Literature

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de

The Little Prince Original Antoine de Saint-Exupery Watercolor Drawing.

[New York] [1942].

Rare original watercolor study of the beloved protagonist of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince, a timeless masterpiece that has transcended generations and remains the most widely read work of fiction in history, having sold over 150 million copies over the course of the past 80 years. One page, pencil and watercolor on American ‘FidelityContinue reading "The Little Prince Original Antoine de Saint-Exupery Watercolor Drawing."

Stanton, Stephen Berrien [William Tecumseh Sherman]

The Essential Life.

New York : Charles Scribner's Sons, 1908.

First edition of this poetical guide to a fulfilling life; from the library of Philemon Tecumseh Sherman. Duodecimo, original navy blue cloth. P.T. Sherman’s bookplate to the front free endpaper. In very good condition with some rubbing to the spine, front and rear panels.

Stanton, Stephen B. [William T. Sherman]

The Fourth in the Furnace.

New York : Minton, Balch & Company, 1927.

First edition of this poetical book of philosophy; gifted by the author to Philemon Tecumseh Sherman. Duodecimo, original black cloth. P. T. Sherman’s bookplate to the front pastedown. Ownership inscription to the front free endpaper, “P. T. Sherman from Stephen Stanton Uncle Cump’s first partner.” Friends and family of General William Tecumseh Sherman often referredContinue reading "The Fourth in the Furnace."

Wilbur, Richard

Ceremony And Other Poems.

New York : Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1950.

First edition of this collection of poems by the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, warmly inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “For Jane and motherhood Aff’y inscribed Dick Wilbur Cambridge May 51.” Also laid in is a sonnet broadside from Charlee and Richard Wilbur. Near fine in a nearContinue reading "Ceremony And Other Poems."

Greene, Graham

The Lost Childhood and Other Essays.

London : Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1951.

First edition of this collection of essays by Graham Greene, two of its four parts, Personal Prologue and Personal Postscript, comprise seven invaluable pieces of autobiography. Octavo, original cloth. Very good in a very good dust jacket.

le Carre, John

Le Carre Omnibus: Call For the Dead and A Murder of Quality.

London : Victor Gollancz, 1964.

First edition of this collection of le Carre’s first two novels. Octavo, original cloth. Very good in a very good dust jacket with some chips and wear.

200 Utaibon Noh Chantbooks.

Kyoto : Tsunenosuke Hinoki, 1943-1944.

A theatrical collection of exactly 200 Utaibon Noh chantbooks. Original wrappers with stitched binding, average of approximately 20 pp. each, title labels on rice paper, patterned paper covers, calligraphic text in red and black. All in very good to fine condition. Housed in a dedicated wooden case, which is in good condition with partitioning toContinue reading "200 Utaibon Noh Chantbooks."

Carre, John le

Our Kind of Traitor and An Address Given at the Oxford Literary Festival March 2010.

London : Viking and London Review Bookshop, 2010.

Signed limited first edition of this thrilling novel which was the inspiration for the 2016 film by the same name starring Ewan McGregor, Naomie Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Damian Lewis and Alicia von Rittberg, together with the bound text of the author’s address at the Oxford Literary Festival on 24th March 2010. Octavo, original publisher’s morocco-backed half cloth with gilt titlesContinue reading "Our Kind of Traitor and An Address Given at the Oxford Literary Festival March 2010."

le Carre, John

Single & Single.

London : Hodder & Stoughton, 1999.

First edition of this “exciting spy story” (New York Times Book Review). Octavo, original boards. Signed by John le Carre on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

Waugh, Evelyn

The Sword of Honour Trilogy: Men At Arms; Officers and Gentlemen; Unconditional Surrender.

London : Chapman and Hall, 1951-1961..

First editions of each volume in the author’s acclaimed Sword of Honour Trilogy. Octavo, 3 volumes, original cloth. Men At Arms is an association copy, lengthily inscribed by the author to Patrick Balfour on the front free endpaper, “For Patrick with love from Evelyn Sept 6th 1952 I say why not read the copy youContinue reading "The Sword of Honour Trilogy: Men At Arms; Officers and Gentlemen; Unconditional Surrender."

Salter, James

A Sport And A Pastime.

Garden City, NY : Paris Review Editions/ Doubleday, 1967.

First edition of this modern classic, hailed as a masterpiece. Octavo, original half cloth. Signed by James Salter on the title page. With a publisher’s compliments of the author laid in, fine in a good dust jacket with a few chips. Jacket collage by Alex Gotfryd. First editions are exceptionally rare and desirable signed.

Naipaul, V.S

A House For Mr. Biswas.

London : Andre Deutsch, 1961.

First edition of the author’s masterpiece. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in a good dust jacket with chips and wear. Jacket design by Stephen Russ.

Atwood, Margaret

Surfacing.

