History, Law, and Politics

Slocum, Joshua

Voyage of the Liberdade.

Boston : Press of Robinson & Stephenson, 1890.

First edition of Slocum’s account of his fifty-five days at sea with his wife and sons aboard the 35-foot junk-rig The Liberdade. Small octavo, original cloth with gilt title to the front panel, patterned endpapers. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To Mr. Don C Seitz Brooklyn Eagle with complimentsContinue reading "Voyage of the Liberdade."

Gagarin, Yuri; Gherman Titov

Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov Signed Postcard.

[Soviet Union] c. 1961.

Rare Soviet postcard featuring a colorized portrait of Yuri Gagarin to the right and Gherman Titov to the left wearing their military uniforms without caps while looking at a newspaper. Boldly signed by cosmonauts Gagarin and Titov beside their respective images. Additionally inscribed by Gagarin in Cyrillic along the upper margin, translated it reads, “ToContinue reading "Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov Signed Postcard."

Stephens, Alexander. Edited by Frank Moore

Cornerstone Speech. IN: The Rebellion Record: A Diary of American Events, with Documents, Narratives, Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, Etc.

New York : G. P. Putnam, 1861.

Rare first printing in book form of Stephens’ extemporaneous March 21, 1861 Cornerstone Speech delivered in Savannah shortly before Fort Sumter, published the same year, presenting a reporter’s transcription from a Savannah newspaper, with Stephens calling the U.S. Constitution “a compact built on sand” and declaring the Confederate Constitution a “cornerstone” that rests on “theContinue reading "Cornerstone Speech. IN: The Rebellion Record: A Diary of American Events, with Documents, Narratives, Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, Etc."

Shapiro, David L. [Ruth Bader Ginsburg]

Indiana Law Journal; Supplemental Jurisdiction: A Confession, an Avoidance, and a Proposal.

Indiana University School of Law/Bloomington : Indiana Law Journal, 1998.

Original Winter 1998 offprint of the Indiana Law Journal containing David L. Shapiro’s Supplemental Jurisdiction: A Confession, an Avoidance, and a Proposal. Octavo, original wrappers, Indiana Law Journal Volume 74, Number 1, Winter 1998. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front wrapper, “Ruth – As my contribution to a Symposium, a war storyContinue reading "Indiana Law Journal; Supplemental Jurisdiction: A Confession, an Avoidance, and a Proposal."

Malkiel, Burton G

A Random Walk Down Wall Street.

New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 1973.

First edition of this Wall Street classic. Octavo, original cloth. Lengthily signed by the author on the front free endpaper with a transcription from the book as follows, “I will take you on a random walk down Wall Street. Burt Malkiel.” Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Jay J. Smith. AnContinue reading "A Random Walk Down Wall Street."

House of Commons

An Abstract of the Evidence Delivered Before a Select Committee of the House of Commons in the Years 1790, and 1791; On the Part of the Petitioners for the Abolition of the Slave-Trade.

London : Printed by James Phillips, George Yard, 1791.

Rare first edition of eye-witness testimony on the horrors of the British slave trade, containing for the first time in book form the famous large folding wood-engraving of slaves packed onto the decks of the slave-ship Brookes, intended as a gruesome test of the “humane” Dolben Bill of 1788. Octavo, contemporary full diced polished brownContinue reading "An Abstract of the Evidence Delivered Before a Select Committee of the House of Commons in the Years 1790, and 1791; On the Part of the Petitioners for the Abolition of the Slave-Trade."

Freeman, Douglas Southall

R.E. Lee: A Biography.

New York : Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934-1951.

First editions of the first two volumes of Douglas Southall Freeman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Robert E. Lee. Octavo, four volumes, original publisher’s cloth, top stain red to volumes 3 and 4, illustrated. A mixed set, the first two volumes are first printings from 1934 with “A” on copyright page, while volumes 3 & 4Continue reading "R.E. Lee: A Biography."

