First Edition
First Edition Books for Sale Online
Raptis Rare Books maintains an extensive collection of rare and first-edition books from a variety of authors and publishers. Navigate through our full selection of first-editions below to find a particular item you're looking for, ask a question, or order online today!
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First edition of To Rule the Night; inscribed by Jim Irwin
IRWIN, James B. with William A. Emerson Jr.
To Rule The Night: The Discovery Voyage of Astronaut Jim Irwin.
Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1973.
First edition, early printing of the autobiography of Jim Irwin, who served as the Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 15. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, "To Diana. James Irwin." Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Don Bender.
Price: $125.00 Item Number: 147173
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First edition of both volumes of Green, Schwarz, and Witten's Superstring Theory; from the library of Stephen Hawking
GREEN, Michael B.; John H. Schwarz and Edward Witten. [Stephen Hawking].
Superstring Theory.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
First edition of the fundamental text on superstring theory. Octavo, original cloth. From the library of Stephen Hawking. Hawking was a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge at the time of his death. Hawking's scientific works included a collaboration with Roger Penrose on gravitational singularity theorems in the framework of general relativity and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation. He was the first to set out a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of…
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 119483
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"It is my hope to recall this great shade from the past, and not only invest him with his panoply, but make him living and intimate to modern eyes": Complete First Edition Set of Marlborough: His Life and Times; vol. I signed by Winston Churchill
CHURCHILL, Winston S.
Marlborough: His Life and Times.
London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd, 1933-38.
First editions of Churchill's magisterial biography of his notable ancestor John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. Octavo, 4 volumes, original cloth, top edge gilt, illustrated with hundreds of maps and plans (many folding), plates and document facsimiles. Boldly signed and dated by Winston Churchill in the year of publication on the front free endpaper of vol. I, "Winston S. Churchill Nov. 1933." Each volume is near fine in a very good to near fine dust jackets. Volume 3 in a price-clipped dust jacket. An exceptional example, rare and desirable signed.
Price: $12,000.00 Item Number: 144235
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First Edition of F. Scott's Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise; with a typed letter signed by Fitzgerald’s legendary editor Maxwell Perkins
FITZGERALD, F. Scott.
This Side of Paradise.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1920.
First edition, first printing of Fitzgerald's first novel, with an initial print run of only 3,000 copies. Octavo, original dark green cloth with gilt titles to the spine. With a rare typed letter signed by by Fitzgerald’s legendary editor, Maxwell Perkins, laid in. One page, typescript, on Perkins' Charles Scribner's Sons Publishers letterhead, the letter reads in full, 'August 10, 1937 Dear Mr. Kozlenko: I think the idea you outline in your of August 7th for an anthology of on act plays is a good one. I'd like to see you at any time convenient to talk it over. The…
Price: $6,200.00 Item Number: 147295
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"AND FOR ALL I KNOW HE IS SITTING THERE STILL, UNDER HIS FAVORITE CORK TREE, SMELLING THE FLOWERS JUST QUIETLY" exceptionally rare FIRST EDITION, advance review copy OF THE STORY OF FERDINAND; signed by both Robert Lawson and Munro Leaf
LEAF, Munro; Illustrated by Robert Lawson.
The Story of Ferdinand.
New York: The Viking Press, 1936.
First edition, first printing, advance review copy of Munro Leaf’s beloved children’s classic, one of the most popular and enduring children's books ever published. Octavo, original half tan cloth, pictorial endpapers, illustrated by Robert Lawson. Signed by both the author and illustrator opposite the title page, "Robert Lawson" "and Munro Leaf." From the library of American publisher Charles C. Fleming with a memorandum on his Whittet Printing Co. letterhead to the front free endpaper, stamped "Received Sep 23 1936 C.C.F." indicating that the book was received in the month of publication which is stated on the copyright page. The first…
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 147285
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First Edition of John Glenn: A Memoir; Signed by Him
GLENN, John with Nick Taylor.
John Glenn: A Memoir.
New York: Bantam, 1999.
First edition of the autobiography of the first American to orbit the Earth. Octavo, original half cloth, illustrated. Boldly signed by the author on the half-title page, "Best wishes- John Glenn." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
Price: $200.00 Item Number: 147442
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One of the greatest investment books of the 20th Century; Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits; Inscribed by Philip Fisher
FISHER, Philip A.
Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits.
New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1958.
First edition, early printing of Fisher's classic work. Octavo, original half cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To John Collett, Sincerely Philip A Fisher." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Foreword by Jeremy C. Jenks. Exceptionally rare and desirable signed and inscribed.
