Maugham, W. Somerset

The Plays of W. Somerset Maugham.

London : William Heinemann, 1912-1930.

Rare collection of twelve first editions of the plays of W. Somerset Maugham, one of the most celebrated and commercially successful dramatists of the Edwardian and interwar English stage, including a presentation copy inscribed by the author to Elsie Tritton. Octavo, twelve volumes in the original publisher’s champagne printed wrappers, comprising: Mrs. Dot (1912), PenelopeContinue reading "The Plays of W. Somerset Maugham."

Flowers from the Holy Land: Fleurs de Terre Sainte.

Jerusalem circa 1920.

Rare olive wood souvenir album of pressed flowers from the Holy Land, produced in Jerusalem around 1920. Oblong duodecimo, original olive wood boards with a cloth spine, comprising twelve plates of views of the Holy Land and eleven plates of flowers gathered from biblical sites and pressed into decorative and religious arrangements. The title pageContinue reading "Flowers from the Holy Land: Fleurs de Terre Sainte."

Wood, Gordon S

The Radicalism of the American Revolution.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2018.

Signed limited edition of this classic Pulitzer Prize-winning work that argues the Revolution was not a conservative defense against British taxation, but a deeply radical social transformation. Octavo, bound in full leather with gilt titles and ruling to the in six compartments within raised bands, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, allContinue reading "The Radicalism of the American Revolution."

Melville, Herman

Typee: A Romance of the South Seas.

New York : The Limited Editions Club, 1935.

The Limited Editions Club edition of Melville’s romance of the South Seas. Octavo, bound in full Polynesian tapa cloth with printed spine titles and decorations, illustrated in color by Miguel Covarrubias. One of 1,500 numbered copies signed by Miguel Covarrubias on the colophon, this is number 193. In very good condition. Small printed bibliographic descriptionContinue reading "Typee: A Romance of the South Seas."

Trollope, Anthony

The Prime Minister.

London : Chapman & Hall, 1876.

First edition in book form of the penultimate Palliser novel, Anthony Trollope’s first sustained attempt to portray an ideal statesman. Octavo, four volumes bound in three quarter leather over marbled boards with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, gilt ruling and 5 raised bands to the spine, fore and bottom edges speckled red. In veryContinue reading "The Prime Minister."

Wolfe, Tom [Tom Hanks]

The Bonfire of the Vanities.

Franklin Center, PA : The Franklin Library, 1987.

Signed limited first edition of the author’s first novel, privately printed exclusively for members of The Signed First Edition Society. Octavo, Smyth-sewn and bound in full top-grain leather specially processed for fine books by the Cromwell Leather Company with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in four compartments within raised bands, gilt decoration toContinue reading "The Bonfire of the Vanities."

Trollope, Anthony

Marion Fay.

London : Chapman & Hall, Limited, 1882.

First edition of one of Anthony Trollope’s late novels, among his most detailed scrutinies of the English class system. Octavo, three volumes, bound in full polished calf by Bayntun with gilt titles and floral tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, morocco spine labels, double gilt ruling to the front andContinue reading "Marion Fay."

Byron, George Gordon

The Prisoner of Chillon.

London : Day & Son, 1865.

The W. & G. Audsley illuminated edition of Lord Byron’s celebrated poem, with striking chromolithographs by W.R. Tymms. Quarto, original publisher’s beveled purple cloth elaborately stamped in gilt, 20 leaves of thick paper chromolithographed on the rectos, all edges gilt. In very good condition. A beautiful example of Victorian chromolithography.

Bush, George H.W. [Lech Walesa]

All the Best: My Life in Letters and Other Writings.

New York : Scribners, 1999.

First edition of George H.W. Bush’s life and letters. Octavo, original half cloth, illustrated. Boldly signed by George Bush and the leader of the Solidarity Movement and Nobel Laureate Lech Walesa on the front free endpaper. Wałęsa was a leading force behind Poland’s democratic revolution, while Bush was one of the key international leaders whoContinue reading "All the Best: My Life in Letters and Other Writings."

Mottley, John. [Peter the Great]

The History of the Life of Peter I. Emperor of Russia.

London : Printed for J. Read, 1739.

First edition of this comprehensive account of the Tsar who transformed Russia from a medieval autocracy into a major European power through military conquest, sweeping administrative reform, and his legendary personal pursuit of Western technical knowledge. Octavo, three volumes, bound in full contemporary calf with gilt numbers and ruling to the spines in six compartmentsContinue reading "The History of the Life of Peter I. Emperor of Russia."

Irving, John. [Michael Caine]

The Cider House Rules.

Franklin Center, PA : The Franklin Library, 1985.