Tesla, Nikola

Nikola Tesla Autograph Letter Signed.

1904.

Rare autograph letter signed by and entirely in the hand of brilliant inventor, Nikola Tesla. Duodecimo, on personal monogram letterhead, dated November 16, 1904. The letter reads in full, “My dear Prof. Osborn, Please accept and transmit to all of your family my warm felicitations. Looking to the pleasure of personal acquaintance Yours sincerely, N.Continue reading "Nikola Tesla Autograph Letter Signed."

Walesa, Lech

A Way of Hope: An Autobiography.

New York : Henry Holt and Company, 1987.

First edition of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning leader’s autobiography. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Boldly signed by Lech Walesa on the front free endpaper. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

Taylor, Telford

The Breaking Wave: The Second World War in the Summer of 1940.

New York : Simon and Schuster, 1967.

First edition of this historical work told from the German perspective on the critical turning point of WWII when a victorious Germany failed to defeat Great Britain. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth with a facsimile Telford Taylor signature to the front panel, top stain blue, illustrated with black and white photographs. Presentation copy, inscribed by theContinue reading "The Breaking Wave: The Second World War in the Summer of 1940."

Murdock, Luke S.; Drawings by E. J. Geske

Palm Beach and West Palm Beach: The Palm Beaches “Where Summer Spends the Winter.”

West Palm Beach, Florida : Long & Murdock, 1926.

First edition of this beautiful presentation of the area and most iconic buildings of Palm Beach. Quarto, original wrappers with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, watercolor inlay of downtown West Palm Beach to the front panel, illustrated title page with tissue guard, copiously illustrated by E. J. Geske. In good condition.

[Richard M. Nixon]

The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments: Translated Out of the Original Tongues and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared. Commonly Known as the Authorized (King James) Version.

Nashville, TN : The Gideons International, 1974.

The 1974 edition of the Gideon Bible used to swear in President Richard M. Nixon before his voluntary deposition to the Watergate Special Prosecution Force on June 23, 1975, the only sworn testimony Nixon provided in connection with the Watergate proceedings. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth, pictorial endpapers. Presentation copy, inscribed by Nixon on the frontContinue reading "The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments: Translated Out of the Original Tongues and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared. Commonly Known as the Authorized (King James) Version."

[Lin-Manuel Miranda] [Alexander Hamilton]

Lin Manuel Miranda Signed Ten Dollar Bill.

2017.

Series 2017A United States ten-dollar Federal Reserve Note featuring Alexander Hamilton signed and with an added drawing by the creator and original star of the Broadway musical Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda has emphasized Hamilton’s mouth with a large open smile in black sharpie. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator and original star of Hamilton, brought Alexander HamiltonContinue reading "Lin Manuel Miranda Signed Ten Dollar Bill."

Wiesel, Elie

Open Heart.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.

First edition of this profoundly intimate, deeply affecting summing up of life so far, from one of the most cherished moral voices of all time. Octavo, original boards. Boldly signed by Elie Wiesel on the front free endpaper. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Chip Kidd. Translated from the French by MarionContinue reading "Open Heart."

Ferguson, Niall

The Ascent of Money.

New York : The Penguin Press, 2008.

First edition of this original look at the origins of money and how it makes the world go round, destined to become a modern classic. Octavo, original half cloth. Boldly signed by Niall Ferguson on the title page. Fine in a near fine price-clipped dust jacket.

Katzmann, Robert A. [Ruth Bader Ginsburg]

New York University Law Review. Madison Lecture: Statutes.

New York : New York University Law Review, 2012.

Original June 2012 offprint of the New York University Law Review containing Robert A. Katzmann’s Madison Lecture: Statutes. Octavo, original publisher’s wrappers, volume 87, number 3. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the verso of the front panel, “For Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with deep appreciation for so much, Yours, Bob, August 25, 2012.” The recipient, Ruth BaderContinue reading "New York University Law Review. Madison Lecture: Statutes."

