History, Law, and Politics

Seale, Bobby

Barbeque’n With Bobby.

Berkeley : Ten Speed Press, 1988.

First edition the co-founder of the Black Panther Party’s classic ‘Down-Home’ Barbeque cookbook. Quarto, original boards. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page in the year of publication, “11-21-88 To Reginald Coleman Let’s work to save the equatorial rain forest as it supplies most of humanity’s oxygen on earth. Let’s work toContinue reading "Barbeque’n With Bobby."

Journal of the United States In Congress Assembled: Containing the Proceedings From the Sixth Day of November, 1786, to the Fifth Day of November, 1787. Volume XII.

New York : Published by Order of Congress, 1787.

Rare first edition of Vol. VII of the Journal of Congress; containing the first official Congressional Journal publication of the proposed Constitution of the United States. Octavo, original boards. Contains the first Congressional Journal publications of the proposed United States Constitution (pp. 149-166) and the Northwest Ordinance (pp. 85-93). In very good condition. Small lossContinue reading "Journal of the United States In Congress Assembled: Containing the Proceedings From the Sixth Day of November, 1786, to the Fifth Day of November, 1787. Volume XII."

Churchill, Winston S

The Story of the Malakand Field Force, An Episode of Frontier War.

London : Longmans, Green, and Co, 1898.

First edition, first issue, of Winston Churchill’s first book, an account of his service with the Malakand Field Force in India, with frontispiece portrait of Sir Binden Blood and six maps, two of them folding and in color. Octavo, original cloth. In near fine condition, bookplate to the front pastedown. Uncommon in this condition.

Loeb, Marshall and William Safire

Plunging into Politics: How to Become or Support a Candidate of the National, State, of Local Level.

New York : David McKay Company, Inc., 1964.

First edition of Safire and Loeb’s classic work. Octavo, bound in full morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, ribbon bound in, top edge gilt. Safire’s copy with his bookplateContinue reading "Plunging into Politics: How to Become or Support a Candidate of the National, State, of Local Level."

Churchill, Winston S

Savrola: A Tale of the Revolution in Laurania.

New York : Longmans, Green and Co, 1900.

First American edition (which precedes the British first) of Churchill’s singular attempt at full-length fiction. Octavo, original cloth with gilt titles to the spine and front panel. In near fine condition. Rare and desirable in this condition, Churchill’s only work of literature.

Schiller, Friedrich

The Works of Friedrich Schiller.

Boston : Francis A. Niccolls, c.1900.

Finely bound example of the Connoisseur edition of the works of Schiller, number 34 of only 150 sets printed. Octavo, 10 volumes, bound in full red morocco, ornate gilt tooling to the spine, with pastedowns of red leather borders and central green morocco panel, with floral decorations at the corners and a central gilt sprigContinue reading "The Works of Friedrich Schiller."

Hughes, Langston

The First Book of Africa.

New York : Franklin Watts, Inc., 1960.

First edition of Hughes’ concise history of Africa. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated with photographs. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “For the Richardsons ~ Sincerely ~ Langston New York, July 24, 1960.” Very good in a very good dust jacket.

Thordike, Lynn

Whatever Was, Was Right.

: American Historical Review, 1956.

First separate edition of the Presidential address read at the annual dinner of the American Historical Association, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C. Octavo, original wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front panel, “To Dr. H. Justin Ross from Lynn Thorndike.” In very good condition, one page of underlining. Books signed by Thorndike areContinue reading "Whatever Was, Was Right."

Mann, William d'Alton

Fads and Fancies of Representative Americans at the Beginning of the 20th Century: Being a Portrayal of their Tastes, Diversions and Achievements.

New York : Town Topics Publishing Company, 1905.

First edition of this lavishly published work regarding New York’s wealthy society at the time, including names such as John Jacob Astor, J. Pierpont Morgan and Henry Huntington. Folio, original full green morocco, elaborate tooling to the spine, front and back panels, green silk doublures and endleaves, all edges gilt. Illustrated hundreds of photogravures, allContinue reading "Fads and Fancies of Representative Americans at the Beginning of the 20th Century: Being a Portrayal of their Tastes, Diversions and Achievements."

Fanon, Frantz

Studies in a Dying Colonialism.

New York : Monthly REview Press, 1965.

First edition of this classic work. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Ernest Socolov. Translated from the French by Haakon Chevalier. Introduction by Adolpho Gilly.

Finn, David

Corporate Oligarch.

New York : Simon and Schuster, 1969.

First edition of this classic work by the famed advertising executive. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “For Fran Horn with warm regards David Finn.” Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Fred Toller.

Dailey, Abram H. [Mollie Fancher]

Mollie Fancher: the Brooklyn Enigma. An Authentic Statement of Facts in the Life of Mary J. Fancher, The Psychological Marvel of the Nineteenth Century.

Brooklyn : Eagle Book Printing Dept, 1894.

First edition of this work on Mollie Fancher. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Signed by Mollie Fancher on the title page. In very good condition. Books signed by Fancher are rare.

"Anti-Vaccinator"

A New Year’s Gift to the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Town Council of Glasgow; 1st January, 1874: Being an Essay Shewing that the Delusive Practice of Vaccination is Ruinous to the National Health.

Glasgow : John Thomson, 1874.

