Literature

Fenn, G. Manville. [George Alfred Henty]

George Alfred Henty: The Story of An Active Life.

London : Blackie and Son Limited, 1907.

First edition of Fenn’s biography of highly popular 19th century novelist George Alfred Henty. Octavo, original cloth decorated in gilt, illustrated with 11 plates including frontispiece portrait of Henty. In near fine condition. Ownership inscription. A sharp example of this rare title.

Kipling, Rudyard

Abaft the Funnel.

New York : B. W. Dodge & Company, 1909.

First edition, first issue of of Kipling’s 1909 short story collection with gold lettering to the spine and front panel. Octavo, original blue cloth with gold titles to the spine and front panel. In fine condition.

Rankin, Ian; Alexander McCall Smith; Irvine Welsh. Introduction by J. K. Rowling

One City.

Edinburgh : Polygon, 2005.

First edition of this collection initiated by four of Edinburgh’s most famous authors to benefit One City Trust, a charity committed to tackling social injustice and inequality in Edinburgh. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers. Boldly signed by Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh on the half-title page. Introduction by J. K. Rowling. Foreword by Rt Hon. LesleyContinue reading "One City."

Kipling, Rudyard

From Sea to Sea and Other Sketches. Letters of Travel.

London : Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1900.

First English edition of this collection of Kipling’s essays about his 1889 travels from India to Burma, China, Japan, and the United States en route to England. Octavo, original red cloth with gilt titles to the spine and gilt elephant emblem to the front panel, top edge gilt. In very good condition with rubbing toContinue reading "From Sea to Sea and Other Sketches. Letters of Travel."

Spark, Muriel

The Fanfarlo and Other Verse.

Aldington : The Hand and Flower Press, 1952.

First edition, first issue of Spark’s first book of verse, preceding her first novel by five years. Octavo, original wrappers. In fine condition.

Kipling, Rudyard

Kipling on the Japanese: An Unpublished Letter Written at the Time of the Russo-Japanese War to William Joshua Harding R. N. 2 September 1903.

Cambridge, Massachusetts : Houghton Library, 1943.

First edition in book form of this previously unpublished letter, written by Kipling to William Joshua Harding seeking an army commission for his son, John. Octavo, original wrappers as issued. One of only seventy-five numbered copies, this is number 32. In fine condition. Rare.

Kipling, Rudyard

The Fringes of the Fleet.

London : Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1915.

First edition of this collection of nautical essays and poems. 12mo, original illustrated wrappers. In near fine condition. A very sharp example.

Kipling, Rudyard

Letters to the Family (Notes on a trip to Canada).

Toronto : The Macmillan Company of Canada, Limited, 1908.

First edition in book form of this collection of Kipling’s letters which first appeared in Newspapers during the spring of 1908 after a trip to Canada undertaken in the autumn of 1907. 12 mo, original wrappers. In very good condition. Rare.

Cholmondeley, Mary

Red Pottage.

New York and London : Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1899.

First edition of this classic novel. Octavo, original cloth. In near fine condition. Scarce in this condition.

Wells, H.G

The Works of H.G. Wells Including [The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, Etc].

London : T. Fisher Unwin, 1924-27.

One of 20 sets for presentation from an overall edition of 620, this is letter e and Wells has written (Little e), signed by H.G. Wells in volume one, and additionally inscribed by Wells in volume one to his lover Elizabeth von Arnim, “To Little e H.G.” With her bookplate to all but two volumes.Continue reading "The Works of H.G. Wells Including [The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, Etc]."

Frank, Pat

Alas, Babylon.

Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott Company, 1959.

First edition of this classic apocalyptic novel. Octavo, original cloth. Signed and dated by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, “Pat Frank ’59.” Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Arthur Hawkins. First editions are exceptionally rare signed, as the author passed away in 1964.

Marbecke, John

A Concordace, that is to saie, a work wherein by the ordre of the letters of the A.B.C. ye maie redely finde any worde conteigned in the whole Bible, so often as it is there expressed or mentioned.

London : Richardus Grafton, 1550.

Rare first edition of the first concordance in English to the Bible. Quarto, bound in full polished calf with raised bands and gilt titles to the spine, trimmed and mounted engraved title page. In near fine condition with some leaves supplied and mounted and restoration to the margins. One of the finest and most completeContinue reading "A Concordace, that is to saie, a work wherein by the ordre of the letters of the A.B.C. ye maie redely finde any worde conteigned in the whole Bible, so often as it is there expressed or mentioned."