Price: $8,800.00 Item Number: 147443
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FIRST EDITION OF F. SCOTT FITZGERALD'S THE GREAT GATSBY
FITZGERALD, F. Scott.
The Great Gatsby.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925.
First edition, first state with "chatter" p.60, "northern" p.119, "sick in tired" p.205, and "Union Street station" p.211. Octavo, original dark green cloth with gilt titles to the spine. In fine condition. Fitzgerald's editor, Maxwell Perkins, and his friend and author Ring Lardner, both considered The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald's most perfectly realized work of art. Housed in a custom full morocco clamshell box. An exceptional example.
Price: $12,000.00 Item Number: 146089
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First Edition of George Lamming's The Emigrants
LAMMING, George.
The Emigrants.
New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1954.
First edition of the sequel to the author's debut autobiographical book In the Castle of My Skin. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Denis Williams.
Price: $95.00 Item Number: 147449
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Photograph of Civil Rights Activist Rosa Parks; Signed by Her
PARKS, Rosa.
Rosa Parks Photograph Signed.
Rare iconic photograph of Rosa Parks "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement," signed by her. In fine condition. The photograph measures 10 inches by 8 inches.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 147223
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First Edition of Snoopy and 'It Was a Dark and Stormy Night'; Inscribed by Charles M. Schulz
SCHULZ, Charles M.
Snoopy and ‘It Was a Dark and Stormy Night’.
New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1971.
First edition of this classic work. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated throughout. Presentation copy, boldly inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "For Lucille and Beals - Charles M. Schulz." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Rare and desirable signed and inscribed.
Price: $2,000.00 Item Number: 147221
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"It was a Pleasure!": Rare Cat in the Hat Print; Signed by Dr. Seuss
SEUSS, Dr. [Theodor Geisel].
Dr. Seuss Signed Cat in the Hat Print.
Rare illustrated print of Dr. Seuss’s signature children’s book character. Color print of the Cat in the Hat. Boldly inscribed by Dr. Seuss [Theodor Geisel], “Hi, Fred!" In fine condition. The piece measures 5 inches by 8 inches.
Price: $2,500.00 Item Number: 147220
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Rare United States Navy Ensign Appointment; signed by Theodore Roosevelt as president
ROOSEVELT, Theodore.
Theodore Roosevelt Signed Presidential Appointment.
1906.
Rare original Presidential appointment signed by Theodore Roosevelt as twenty-sixth President of the United States. One page, partially printed, the document is dated 18 January, 1906 and appoints Fred H. Soleel as "an Ensign in the Navy." Signed by President Theodore Roosevelt and countersigned by Acting Secretary of the Navy Truman H. Newberry. Handsomely cloth-matted and framed with a portrait of Roosevelt and an informational plaque. In near fine condition.
Price: $1,750.00 Item Number: 147219
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“But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night": Exceptionally rare complete first edition set of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia
LEWIS, C.S. Illustrations by Pauline Baynes.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician’s Nephew, The Last Battle.
London: Geoffrey Bles/The Bodley Head, 1950-1956.
Complete first edition set of C.S. Lewis's best-selling work, one of the best-selling series of all time which has sold 120 million copies in 47 languages. “Adored by children and academics alike, these books are extremely collectable, sought-after, and scarce” (Connolly, 186). Octavo, seven volumes, original publisher's cloth, each volume illustrated with plates, in-text illustrations, and maps by Pauline Baynes, including colour where called for. Comprising first editions of: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, covers with light toning to the extremities, dust jacket with some restoration and repairs, 1950; Prince Caspian, price-clipped dust jacket with repairs and restoration,…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 147528
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First Edition of Simple Speaks His Mind; Inscribed by Langston Hughes to Rev. Charles Sumner Lee
HUGHES, Langston.
Simple Speaks His Mind.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1950; [1951].
First edition of the first book in Hughes’ “Simple” series. Octavo, original publisher's cloth, gray top stain. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "Inscribed especially for Rev. Charles Sumner Lee with the good wishes of Langston Hughes. Camden, 29 April 1951." Very good in a very good dust jacket. Rare and desirable signed and inscribed.
Price: $1,500.00 Item Number: 147216
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“Protons give an atom its identity, electrons its personality": First Edition of Short History of Nearly Everything; Signed by Bill Bryson
BRYSON, Bill.
Short History of Nearly Everything.
New York: Broadway Books, 2003.
First edition of this work "destined to become a modern classic of science writing”(The New York Times). Octavo, original boards. Boldly signed by Bill Bryson on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Jamie Keenan.
