"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. "
— Oscar Wilde
Poetry & Drama
Poems in the Porch.
London: S.P.C.K., 1957. [Poetry] ILLUSTRATED EDITION, a later printing. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.[28]. With in-text illustrations by Piper. Publisher's soft covers titled in blue and red, stapled twice and priced at 2s. Blue ink gift inscription to half-title. Covers toned with some light handling. Very good. Some blank verse..... More
State of the Nation: British Theatre since 1945.
London: Faber and Faber, 2007. [Theatre] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.viii; 435; [5]. With a suite of four double-sided colour photographic plates. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to title page: "For Edward | Best Wishes | Michael Billington | 19th November 2007". Publisher's orange cloth..... More
The Horkey.
London: Macmillan and Co., 1882. [Children's illustrated] ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE CRUICKSHANK (the younger). Slim quarto (25 x 21cm), pp.48. Printed with colour illustrations to every page. Illustrated paper-covered boards, green cloth spine, all edges green. Blind stamp of W.H. Smith Library to flyleaf, some toning and light spotting. Boards rubbed..... More
![Item #49899 Rural Tales, Ballads, and Songs [and] The Farmer's Boy, A Rural Poem. Robert BLOOMFIELD](/pictures/thumb/49899.jpg?v=1512736293)
Rural Tales, Ballads, and Songs [and] The Farmer's Boy, A Rural Poem.
Paris: Parsons and Galignani, 1804. [Poetry]. FINELY BOUND, early editions, two volumes bound as one. Octavo (16 x 10cm), pp.75-146 [2]; pp.74 [4]. With an etched vignette title page for each volume. In contemporary marbled boards, recently re-backed in light brown calf with black titles to cream paper label on..... More
After the Bombing. And other short poems.
London: Macmillan and Co. Ltd., 1949. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.viii; 51; [1]. Publisher's red cloth, gilt titles to spine, dust-jacket with printed price of 6s. net. Internally fine, some toning to rear endpapers. Cloth lightly rubbed to bottom edge. Wrapper darkened to spine, some bruising along..... More
The Poems of Edmund Blunden.
London: Cobden-Sanderson, 1930. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.[2] xviii; 336. Publisher's cream cloth with gilt titles to spine. Top edge blue; others untrimmed. illustrated bookplate of Maud Budden (), poet and writer for the 'Curly Wee' annuals, to front pastedown, with some associated offsetting to flyleaf. Light..... More
Varied Verse.
London and Tunbridge Wells: The Reliance Press, no date [1925]. [Kent and Sussex Poetry] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.63 [1]. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to title page: 'To Major Heron, with the author's | kindred regards & in remembrance | of many a hearty..... More
Saraband & Satyricon: Poems and Verses, Orthodox and Heterodox.
Kineton: The Roundwood Press, 1970. [Poetry] SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.xvi; 235 [1]. Number 190 of 250 copies SIGNED by the author in black ink to title page. Publisher's white cloth with gilt titles to spine and green endpapers. With the light green typographic dust-jacket. A few..... More
Poetry. The First of the Broadcast National Lectures delivered on 28 February 1929.
London: The British Broadcasting Corporation, 1929. [Poetry Lecture] FIRST EDITION. Octavo pamphlet (19 x 13cm), pp.27 [1]. Publisher's green card covers, priced at 1s. A nice clean copy. Some toning and rubbing to spine and cover edges, with a few small marks. Near fine. More
The Testament of Beauty.
Oxford: at the Clarendon Press, 1929. [Poetry] LIMITED FIRST EDITION. Quarto (30 x 23cm), pp.[8] 154 [2]. Number 100 of just 250 copies on fine hand-made paper. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the 'Publisher's Note on the Text' loose to preliminaries. Light handling, with a hint..... More
The Testament of Beauty. A Poem in Four Books.
Oxford: at the Clarendon Press, 1930. [Poetry] SECOND EDITION, the final revision of the text. Octavo (23 x 18cm), pp.[8] 175 [1]. Publisher's quarter vellum with gilt titles to spine and marbled paper over boards. With the 'Publisher's Note on the Text' tipped in at rear. Black ink gift inscription..... More
"1914" Five Sonnets by Rupert Brooke.
London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1915. [War Poetry] FIRST SEPARATE EDITION. Pott octavo pamphlet (15 x 12cm), pp.[8]. Publisher's grey card covers, sewn, with blue titles to front cover. Small black ink ownership to front cover. Covers lightly rubbed and thumbed. Lightly toned internally. Very good. The larger collection '1914 and..... More
The Collected Poems of T.E. Brown.
London: Macmillan and Co., 1901. [Poetical Works] FINELY BOUND, second impression thus. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] xxvi; 736 [2]. With a photographic frontispiece portrait of the author. Contemporary Art Nouveau binding of green full calf, with gilt titles and decoration to spine, and some decoration to boards including red..... More
The Poetical Works of Robert Browning.