Steinbeck, John

Speech Accepting the Nobel Prize for Literature.

New York : The Viking Press, 1962.

First edition of Steinbeck’s Nobel Lecture. Octavo, original wrappres. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “For the Waldmanns with pleasure John Steinbeck.” Presented with original mailing envelope. In near fine condition.

Kalki.

.

First edition of this work by the award-winning author. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “Gore Vidal For Kit, all love.” The recipient, Katherine “Kit” Vidal was Eugene Vidal’s second wife; he married her in 1939 when she was a 20 year old model with the Powers Agency,Continue reading "Kalki."

Hamsun, Knut

August.

New York : Coward-McCann, 1931.

First American edition and first in English, preceding the British edition by one year of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s classic work. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, “B.A. Abel from yours respectfully Knut Hamsun 12/11.31.” Near fine in a near fine dustContinue reading "August."

Lardner Jr., Ring

The Ecstasy of Owen Muir.

Berlin : Seven Seas Publishers, 1966.

Paperback edition of Ring Lardner Jr.’s witty Candide-like satire. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers. The recipient, Vera Caspary was a novelist, most well known for Laura, which was scripted by Lardner for the film, which starred Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews. In good condition.

Dylan, Bob

Bob Dylan: Modern Times.

New York : BMG & Columbia Records, 2006.

First pressing of this album by the Nobel Prize-winning author. Quarto, 2 original vinyl records. Boldly signed by Bob Dylan on the front panel. In fine condition. Rare and desirable signed.

Kipling, Rudyard

Kim.

New York : Doubleday, Page & Company, 1901.

First edition with the chapter-heading rhymes for only chapters VII and VIII as called of what many consider Kipling’s masterpiece. Octavo, original cloth, embossed black and gilt to the front panel, gilt titles to the spine, illustrated. In near fine condition with light rubbing to the extremities. An exceptional example.

Durrell, Lawrence

Tunc.

London : Faber and Faber, 1968.

First edition of this novel by the author of The Alexandria Quartet. Octavo, original cloth. Fine in a near fine dust jacket.

Milne, A. A.; Ernest Shepard

A. A. Milne and Ernest Shepard Signed Winnie-the-Pooh Print Collection.

1928.

Rare collection of six Winnie-The-Pooh prints specially bound with an autograph note signed by both A. A. Milne and Ernest Shepard. Quarto, bound in hand-made paper wrappers, the collection includes six mounted Winnie-the-Pooh illustrations extracted from issues of Home Chat magazine which were produced by Shepard exclusively for Home Chat in 1928 and never appearedContinue reading "A. A. Milne and Ernest Shepard Signed Winnie-the-Pooh Print Collection."

Tolkien, J.R.R

J.R.R. Tolkien Autograph Letter Signed and Annotated Old English Literature Questionnaire.

1920.

Rare autograph letter signed by the author of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien regarding a list of 50 questions he has composed examining Old English Literature. The one-page autograph letter signed by Tolkien reads in full, “1 Alfred Street St. Giles Oxford Mar: 17th 1920. Dear Miss Duncan, I enclose a ‘mixed bag’Continue reading "J.R.R. Tolkien Autograph Letter Signed and Annotated Old English Literature Questionnaire."

Hemingway, Ernest

The Torrents of Spring.

New York : Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1926.

First edition of Hemingway’s first novel, one of 1250 printed. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles and ruling to the spine, raised bands, double gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, gilt signature of Hemingway to the front panel, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. In fine condition. An exceptionalContinue reading "The Torrents of Spring."

Bayley, Victor

House of Hatred.

London : Robert Hale Limited, 1935.

First edition of this novel of adventure set in Calcutta and the North-West Frontier along the borders of China and Russia. Octavo, original cloth. Very good in a very good dust jacket. Laid in are two autographed letters signed by Victor Bayley.

Williams, John

Nothing But The Night.

Fayetteville : The University of Arkansas Press, 1990.

First edition of the re-issue of John Williams’ first book. Octavo, original wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page in the month of publication, “For Bob and Margaret, with much love, for many years- John Williams Jan. 22, 1990.” In near fine condition. Cover art by Donald Furst.