Shapiro, David L. [Ruth Bader Ginsburg]

Wrong Turns: The Eleventh Amendment and the Pennhurst Case.

Cambridge, Massachusetts : The Harvard Law Review Association, 1984.

Original November 1984 offprint Harvard Law Review containing David L. Shapiro’s “Wrong Turns: The Eleventh Amendment and the Pennhurst Case.” Octavo, original publisher’s wrappers, Volume 98, Number 1. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front wrapper, “For Ruth, With all best regards, David.”  The recipient, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, served as an associate justice ofContinue reading "Wrong Turns: The Eleventh Amendment and the Pennhurst Case."

Katzmann, Robert A. [Ruth Bader Ginsburg]

Induction Proceedings for Robert A. Katzmann.

New York : United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1999.

Original offprint of the “proceedings held on the occasion of the induction of Honorable Robert A. Katzmann as United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.” Octavo, original wrappers, dated October 25, 1999. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front wrapper, “For Ruth & Marty, with continuingContinue reading "Induction Proceedings for Robert A. Katzmann."

Buergenthal, Thomas; Foreword by Elie Wiesel

A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy.

New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2009.

First edition of this “incredible tale” (The Free Lance-Star). Octavo, original boards. Boldly signed by Elie Wiesel at his foreword. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Foreword by Elie Wiesel. Jacket design by Keith Hayes. We have never seen another one signed by Wiesel.

Mill, John Stuart

The Subjection of Women.

London : Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1869.

First edition of Mill’s classic work defending the rights of women. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth by Edmonds & Remnants with their ticket to the rear pastedown. In good condition with losses to the spine. Bookseller’s ticket to the front pastedown of S & T Gilbert.

Nixon, Richard

Real Peace: A Strategy for the West.

New York : Privately Printed for Richard Nixon, 1983.

The privately printed limited first edition of Nixon’s fifth book. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth with gilt titles to the spine. One of 1,000 copies. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “To Sherry Griner with appreciation for her loyal support over the years – from Richard Nixon 12-30-87.” Fine in a veryContinue reading "Real Peace: A Strategy for the West."

Biden, Joe

Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics.

New York : Random House, 2007.

First edition of “this compelling personal story” (The New York Times). Octavo, original boards, illustrated. Presentation copy, warmly inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the title page, “Jimmy – I met Paddy – you got ‘good blood’ as my Dad would say Joe Biden 8.18.07.” Fine in a near fine dustContinue reading "Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics."

Acts of the First General Assembly of the State of Missouri; Passed at the First Session, which was Begun and Held at the Town of Saint Louis…1820. [and] Acts of the First General Assembly of the State of Missouri; Passed at the Special Session, Began and Held at the Town of St. Charles…1821.

St. Louis / St. Charles : Isaac N. Henry / St. Charles, 1820-1821.

First editions of the first official printing of the Acts of Missouri’s 1820 First General Assembly and 1821 Special Session, two rare works marking a turning point in the constitutional and sectional fury over slavery that triggered the First Missouri Compromise and the Second Missouri Compromise (1820-21). Octavo, two volumes, bound in full modern brownContinue reading "Acts of the First General Assembly of the State of Missouri; Passed at the First Session, which was Begun and Held at the Town of Saint Louis…1820. [and] Acts of the First General Assembly of the State of Missouri; Passed at the Special Session, Began and Held at the Town of St. Charles…1821."

Adams, Nehemiah

A South-Side View of Slavery; Or, Three Months at the South, in 1854.

Boston : T.R. Marvin and B.B. Mussey & Co, 1854.

First edition of the Boston clergyman’s notorious defense of slavery published after a brief trip to the South, challenging the veracity of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Octavo, original intricate blind-stamped brown cloth with gilt titles to the spine. In very good condition, signature to the front endpaper.