Toronto : McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1972.

First edition of the author’s classic second novel. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “For Rachel- Margaret Atwood June 4 1982.” Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by David Shaw. Author photograph by Amleto Lorenzini. Housed in a custom half morocco and chemise clamshell box.

Orwell, George

Nineteen Eighty-Four.

London : Secker & Warburg, 1949.

First edition of Orwell’s classic dystopian novel. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in a very good dust jacket with a few small chips and closed tears. Jacket design by Michael Kennard. Housed in a custom half morocco and chemise clamshell box. A nice example.

Lowell, Thomas. [W.E.B. Dubois; David Lloyd George]

Rolling Stone: The Life and Adventures of Arthur Radclyffe Dugmore.

Garden City, New York : Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., 1933.

Early printing of the definitive biography of Arthur Radclyffe Dugmore. Octavo, original cloth, illustrations from photographs and paintings by Arthur Radclyffe Dugmore. Association copy, inscribed on the front free endpaper by W.E.B. Dubois to British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, “Many Happy Returns to ‘Lloyd George’ Nov. 5th 1933 from W.E.B.” W.E.B. Dubois wrote thatContinue reading "Rolling Stone: The Life and Adventures of Arthur Radclyffe Dugmore."

Greene, Graham

The Quiet American.

London : William Heinemann Ltd, 1955.

First edition of Greene’s classic novel of exploration of love, innocence, and morality in Vietnam. Octavo, original blue cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “For Joseph from Graham Greene.” Near fine in a near fine dust jacket with light wear. Housed in a custom clamshell box.

White, Hervey; [Charlotte Perkins Gilman]

When Eve Was Not Created and Other Stories.

Boston : Small, Maynard & Company, 1901.

First edition of this collection of short stories; from the library of writer and social reformer Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Small octavo, original pictorial cloth, slip tipped in on the front free endpaper “With the Compliments of the Author.” Signed by Gilman on the front free endpaper above the tipped in note. Additionally inscribed by GilmanContinue reading "When Eve Was Not Created and Other Stories."

Baker, Carlos [Ernest Hemingway]

Hemingway: The Writer as Artist.

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, 1952.

First edition of this work on Ernest Hemingway. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, “Inscribed to Gibson Carey ’55 with the kind regards of the author. Carlos Baker Princeton 4/24/53.” Near fine in a near fine dust jacket.

Bronte, Charlotte; Edited by Currer Bell

Jane Eyre: An Autobiography.

New York : Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1848.

First American edition of this revolutionary feminist romance, issued as number 109 in Harper’s Library of Select Novels. Octavo, finely bound in half calf over marbled boards with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, printed in to columns throughout, single leaf of publisher’s ads dated October 1847 advertisingContinue reading "Jane Eyre: An Autobiography."

Simon, Neil

Barefoot in the Park.

New York : Random House, 1964.

First edition of the playwright’s first book, review copy with the slip laid in. Octavo, original half cloth. Boldly signed by Neil Simon, Mike Nichols, who directed the Broadway production (and won his first Tony Award), Gene Saks, who directed the film adaptation; and Elizabeth Ashley, who co-starred with Robert Redford in both the stageContinue reading "Barefoot in the Park."

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de

Second Part of The History of the Valorous and Witty Knight-Errant, Don Quixote of the Mancha.

London : Printed for Edward Blount, 1620.

First edition of the second part of Cervantes’ masterpiece in English. Oblong duodecimo, bound in half leather over marbled boards with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, black and green morocco spine labels. In near fine condition, lacking the engraved title with several words faintly missing on p.Continue reading "Second Part of The History of the Valorous and Witty Knight-Errant, Don Quixote of the Mancha."

Cooper, Susan

The Grey King.

New York : Atheneum, 1975.

First edition of the the fourth volume in the author’s acclaimed “Dark Is Rising” series and Newberry award winning novel. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, “For Mary with best regards and many thanks -Susan 1978.” Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket illustration byContinue reading "The Grey King."

Dinesen, Isak [Karen Blixen]

Last Tales.

New York : Random House, 1957.

First edition of this classic collection of short stories. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in a good dust jacket, bookplate to the front free endpaper with loss and closed tears to the spine and extremities. Jacket design by Jeanyee Wong.

[Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison] Lerner, Allan Jay; Music by Frederick Loewe; George Bernard Shaw

My Fair Lady: A Musical Play in Two Acts Based on Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.

New York : Chappell & Co, 1956.

Original sheet music of I Could Have Danced All Night, from My Fair Lady, one of “one of the best musicals of the twentieth century” (The New York Times). Octavo, original boards, illustrated, frontispiece of Andrews and Harrison. Boldly signed by Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison on the front panel. Quarto, original, illustrated wrappers, featuringContinue reading "My Fair Lady: A Musical Play in Two Acts Based on Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw."