Literature

Gurnah, Abdulrazak

Paradise.

London : Hamish Hamilton, 1994.

First edition of the work by the Nobel Prize-winning author. Octavo, original boards. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket, small ownership name to the front free endpaper.

Dickens, Charles

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

London : Oxford University Press, 1968.

Elaborately bound Oxford illustrated edition of one of Dickens’ most popular novels. Octavo, bound in full crushed blue 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, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles,Continue reading "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby."

Frayn, Michael

The Trick Of It.

London : Viking, 1989.

First edition of of Frayn’s reverential novel. Octavo, original boards. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “For Sally with best wishes from Michael Frayn 15 August 1989.” The recipient, British photojournalist Sally Soames, worked for The Sunday Times from 1968 until 2000 and was highly regarded for her exclusively black andContinue reading "The Trick Of It."

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]."

Moore, Thomas

The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore. [Fore-Edge Painting].

London : Frederick Warne and Co., n.d..

The Albion edition of Moore’s poetical works. Octavo, bound in full polished tree calf with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, tissue-guarded engraved frontispieceContinue reading "The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore. [Fore-Edge Painting]."

Kazantzakis, Nikos

Zorba The Greek.

Athens : Plateia Syntagmatos, 1946.

First Greek edition, preceding all other editions of the author’s most popular novel and basis for the Oscar-winning film starring Anthony Quinn. Octavo, bound in contemporary cloth. Signed by Nikos Kazantzakis on the copyright page. In near fine condition. First editions of Zorba The Greek are of legendary scarcity.

Blishen, Edward. Illustrated by Brian Wildsmith

Oxford Book of Poetry for Children.

London : Oxford University Press, 1963.

First edition of Blishen and Wildsmith’s acclaimed illustrated compilation of children’s poetry. Quarto, 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, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles,Continue reading "Oxford Book of Poetry for Children."

Waugh, Evelyn

Decline and Fall.

London : Chapman & Hall, 1962.

First revised edition of Waugh’s first published novel. Octavo, bound in full crushed green 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, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edgesContinue reading "Decline and Fall."

James, Henry

The Portrait of a Lady.

London : Macmillan and Co, 1881.

First edition, first issue, one of only 750 copies of the last and most accomplished work of fiction during James’ apprentice years. Octavo, three volumes, original cloth. In near fine condition with volume one rebacked with original spine laid down. Housed in a custom half clamshell and chemises box. Rare and desirable, especially in thisContinue reading "The Portrait of a Lady."

Baldwin, James

Going to Meet the Man.

New Yrok : The Dial Press, 1965.

First edition of Baldwin’s singular collection of short stories. Octavo, original half cloth. Signed by the author on the second free endpaper, “God bless, James Baldwin.” Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Author photograph by Martha Holmes. Rare signed.

Goldoni, Carlo

Le Commedie Del Dottore Carlo Goldoni Avvocato Veneziano Fra Gli Arcadi Polisseno Fegejo Prima Edizione Fiorentina Dell’ Autore correta, riveduta, ed ampliata.

Firenze : Eredi Paperini, 1753-1755.

First corrected Florentine edition of Goldoni’s comedic works. Octavo, 12 volumes, bound in full vellum, frontispiece portrait of Goldoni by Pitteri after Piazetta. In good condition. Armorial bookplates and ownership inscription. A rare set published during Goldoni’s lifetime.

Milne, A. A. Decorations by Ernest Shepard

Now We Are Six.

London : Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1960.

Finely bound example of the third book in Milne’s beloved Pooh series. Octavo, bound in three quarter morocco over marbled boards by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, decorations by Ernest Shepard. In near fine condition.

Coetzee, J.M

Diary of a Bad Year.

Melbourne : Text Publishing, 2007.

First Australian edition of this groundbreaking novel. Octavo, original boards. Signed by J.M. Coetzee on the title page. Near fine in a fine dust jacket. Cover design by Chong.

Roubayyat de Hafiz et d’Omar Khayyam. [The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám].

Paris : Francis LeBegue, [1921].

Finely bound example of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Octavo, bound in full levant morocco with gilt titles to the spine, gilt Art Deco style decorations to the front and rear panel, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, decorated borders and initials. One of 300 copies. Text in French. Translated byContinue reading "Roubayyat de Hafiz et d’Omar Khayyam. [The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám]."

Markham, Robert. [Kingsley Amis]

Colonel Sun: A James Bond Adventure.

London : Jonathan Cape, 1968.

First edition of the first James Bond continuation novel published after Ian Fleming’s 1964 death. Octavo, original cloth, cartographic endpapers. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Tom Adams.

Dahl, Roald

Two Fables.

Middlesex : Viking, 1986.

Signed limited edition of Dahl’s short fable collection. Octavo, original half leather with gilt titles to the spine and front panel, illustrated by Graham Dean. One of a limited edition of 300 books signed by Dahl and published by Viking in honor of Dahl’s seventieth birthday, this is number 267. In near fine condition.

Woolf, Virginia

The Voyage Out.

London : Duckworth, 1927.

Early printing of Woolf’s first novel. Octavo, original cloth. Very good in the rare original dust jacket which has been restored. Uncommon in the original jacket.

Hughes, Langston

Not Without Laughter.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1930.

First edition of Langston Hughes’ award-winning debut novel. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page in the year of publication to his editor, “For Bernard Smith ~ Sincerely, Langston Hughes July 3, 1930.” The recipient, American literary editor and critic Bernard Smith began working at Alfred A. Knopf inContinue reading "Not Without Laughter."

Baldwin, James

Another Country.

London : Michael Joseph, 1963.

First edition of Baldwin’s classic work, nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by the author on the front free endpaper, “All the best. To you and yours. James Baldwin.” Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Ownership inscription. Jacket design by Paul Bacon.

Mishima, Yukio

After The Banquet.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1963.

First edition in English of “the biggest and most profound thing Mishima has done so far in an already distinguished career” (The New Yorker). Octavo, original half cloth. Translated from the Japanese by Donald Keene. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Preston with the author’sContinue reading "After The Banquet."

Remarque, Erich Maria

The Road Back.

Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 1931.

First American edition of the sequel to Remarque’s masterpiece All Quiet on the Western Front. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Paul Wenck. We have never seen another signed example of this title.

White, Patrick

The Vivisector.

London : Jonathan Cape, 1970.

First edition of this work by “one of the great magicians of fiction . . . White’s scope is vast and his invention endless” (The Observer). Octavo, original cloth. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket art by Tom Adams.

Kennedy, William

Ironweed.

New York : The Viking Press, 1983.

First edition of Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Octavo, original half gray cloth. Signed by William Kennedy on the title page. Very good in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Neil Stuart.

Baldwin, James

Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone.

New York : The Dial Press, 1968.

First edition of this major work by Baldwin. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, “For Leonard Lyons: with much affection, and respect. Jim Baldwin.” The recipient, Leonard Lyons was a noted American newspaper columnist, best known for his New York Post column “The Lyons Den”, which appearedContinue reading "Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone."