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"However closely we live together, at whatever time of day or night we sound the deepest thoughts in one another, we know nothing": Rare First Edition of the John Le Carre’s First Book
LE CARRE, John.
Call For The Dead.
London: Victor Gollancz, 1961.
First edition of the author's first book, which introduced the world to the recurring protagonist, George Smiley. Octavo, original red cloth. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. An exceptional example, uncommon in this condition.
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 139418
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"the most celebrated biography in the English language": Rare First Edition of Boswell's The Life of Johnson
BOSWELL, James.
The Life of Johnson.
London: Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, in The Poultry, 1791.
First edition, first issue of both volumes of the most celebrated biography in the English language, which was published on May 16, 1791 in a print run of only 1,750 copies. Quarto, bound in contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Frontispiece portrait of Samuel Johnson, engraved by J. Heath after the Sir Joshua Reynolds (1756) painting. Volume one is the first state with the word “give” reading on page 135, line 10. First state of volume two, with two engraved illustrations, “The Round Robin” at p. 92, and the “facsimiles” of Dr. Johnson's handwriting on p. 588. In near fine condition with light toning,…
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 80005
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“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary": Rare First Separate Edition of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven
POE, Edgar Allan.
The Raven.
New York: W. Jennings Demorest, c. 1869-1870.
The first separate American edition of Poe's most famous poem, and likely the first separate edition overall, preceding the 1869 Glasgow edition (BAL 16216). Small octavo, original cloth, blue endpapers. Octavo, original colored pictorial wrappers printed in blue and gold. In very good condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Only four copies of this separate Demorest edition have been located in OCLC, at the Huntington, Yale University, Brown University, Emory University, all with their bindings unspecified. Though The Raven is here published separately, another issue has been noted at both the University of Virginia and the Free Library Company…
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 144195
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“He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same”: Exceptionally rare First American edition of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights; in the original publisher's cloth
BY THE AUTHOR OF "JANE EYRE." [BRONTE, Emily].
Wuthering Heights. A Novel.
New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1848.
First American edition (published less than five months after the virtually unobtainable London first edition) of Emily Brontë's singular masterpiece. Octavo, original publisher's purple cloth stamped in blind with gilt titles and tooling to the spine. In good condition with splitting and wear to the cloth. Period ownership inscription to the pastedown. Exceptionally rare in the original publisher's cloth.
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 146424
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“One day, you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again": COMPLETE FIRST EDITION SET OF C.S. LEWIS' THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA; FINELY BOUND BY THE HARCOURT BINDERY
LEWIS, C.S.
The Chronicles of Narnia Set: 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, 1950-1956.
First editions of each book in the author's classic Chronicles of Narnia series, which has sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages. Octavo, 7 volumes, illustrated by Pauline Baynes, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles to the spine, raised bands, gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, gilt signature to each front panel, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. The set comprises of 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, and The Last Battle. Each are…
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 140690
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The Artists' Edition of the Works of Alexander Dumas, one of only 100 numbered copies; Finely Bound
DUMAS, Alexandre. [Alexander].
The Works of Alexandre Dumas.
Boston: Dana Estes & Company Publishers, 1894-1904.
The Artists' Edition of the complete works of Alexander Dumas. Octavo, 46 volumes bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards with gilt titles and botanical decorations to the spine in four compartments within raised gilt bands, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, photogravure frontispieces in 2 states to each volume, one hand-colored and the other on Japan vellum, each with lettered tissue guard, title-pages printed in red and black on Japan vellum, illustrated with numerous photogravures. One of 100 numbered copies of the Artists' edition, this is number 9. In near fine condition. An exceptional set.
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 144834
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"What threatens us today is fear": The original typed manuscript of Faulkner's important public address to his daughter Jill's graduating class at University High School in Oxford Mississippi; with autograph corrections and deletions in his hand
FAULKNER, William.
Address to the Graduating Class of 1951 of University High School, Oxford, Mississippi.
The original typed manuscript of Faulkner's important public address to his daughter Jill's graduating class at University High School in Oxford Mississippi with autograph corrections and deletions in his hand. Three pages, carbon typescript, the text contains 8 strikethroughs and 6 autograph corrections in Faulkner's hand in ink. In this important public address, Faulkner clarifies for a young audience the terms for survival and optimism in the Cold War era, ideas which he first expressed publicly five months earlier in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. In the spring of 1951, Faulkner was in Paris, New York, and Lexington, Kentucky, where…
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 135874
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"ONE OF THE GREAT CHARACTERS OF MODERN FICTION": FIRST EDITION OF KAZANTZAKIS’ ZORBA THE GREEK; SIGNED BY HIM
KAZANTZAKIS, Nikos [Kazantzaki].
