"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. "
— Oscar Wilde

London: S. and J. Bentley, Wilson, and Fley. 1842. Only Printing. Octavo, pp.l; 314. Bound in contemporary textured brown cloth with paper title square to spine. Very slight lean to the the text block, some spotting and dustiness to edges. Some bumping to extremities of the covers, some rubbing with..... More
Paris: Didier, 1854. Signed presentation copy. Octavo. Bound in half brown calf over marbled paper, with raised bands highlighted with gilt, and brown and gilt label to spine. Signed by the author, and presented to Viscount Mahon, later Earl Stanhope, MP, prominent historian and biographer.Binding is rubbed, both leather and..... More
London: Tinsley Brothers, 1876. [Church Architecture and History] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (26 x 17cm), pp.xiv; 454 [2]. With 15 engraved plates, including a frontispiece. Re-backed in burgundy cloth to match publisher's blind-decorated boards, with gilt titles to spine and yellow-coated endpapers. Blue ink ownership relating to the Pitt-Rivers Museum in..... More
New York, NY: Aventine Press, 1931. [Cocktails] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.[8] 242 [6]. With occasional vignette illustrations. INSCRIBED by Oscar Tschirky (1866-1950), Head Waiter at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, in black ink to flyleaf: 'To | Judge Byron K. Elliot | with best wishes | from Oscar..... More
London: John Bale, Sons and Danielsson, 1936. First Edition. Octavo, pp. i, 131. With 5 b/w plates including frontispiece. In publisher's green cloth with yellow titles to spine. With original cream dust jacket, featuring black titles to spine and upper board. Corners slightly bumped, and some light wear to boards..... More
Dublin: Printed by Thomas Hume, 1724 - 1725. FIRST EDITIONS. Two volumes bound as one. Folio (32 x 21cm), pp.[16]; 260; [14]; 86; [10]. In recent brown speckled full panelled calf, with raised bands and gilt titles to red label on spine. Blue ink library stamp to title page and..... More
London: Richard Bentley and Son, 1881. [Musical Biographies] FINE PRIZE BINDING, the fourth edition. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] xvi; 373 [3]. With a very large Atlas Moth wing loose to preliminaries. Contemporary navy full calf by RELFE BROS of London, with gilt titles to red label and further gilt..... More
London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1989. [Politics] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.xii; 291; [1] blank. Publisher's black cloth, gilt titles to spine, yellow endpapers, dust-jacket designed by Slatter-Anderson featuring a photograph by David Montgomery with printed price of £13.95. Illustrated with a suite of black and white plates..... More
Taunton: Barnicott and Pearce, the Wessex Press, 1934. [Naval History] FIRST EDITION WITH JACKET. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.xvi; 200. With 20 lithographic maps, plans and illustrations, including a frontispiece. Publisher's blue cloth with black titles to spine and upper board. With rare original light blue dust-jacket featuring an engraving..... More
London: Virgin Books, 2008. SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. Octavo, pp.xv [3], 364 [2]. With occasional in-text photographic illustrations, and two sections of colour plates (eight double-sided plates in total). SIGNED by the author in blue ink to half-title, and hand-numbered 582 of 1000 copies produced in this special edition. In publisher's..... More
London: John Murray, 1814. FIRST EDITION. In three volumes. Crown Octavo. pp. xv, 308; i, 316; i, 320. With a contents page and index to each vol. In publisher's original quarter oatmeal cloth with grey paper boards. Blue paper pasted over spines and hand-written titles to labels on each spine..... More
London: Jonathan Cape, 1984. FIRST EDITION, a nice association copy, WARMLY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR shortly after publication. Octavo, pp.160. Publisher's cloth in original dustwrapper, pictorial endpapers, numerous black and white photographs and sketches throughout. The first volume of Dahl's fascinating autobiography. Edges a little dusty, one neat production crease..... More
