London : Jonathan Cape, 1964.

First edition of Lennon’s first book. Octavo, original laminated pictorial boards. Introduction by Paul McCartney. Boldly signed by John Lennon on the front free endpaper. In fine condition. Designed by Robert Freeman. Rare and desirable in this condition and signed by Lennon.

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$11,800.00
Item Number: RRB-149253

Acheson, Dean

Present At The Creation: My Years In The State Department.

New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 1969.

First edition of Acheson’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning classic. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, “For Vera and Reed Rolfo with the best wishes of Dean Acheson October 1969.” Fine in a near fine dust jacket with light shelfwear. Jacket design by Miriam Woods. PhotographContinue reading "Present At The Creation: My Years In The State Department."

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$1,250.00
Item Number: RRB-150469

[Napoleon Bonaparte]. Emil Ludwig. Translated by Eden and Cedar Paul

Napoleon. [Cosway Binding].

London : George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., 1927.

Elaborately bound Cosway style first edition in English of Emil Ludwig’s biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Octavo, bound by Bayntun-Riviere in full Cosway style scarlet morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, inset ivorene hand-painted portrait of Napoleon depicting him with medals to the front panel, giltContinue reading "Napoleon. [Cosway Binding]."

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$7,500.00
Item Number: RRB-150488
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