Price: $750.00 Item Number: 147496
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"To one of the most gallant of his officers On the happiest and most important event in his life": Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Silverplate Presentation Tray
ROOSEVELT, Jr.
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Silverplate Presentation Tray.
1924.
Rare engraved silverplate presentation tray. Oval silverplate tray with wire loop sides interrupted on each long side with a vacant panel, raised on flattened bun feet. Engraved in the center, "With best wishes from his old C.G. To one of the most gallant of his officers on the happiest and most important event in his life Theodore Roosevelt December 5th 1924." In near fine condition. The piece measures 3.5 inches by 19.25 inches by 11.75 inches. An exceptional piece.
Price: $1,500.00 Item Number: 147200
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Rare limited Grolier Club edition of The History of Helyas Knight of the Swan
COPLAND, Robert [Translator] Wynkyn de Worde; Robert Hoe.
The History of Helyas Knight of the Swan.
The City of New York: The Grolier Club, 1901.
Limited edition of the Grolier Club's beautiful and literal facsimile reprint of Robert Hoe's unique copy of the 1512 edition of the classic medieval tale. Octavo, original publisher's full pigskin elaborately stamped in blind with the devices of Caxton and De Worde to the front and rear panels, brass clasps, illustrated, title page in black and red. One of three hundred and twenty-five copies on Whatman paper, and three copies on vellum. Translated by Robert Copland from the French version published in Paris in 1504. In very good condition. Housed in the original folding chemise slipcase.
Price: $975.00 Item Number: 147203
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“To show his nervousness was not shameful; only to admit it": FIRST EDITION OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY'S DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON; FINELY BOUND BY THE HARCOURT BINDERY
HEMINGWAY, Ernest.
Death in the Afternoon.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1932.
First edition of early work on bullfighting, by the master of American literature. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, Hemingway signature in gilt to the front panel, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. In fine condition. An exceptional presentation.
Price: $1,500.00 Item Number: 147652
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"It Is Very Queer That The Unhappiness Of The World Is So Often Brought On By Small Men": First Edition of All Quiet On The Western Front In The Rare Original Dust Jacket
REMARQUE, Erich Maria.
All Quiet On The Western Front.
Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1929.
First American edition of this landmark novel of the 20th century. Octavo, original beige cloth. Very good in a good dust jacket with tape repair to the back panel, contemporary name to the front free endpaper, original clippings to the rear endpapers. Jacket design by Paul Wenck. Translated by A.W. Wheen.
Price: $600.00 Item Number: 147451
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Rare United States Second Regiment of Artillery Presidential Appointment; signed by Ulysses S. Grant as president
GRANT, Ulysses S.
Ulysses S. Grant Signed Presidential Appointment.
1875.
Rare original Presidential appointment signed by Ulysses S. Grant as the eighteenth President of the United States. One page, partially printed, the commission is dated 25 March, 1875 and appoints John H. Calef as "Captain in the Second Regiment of Artillery in the service of the United States." Signed by Ulysses S. Grant as President and countersigned by Secretary of War William W. Belknap. Retaining the original gold foil seal. Handsomely matted and framed with a portrait of Grant and engraved informational plate. In near fine condition. The entire piece measures 30 inches by 26 inches.
Price: $2,500.00 Item Number: 147217
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First Edition of John Francis Rigaud's English translation of A Treatise on Painting by Leonardo Da Vinci
RIGAUD, John Francis. [Leonardo Da Vinci].
A Treatise on Painting, by Leonardo Da Vinci. Faithfully Translated from the Original Italian, and Now First Digested Under Proper Heads.
London: Printed for J. Taylor, 1802.
First edition thus of English painter and Royal Academician John Francis Rigaud's English translation of Leonardo da Vinci's Treatise on Painting, compiled from manuscripts written during his lifetime, but only first published in Italian in 1651. Octavo, bound in three quarter contemporary calf over marbled boards with gilt ruling to the spine, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, illustrated with twenty-three copper-plates and other figures, engraved frontispiece portrait of Da Vinci from a picture in the Florentine Museum. New Life of the Author by John Sidney Hawkins. In very good condition, bookplate to the front free endpaper.
Price: $2,500.00 Item Number: 147281
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FIRST EDITION OF FAULKNERS MASTERPIECE AND ONE OF THE GREATEST NOVELS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY THE SOUND AND THE FURY
FAULKNER, William.
The Sound and the Fury.
New York: Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, 1929.
First edition of Faulkner’s masterpiece. Octavo, original cloth, black and white patterned paper boards. In near fine condition. Petersen A6.2a. Brucolli & Clark I:121. Housed in a custom half morocco slipcase. An exceptional example.