First edition of this anti-vaccination work. Octavo, original green cloth, gilt embossed to the front panel. Laid in is a 1901 circular, one sheet printed on both sides. In very good condition, bookplate from the Glasgow Corporation Public Health Department library, moderate marginalia and commentary to the text, from someone who disagreed with the sentimentsContinue reading "A New Year’s Gift to the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Town Council of Glasgow; 1st January, 1874: Being an Essay Shewing that the Delusive Practice of Vaccination is Ruinous to the National Health."

Keynes, J.M. [John Maynard]

Laissez-Faire and Communism.

New York : New Republic, 1926.

First edition of this work by one of the greatest economists of the twentieth century. Octavo, original wrappers. Signed and dated by the author on the title page, “J.M. Keynes 17 Feb 1927.” In very good condition. Books signed by Keynes are exceptionally rare.

Boorstin, Daniel J

The Seekers: The Story of Man’s Continuing Quest to Understand His World.

New York : Random House, 1998.

First edition of the third and final volume in Boorstin’s “knowledge” trilogy. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Daniel J. Boorstin on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket art: frontispiece plate from William Blake’s Europe: a Prophecy, 1794.

Newton, Huey P. and Erik H. Erikson

In Search of Common Ground: Conversations with Erik H. Erikson and Huey P. Newton.

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

First edition of this record of two conversations which took place between Newton and Erickson. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by both authors on the front free endpaper, “From Huey with love” and below signed “Eric. H. Erickson. Very good in a very good price-clipped dust jacket. Introduction by Kai T. Erikson. Jacket design by RobertContinue reading "In Search of Common Ground: Conversations with Erik H. Erikson and Huey P. Newton."

Chesterfield, Lord. [Alexander Hamilton; Elizabeth Hamilton]

Lord Chesterfield’s Letters.

.

Eighteenth century printing of Lord Chesterfield’s Letters from the library of Alexander Hamilton with his wife, Elizabeth’s ownership signature. Octavo, bound in full contemporary calf with gilt ruling to the spine, red morocco spine label lettered in gilt. Signed by Elizabeth Hamilton on the first page of text. In good condition. Rare and desirable, booksContinue reading "Lord Chesterfield’s Letters."

Campbell, John Lord

The Lives of the Lord Chancellors, The Lives of the Chief Justices of England

London : John Murray, 1845-69.

Finely bound set of Campbell’s works. Octavo, 13 volumes, bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands. In near fine condition.

MacKay, Charles

Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.

London : Richard Bentley, 1841.

First edition of this classic study of crowd psychology, a compilation of human folly throughout the ages. Octavo, three volumes, illustrated. Bound in three quarter calf over marbled boards, gilt titles to the spine, raised bands. With an autographed letter signed by Charles MacKay in 1867 laid in. In near fine condition with light rubbingContinue reading "Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds."

Hume, David

An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals.

London : Printed for A. Millar, 1751.

First edition, first state of what Hume, himself, considered his masterpiece with leaf L3 uncancelled and with the catchword “than” on recto. Octavo, bound in full contemporary calf with five raised bands to the spine, burgundy morocco spine label lettered in gilt, gilt-turn ins. Half-title, errata, and advertisements at rear. In very good condition. OwnershipContinue reading "An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals."

Boccaccio, Giovanni

The Decameron.

London : Isaac Jaggard, 1620.

First edition in English of Boccaccio’s masterpiece, published by Jaggard published three years prior to his printing of the Shakespeare First Folio. Boccaccio’s masterpiece. Folio, 2 volumes, bound in full morocco by Riviere, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, all edges gilt, errata leaf at end of volume one, B1 is a cancellans, woodcutContinue reading "The Decameron."

Kellor, Frances; Collaborator Antonia Hatvany

Security Against War: Volume I International Controversies; Volume II Arbitration, Disarmament, Outlawry.

New York : The Macmillan Company, 1924.

First editions of this work by social reformer Frances Kellor. Octavo, 2 volumes, original cloth. Near fine in the rare original dust jackets, which are in very good condition.

Machiavelli, Niccolò

Discorsi Di Nicolo Machiavelli Pra La Prima Deca Di Tito Livio [bound with] Il Prencipe di Nicolo Machiavelli. [Machiavelli’s Discourses bound with The Prince].

Palermo : Apresso gli heredi d'Antoniello degli Antonielli, 1584 [London: John Wolfe].

Rare 16th century printing of John Wolfe’s famed fictitious Italian editions of Machiavelli’s fundamental works of political history and philosophy. Octavo, elaborately bound in full crushed morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling and central motifs to the front and rear panels, giltContinue reading "Discorsi Di Nicolo Machiavelli Pra La Prima Deca Di Tito Livio [bound with] Il Prencipe di Nicolo Machiavelli. [Machiavelli’s Discourses bound with The Prince]."

Strachey, Lytton

Eminent Victorians: Cardinal Manning, Florence Nightingale, Dr. Arnold, General Gordon.

London : Chatto and Windus, 1960.

Finely bound example of the work that placed Strachey firmly in the top rank of biographers. Octavo, bound in full crushed red morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling and fleuron cornerpieces to the front and rear panels, giltContinue reading "Eminent Victorians: Cardinal Manning, Florence Nightingale, Dr. Arnold, General Gordon."