London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1896. [Poetry] LETTERS FROM THE AUTHOR. In two volumes. Octavo. Bound in publisher's green cloth, with gilt motif to front board and gilt titles to spine; top edge gilt. Portrait frontispieces to both volumes. Accompanied by Robert Browning's dried buttonhole decoration from June '86, preserved..... More
John Clare and Picturesque Landscape.
Oxford: the Clarendon Press, 1983. [Literary Criticism] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xii; 158 [2]. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to spine. Light blue endpapers. With the illustrated dust-jacket titled in red and black. Light spotting to edges. Jacket a little bruised and rubbed, with a closed tear..... More
Unfinished Poems. "Musings" by William Cullen Bryant, and "Godfrey of Boulogne" by Henry D. Thoreau.
Boston, MA: The Bibliophile Society, 1907. [American Poetry] LIMITED PRIVATE PRESS EDITION. Large octavo (25 x 19cm), pp.[4] xxviii [4]. With a double-sided facsimile plate of the manuscript of each poem, and an engraving for each, together with the printed texts. One of 470 copies thus, finely printed on Japanese..... More
The Piper of Hamelin: A Fantastic Opera in Two Acts.
London: William Heinemann, 1893. [Illustrated Drama] FIRST THOMSON ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm), pp.64. With 12 wood engraved plates by Thomson, as well as a decorated title page. Publisher's light green cloth with darker green titles to spine and upper board. Top edge green, others untrimmed. Black ink ownership..... More
The works of robert burns. Illustrated by an Extensive Series of Portraits and Authentic Views. With a Complete Life of the Poet: An Essay on his Genius and Character, by Professor Wilson. Numerous Notes, Annotations, and Appendices.
London: Blackie and Son, 1866. [Poetry] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Two volumes. Large octavo (26 x 18cm), pp.cclxxvi; iv; 149; [1]; pp.xx; 412. With a total of 83 engraved plates by various artists, including a frontispiece and vignette title page to each volume, and a facsimile example of Burns' handwriting..... More
Songs of Robert Burns. With a Prefatory Notice, Biographical and Critical, by Joseph Skipsey.
London: The Walter Scott Publishing Co., no date [1902]. [Scots Poetry] FINELY BOUND. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.[2] 354 [2]. With a frontispiece portrait of Burns. Contemporary quarter vellum, with gilt titles to a brown label, as well as delicate green and gilt decoration to spine. Striped green cloth over..... More
Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialect.
Newport, RI: John Brown, 1870. [Poetry] PUBLISHER'S PRESENTATION COPY. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.240. A facsimile of the 1786 Kilmarnock edition. Handsomely bound by Bayntun-Riviere for Lauriat in tan half calf over buckram sides, gilt to spine, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Contents toned, some thumbmarks, neat repair to corner..... More
The Poetical works of robert burns, in two volumes with a complete glossary, and Life of the Author.
London: W. Lewis and Co., 1816. [Poetical Works] EARLY EDITION, publisher's original boards. Two volumes. Sextodecimo (17 x 11cm), pp.viii; 199 [1]; pp.viii; 165 [3]. With an engraved frontispiece and vignette title page to each volume. Publisher's blue quarter paper-covered spine, with plain grey paper over boards. Plain paper title..... More
The Poetical Works of Lord Byron. Collected and Arranged, with Notes and Illustrations.
London: John Murray, 1866. [Romantic Poetry] FINELY BOUND. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.[16] 827 [3]. Finely bound by HAYDAY in full black morocco, gilt titles and decorations to spine, gilt panelled decoration to boards, raised bands, all edges gilt, gilt dentelle turn ins over plain endpapers. With an engraved frontispiece..... More
The Works of Lord Byron. Complete in One Volume.
London: John Murray, 1842. [Romantic Poetry] FINELY BOUND. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.[4] viii; 827 [5]. With an engrave frontispiece portrait of the author and a vignette title page, as well as two double-sided facsimile plates showing the author's handwriting at different ages. Very small print over two columns. Contemporary..... More
The Works of Lord Byron. With His Letters and Journals, and his Life, by Thomas Moore.
London: John Murray, 1835. [Verse] FINELY BOUND. 18 volumes, being the poetry complete in 17 volumes, with Galt's Life of Byron (First Edition) as the 18th volume. Octavo (17 x 11 x 45cm). Engraved frontispiece and engraved title page to every volume. Finely bound by Kaufmann for booksellers Estes and..... More
The Selected Poems of Roy Campbell.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.[2] xxii; 131 [5]. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the black photographic dust-jacket, priced at £7.50. A fine, as-new copy. More