Price: $4,500.00 Item Number: 147479
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First Edition of Michael Sall's Gin Rummy: A Predator's Guide
SALL, Michael.
Gin Rummy: A Predator’s Guide.
Canada: Michael Sall, 1998.
First edition of this guide to playing the game like a pro. Octavo, original publisher's morocco with gilt titles to the spine, illustrated with diagrams of gameplay. In near fine condition. Design and illustrations by Eileen Panepinto. Rare.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 147213
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Rare large format original printed broadside of the historic Atlantic Charter; printed by the united states government in 1943
[CHURCHILL, Winston S.; Franklin Delano Roosevelt].
The Atlantic Charter Broadside.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1943.
Rare original broadside of the historic Atlantic Charter, printed by the United States Government in 1943. One page, printed, conservation mounted, linen backed. In fine condition. The entire piece measures 26 inches by 34 inches. A fine presentation.
Price: $900.00 Item Number: 147218
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“It takes a great man to be a good listener": Signed Limited Edition of The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge
COOLIDGE, Calvin.
The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge.
New York: Cosmopolitan Book Corporation, 1929.
Signed limited first edition of the 30th President of the United States' autobiography, one of a 1,000 signed copies. Octavo, original quarter cloth, gilt topstain.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 147457
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"One of the 100 best books of any kind of the 20th century": First Edition of Hannah Arendt's Masterpiece The Origins of Totalitarianism; Finely Bound by the Harcourt Bindery
ARENDT, Hannah.
The Origins of Totalitarianism.
New York: Harcourt Brace, 1951.
First edition of this masterpiece, by one of the most important and influential thinkers of the twentieth century. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. In fine condition. An exceptional presentation.
Price: $2,000.00 Item Number: 147458
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“Sometimes, I feel the past and the future pressing so hard on either side that there's no room for the present at all": First Edition of Brideshead Revisited; Finely Bound by The Harcourt Bindery and Inscribed by Evelyn Waugh
WAUGH, Evelyn.
Brideshead Revisited.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1945.
First edition of Waugh's masterpiece. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author, "Inscribed for John Maloney by Evelyn Waugh December 1959" on a page bound in. In fine condition.
Price: $6,500.00 Item Number: 147460
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First Edition of The Good Earth; Finely Bound the Harcourt Bindery and Signed by Pearl Buck
BUCK, Pearl S.
The Good Earth.
New York: The John Day Company, 1931.
First edition of the author's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and masterpiece. First issue with "flees" for "fleas" on page 100, line 17. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Boldly signed by Pearl Buck on a page bound in. In fine condition.
Price: $3,800.00 Item Number: 147462
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First Editions of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged; Finely Bound by the Harcourt Bindery
RAND, Ayn.
The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.
New York: Bobbs-Merrill Company & Random House, 1943 & 1957.
First editions of Ayn Rand's masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Octavo, 2 volumes, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Housed in a custom half slipcase with ribbon. Both are in fine condition. An exceptional presentation.
Price: $9,500.00 Item Number: 140701
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; Signed by Salvador Dali
LEWIS CARROLL [CHARLES. L. DODGSON]; ILLUSTRATED BY SALVADOR DALI,.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
New York: Maecenas Press & Random House, 1969.
Limited illustrated edition of Lewis Carroll's beloved children's classic, signed by and with twelve illustrations by Salvador Dali. Folio, loose portfolio as issued in original brown silk chemise decorated in gilt, illustrated with an original three-color etching as a frontispiece and 12 striking full-page color photogravures (heliogravures) after Dalí's original gouache paintings. One of 2500 numbered copies signed by Salvador Dali on the title page. Housed in the original tan leather-backed clamshell case, lacking imitation bone clasps. In very good condition.
Price: $9,500.00 Item Number: 147228
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"Use care, caution, and common sense": First Edition of William Powell's The Anarchist Cookbook
POWELL, William; Peter Bergman.
The Anarchist Cookbook.
New York: Lyle Stuart, Inc, 1971.
Rare first edition of this book of illegal recipes. Square quarto, original wrappers, illustrated with diagrams throughout. In very good condition with some rubbing to the extremities, light toning to the margins throughout. Introduction by Peter M. Bergman.
Price: $1,600.00 Item Number: 147211
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First Edition of Giving Kids A Fair Chance; Inscribed by James J. Heckman
HECKMAN, James J.
Giving Kids A Fair Chance.
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2013.
First edition of this work by the Nobel Prize-winning economist. Octavo, original illustrated boards. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, "To John Rogers with respect James Heckman 9/18/15." In fine condition.
Price: $275.00 Item Number: 144400