Zorba The Greek.
London: John Lehman, 1952.
First edition in English, preceding the American edition by one year of the author's most popular novel. basis for the Oscar-winning film starring Anthony Quinn. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by Nikos Kazantzakis. From the library of Odysseas Elytis, the recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1979. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Translated by Carl Wildman. Introduction by Ian Scott-Kilvert. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Trade editions signed by Kazantzakis are exceptionally rare.
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 138764
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"the most celebrated biography in the English language": Rare First Edition, First Issue of Boswell's The Life of Johnson
BOSWELL, James.
The Life of Johnson.
London: Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, in The Poultry, 1791.
First edition, first issue of both volumes of the most celebrated biography in the English language, which was published on May 16, 1791 in a print run of only 1,750 copies. Quarto, bound in full morocco by Birdsall, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, inner dentelles, all edges gilt. Frontispiece portrait of Samuel Johnson, engraved by J. Heath after the Sir Joshua Reynolds (1756) painting. Housed in a custom clamshell box. In fine condition. An excellent example of this landmark work.
Price: $16,500.00 Item Number: 120374
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“Each moment is the fruit of forty thousand years": First Edition of Look Homeward, Angel; Inscribed by Thomas Wolfe in the year of publication
WOLFE, Thomas.
Look Homeward, Angel.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1929.
First edition of the author's classic work. Octavo, original dark blue cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the title page, "To Jo Dauber with thanks for dragging me in. Thomas Wolfe, Nov. 27, 1929." Near fine in a very good first-issue dust jacket with the photograph of Wolfe by Doris Ulmann. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. A nice example, uncommon in this condition and signed.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 125635
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Rare De Witt Clinton High School Class of 1941 Yearbook; signed by James Baldwin as a graduating senoir
[BALDWIN, James].
James Baldwin Signed De Witt Clinton High School Class of 1941 Yearbook.
Bronx, New York: Published by the Senior Class of De Witt Clinton High School, June 1941.
Rare De Witt Clinton High School Class of 1941 Yearbook signed by James Baldwin as a graduating senior. Quarto, original cloth, pictorial endpapers, illustrated with photographs. Signed by James Baldwin to the right of his senior photograph of page 36, "James Baldwin." His accolades read: JAMES A. BALDWIN "Baldy" Magpie Editorial Boards; Student Court. Novelist-Playwright. 'Fame is the spur and - ouch!' Additionally signed by dozens of other graduating seniors. With copies of the Commencement Exercises, List of Awards and Prizes and June 1941 'Class-Nite' program laid in. In very good condition. Exceptionally rare, one of the earliest Baldwin autographs…
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 130241
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SIGNED LIMITED EDITION OF THE COMPLETE SHERLOCK HOLMES; ONE OF ONLY 147 EXAMPLES
DOYLE, Arthur Conan.
Complete Sherlock Holmes.
New York: Doubleday & Company, 1953.
Signed limited edition of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic stories starring literature’s most famous detective, number 144 of only 147 examples. Octavo, two volumes, original half morocco, buckram sides, gilt titles to the spine, top edge blue, blue endpapers, original card slipcase with printed label. Signed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as issued. Introduction by John Dickson Carr. Preface by Christopher Morley. In near fine condition. Rare.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 142986
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First editions of Parts I and II of Stephen King's The Plant; both volumes warmly inscribed by him to his publicist
KING, Stephen.
The Plant. The Opening Segment of an Ongoing Work and Part Two.
Bangor, Maine: Philtrum Press, 1982-1983.
First editions of the first two parts of King's rare unfinished epistolary novel. Octavo, original saddle-sewn olive green wrappers with folding flaps stamped and lettered in black, each part is one of 200 numbered copies printed at the Stinehour Press and designed by Michael Alpert: Part One, No. 147; Part Two, No. 138. Presentation copies, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper of Part I, "For Barbara - All best, and have a very Happy New Year! Stephen King 1/11/83" and on the half-title page of Part II, "For Barbara - with best wishes, Steve King 1/2/83." With…
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 136499
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First Edition of Max Beerbohm's Zuleika Dobson; In the Rare Original Dust Jacket; With an autographed Letter Signed
BEERBOHM. MAX,.
Zuleika Dobson or An Oxford Love Story.
London: William Heinemann, 1911.
