Rare book highlights
Search Blog Posts
Today, we commemorate the birthday of F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of the most influential authors in American literature. Born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald emerged as the quintessential voice of the Jazz Age, capturing the complexities of wealth, ambition, and the human condition in a rapidly changing society. His…
Read More >
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Robert Caro’s groundbreaking biography, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York. Since its release in 1974, Caro’s exhaustive study of Robert Moses and his monumental impact on New York City has become a definitive work in political literature. Caro’s deep dive into…
Read More >
In the realm of modern science and technology, few names resonate as profoundly as Norbert Wiener. As the father of cybernetics, Wiener’s groundbreaking work has not only shaped the course of multiple disciplines but has also left an indelible mark on the way we understand and interact with the world. Let’s delve into the life…
Read More >
One of the rarest and most significant books in American political history, The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution remains the single most influential text in promoting the ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America. In 1787, Alexander Hamilton resolved to launch a measured defense and…
Read More >
View our latest video short featuring Adrienne Raptis delving into the history of Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Breakfast at Tiffany’s first appeared in the November 1958 issue of Esquire Magazine. It was published only months later in book form by Random House as part of a collection of short stories. …
Read More >
The following article appeared in the Palm Beach Daily News on May 22, 2024. The people who made the West Palm Beach Library Foundation‘s signature fundraiser possible were thanked at a reception hosted by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis. The event took place Feb. 7 at Raptis Rare Books on Worth Avenue. …
Read More >
In the annals of literary history, few works have captured the zeitgeist of an era as vividly as Tom Wolfe’s “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.” Published in 1968, this psychedelic odyssey serves not only as a documentation of the vibrant counterculture of the 1960s but also as a testament to the adventurous spirit that swept…
Read More >
J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” stands as a towering monument in the literary landscape, its influence spanning generations since its publication in 1951. Through the lens of its protagonist, Holden Caulfield, the novel explores themes of alienation, innocence, and the search for authenticity in a world that often feels phony. Yet, beyond its…
Read More >
Gabriel García Márquez, often hailed as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, is celebrated for his mastery of magical realism. Born in Colombia in 1927, García Márquez infused his works with a unique blend of reality and fantasy, captivating readers worldwide with his vivid storytelling and rich narrative tapestries. In this blog…
Read More >
In the vast landscape of children’s literature, there exists a realm where imagination knows no bounds, where whimsy dances hand in hand with wisdom, and where the fantastical becomes tangible through the power of words and illustrations. This realm is the enchanting world of Dr. Seuss, a world that continues to captivate and inspire readers…
Read More >