London: Editions Poetry London, 1945. [Literary Biography] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.151 [1]. With a black and white photographic frontispiece portrait of Woolf. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the red typographic dust-jacket, priced at 7/6. Gently toned to wartime economy paper. Bumping to corners..... More
London: William Darby, 1967. [Topography] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.102 [2]. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to front free endpaper: 'To | the Estates Office Staff | with the author's compliments | William Darby | August 1967'. Illustrated with occasional black and white plates. Publisher's..... More
London: Quartet Books, 2010. [Literary Biography] INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR, revised third edition. Octavo (24 x 15cm), pp.[2] 534. INSCRIBED by the author in black ink to title page: 'For Edward | with best wishes | Michael Darlow | 1st August 2011. Publisher's soft covers priced at £22.50. Light wear..... More
London: William Collins, 1943. [Social history] FIRST EDITION. Slim octavo (23 x 17cm), pp.48. Publisher's blue and white paper covered boards with matching dust-jacket. With eight plates in colour and twenty illustrations in black and white. Ownership to flyleaf, some light spotting throughout. Binding lightly handled. Wrapper a little toned..... More
London: The Southern Railway Company, 1946. [Railway History] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.215 [1]. With four colour plates and 14 double-sided black and white photographic plates, as well as a folding map at rear. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. Top edge green. With the colour-illustrated..... More
Librairie De Frederic Henry, Paris, 1864. 6mo., pp. 83 + 5 wood engraved plates. Publisher's paper covers, uncut. Extremities lightly frayed; general age toning. An early study on "... not only the possibility, but also the ease in piloting a balloon in flight." More
London: Nichols and Sons, 1868. [Printing History] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.[2] vi; 397; [3]. Publisher's blind stamped maroon cloth, with gilt titles to spine. Armorial bookplate of Henry Peckitt to front pastedown. A few splits to weak binding; some gatherings starting to come loose. Head and tail..... More
Florence: Alinari Brothers, 1904. FIRST EDITION. Small quarto, pp.158 [2]. With many monochrome reproductions of paintings by various artists. In publisher's cream cloth with red titles to upper board and significantly raised relief-decoration. Top edge green, others untrimmed. Some marks to boards and bumped corners, otherwise very good... More
London: James Cundee, 1806. UNCOMMON EDITION. Four volumes, 6mo, pp.xlviii; 232; [11 of notes, 1 of adverts]; pp.221; [25 of notes, 6 of adverts]; pp.217; [35 of notes]; pp. 198; [46 of notes, 4 of adverts]. Frontispiece engraving to each volume. Bound in contemporary dark brown mottled calf, gilt titles..... More
Valletta: Progress Press Co., 1986. [Maltese Architectural History] SECOND EDITION. Octavo (25 x 19cm), pp.xii; 259 [1]. With two folding maps and a folding time-line at rear, as well as numerous in-text illustrations. Publisher's brown leatherette with gilt titles to spine. With the illustrated dust-jacket, not priced. Some light handling..... More
Valletta: Said International, 1995. [Maltese Architecture] FIRST EDITION. Quarto (32 x 26cm), pp.x; 152 [2]. With numerous colour images, as well as architectural plans. Publisher's blue cloth with silver titles to spine. With the blue illustrated dust-jacket, not priced. A pair of associated greetings cards loosely inserted. Moderate handling to..... More
Valletta: Allied Publications, 2008. [Maltese Politics] SIGNED COPY, the second impression. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.xii; 356. With three large suites of double-sided black and white photographic plates. SIGNED by the author in green ink to title page, dated 12.vi.2008. Publisher's photographic paper-covered boards, not priced. Moderately toned throughout, with..... More
London: Thames and Hudson, 1961. [Politics]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 18cm), pp.[10];627; [1]. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, blue top edge, photographic dust-jacket. Some marks to the top centimetre or so of the cloth, a couple of patches of tape burn to free endpapers, very slight bowing..... More