First edition of Beerbohm's classic and only novel. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in the rare original dust jacket, which is in very good condition. According to Mark Samuels Lasner, the Beerbohm scholar and bibliographer, there have only been five copies of this book identified as still possessing their original dust jackets. Two are in institutions, two have been in private hands. Laid in is an autographed letter signed by Max Beerbohm dated August 3, 1911, the publication of Zuleika Dobson. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 121225
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“Not until we can deliver our secret to our respective worlds and acquire an intact ship": First Edition of Larry Niven's Ringworld; Lengthily Signed by Him
NIVEN, Larry.
Ringworld.
London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1972.
First British and first hardcover edition of this classic work, which went on to win the 1970 Nebula and 1971 Hugo award for best novel. Octavo, original cloth. Lengthily signed by the author on the title page, "Not until we can deliver our secret to our respective worlds and acquire an intact ship. Larry Niven." Very good in a very good dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. A unique example.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 139744
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"ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS": FIRST EDITION OF GEORGE ORWELL’S MASTERPIECE ANIMAL FARM; in the rare original dust jacket
ORWELL, George.
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story.
London: Secker & Warburg, 1945.
First edition of Orwell's timeless allegorical novel— a scathing satire on a downtrodden society’s blind march towards totalitarianism - with "First Published May 1945" on the copyright page. Fenwick A.10a. Octavo, original publisher's green cloth. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket with the 6s price to front flap, "Searchlight Books—each 2s net". Housed in a custom half morocco and chemise clamshell box. An exceptional example, one of the nicest examples we have seen.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 147150
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"Everybody is going to be what they are, and whatever they are": First Edition of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test; Signed by Ken Kesey, Hunter S. Thompson, Phil Lesh, Larry McMurtry, Ken Babbs, Ralph Metzner, Ed McClanahan, Paul Krassner and Angela Davis
WOLFE, Tom [Ken Kesey.
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.
New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 1968.
First edition of the classic account of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters during their bus trip across America in the late 1960's. Octavo, original cloth. Signed on title page and opposite page by Ken Kesey, Hunter S. Thompson, Phil Lesh, Larry McMurtry, Ken "Wolfe Boy" Babbs It had the Babbs Touch", "Blessings galore! Ralph Metzner", "Moi Aussi!! Ed McClanahan (and with a drawing), "Hey I'm here...Paul Krassner" and by Angela Davis on half-title page. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Milton Glaser. An exceptional example.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 146456
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"A Faulkner oddity with a most interesting genesis and publication history": Three original typed drafts of William Faulkner's short story Afternoon of a Cow. By Ernest V. Trueblood
FAULKNER, William.
Afternoon of a Cow Original Typed Manuscript Drafts.
Three original typed drafts of William Faulkner's parodical short story "Afternoon of a Cow. By Ernest V. Trueblood." Two complete copies, each 17 leaves; bound with brass clasps in green folders with the third copy lacking the first leaf; with 49 strikethroughs in Faulkner's hand throughout most excising a single word. When Faulkner returned to Oxford at the end of World War I, he was writing poetry, much of it under the influence of the French Symbolists. In the summer of 1919, he borrowed Mallarmé's title, "L'Après-midi d'un Faune," for a 40-line poem of frustrated love. The poem appeared in…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 139485
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First edition of Peter Rabbit's Painting Book; lengthily inscribed by Beatrix Potter to the Headmistress of Queen's College
POTTER, Beatrix.
Peter Rabbit’s Painting Book.
London & New York: Frederick Warne & Co, 1911.
First edition of this charming paint-by-line children's book featuring Potter's most beloved animal characters. Quarto, original pictorial cloth, pictorial endpapers, illustrated with 12 color plates, each with facing outlined illustration intended for coloring-in, two of which have been hand-painted. Presentation copy, lengthily inscribed by the author on the second free endpaper in the year of publication, "Love to Mary Kynaston from Miss Potter and Peter Rabbit: and love to Joan and Phyllis and their little brother from all the little animals. (It is going to be gray squirrels next time, but that is a secret!) Thank you for a very…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 135107
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First edition of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind; Inscribed by Her
MITCHELL, Margaret.
Gone With the Wind.
New York: The Macmillan Company, 1936.
First edition of Margaret Mitchell's masterpiece which remains one of the fastest selling novels in the history of American publishing, with 50,000 copies sold in a single day. Octavo, original cloth. First printing, with “Published May 1936” on the copyright page and no mention of other printings. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Elizabeth S. Harsh from Margaret Mitchell." Near fine in a very good completely unrestored price-clipped first issue dust jacket with Gone with the Wind listed in second column of booklist on back panel and the $3.00 cost on front flap. Eicher…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 139819