Signed limited first edition of Irving’s sixth novel, basis for the 1999 film starring Tobey Maguire and Michael Caine. Octavo, original leather, gilt titles and tooling to the front and rear panels, raised bands, all edges gilt, silk endpapers, frontispiece by Scott Reynolds. Boldly signed by John Irving and by Academy Award-winning actor Michael CaineContinue reading "The Cider House Rules."

Forsyth, Frederick. [Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan]

The Fourth Protocol.

San Francisco : Brandywyne Books, 1984.

Signed limited edition of this classic work, basis for the film bearing the same name starring Academy Award-winning actor Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Frederick Forsyth, Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan. Fine in a fine dust jacket in the original slipcase. Jacket artwork by Ned Dameron.

Dahl, Roald

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1964.

First edition of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, one of the best-loved children’s books of all time, illustrated by Joseph Schindelman. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with 22 karat gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front andContinue reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Salinger, J.D

Franny and Zooey.

Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 1961.

First edition of J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey, two interconnected stories of the Glass family and, after The Catcher in the Rye, his best-loved book. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with 22 karot gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to theContinue reading "Franny and Zooey."

Bellow, Saul

The Adventures of Augie March.

New York : The Viking Press, 1953.

First edition of Saul Bellow’s National Book Award-winning masterpiece, the exuberant Chicago novel that opens with the celebrated line, “I am an American, Chicago born.” Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front andContinue reading "The Adventures of Augie March."

McCullers, Carson

Reflections in a Golden Eye.

Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 1941.

First edition of Carson McCullers’s haunting second novel, a spare and unsettling tale of desire, obsession, and violence on a peacetime Army post in the American South. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with 22 karat gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt rulingContinue reading "Reflections in a Golden Eye."

Montgomery, Bernard Law [Field Marshal The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein]

A History of Warfare.

London : The Arcadia Press, 1969.

The Arcadia Press limited edition, of the first American edition, of this sweeping military history. Octavo, bound in full morocco by Zaehnsdorf with gilt titles to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, pictorial vignette inlay of a cannon to the front panel, all edges gilt, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, illustratedContinue reading "A History of Warfare."

Maris, Roger; Jim Ogle

Roger Maris at Bat.

New York : Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1962.

First edition of Roger Maris at Bat, the New York Yankees slugger’s own account of his career, published the year after he broke Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record, written with sportswriter Jim Ogle. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with 22 karat gilt titles and ruling to the spine in sixContinue reading "Roger Maris at Bat."

Hardy, Thomas

The Return of the Native.

London : Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1949.

Finely bound example of Hardy’s classic novel. Octavo, bound in full blue morocco by Bayntun Riviere with gilt titles and floral tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, all edges gilt, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, illustrated with a mapContinue reading "The Return of the Native."

Fitzgerald, Edward [Translator]

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyám.

London : Robt. Riviere & Son, LTD, 1928.

Finely bound edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, rendered into English Verse by Edward Fitzgerald. Octavo, bound in full polished calf by Riviere and Son with gilt titles and floral tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, elaborately tooled in gilt with Persian motifs to the front and rear panels,Continue reading "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyám."

Kipling, Rudyard

Poems 1886-1929.

London : Macmillan and Co. Limited, 1929.

Signed limited first edition of this classic work. Quarto, three volumes, bound in original full red polished morocco with gilt titles and numbers to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, top edges gilt, gilt inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, tissue-guarded frontispiece to volume one. One of 525 numbered copies, this is number 4. Boldly signedContinue reading "Poems 1886-1929."

Shakespeare, William

The Works of Shakespeare.

New York : Virtue and Yorston, c. 1873-76.

The Imperial edition of the works of William Shakespeare. Folio, two volumes, bound in full morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, elaborate ruling stamped in blind to the front and rear panels, pictorial vignette stamped in gilt to the front panels, all edges gilt, giltContinue reading "The Works of Shakespeare."

Huxley, Aldous

Brave New World.

London : Chatto & Windus, 1932.

First edition of Huxley’s masterpiece. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with 22 karat gilt titles and tooling to the spine in five compartments within raised bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt ruled inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, hand-made Italian marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. InContinue reading "Brave New World."

Gray, Henry

Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical [Gray’s Anatomy].

Philadelphia : Blanchard and Lea, 1859.

First edition of this influential work on Anatomy, often considered “the doctor’s bible.” Royal octavo, bound in full contemporary sheep with black morocco spine label lettered in gilt, illustrated with 363 wood-engravings after the drawings by H. V. Carter. In very good condition with light rubbing and shelf wear. Owner inscriptions to the half-title pageContinue reading "Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical [Gray’s Anatomy]."