"Books are a hardbound drug with no danger of overdose. I am the happy victim of books."
— Karl Lagerfeld

Thomas Stearns Eliot OM (26 September 1888 – 4 January 1965) was an American-born British essayist, publisher, playwright, literary and social critic and "one of the twentieth century's major poets", according to biographer Ronald Bush. Indeed, Eliot was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948, "for his outstanding, pioneer contribution to present-day poetry". T.S. Eliot moved to England in 1914 at age 25, where he settled, worked and married. He was eventually naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39, renouncing his American citizenship.
Eliot attracted widespread attention for his poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (1915), which is seen as a masterpiece of the Modernist movement. It was followed by some of the best-known poems in the English language, including The Waste Land (1922). The Waste Land received mixed criticism and praise. Charles Powell called Eliot's poems 'incomprehensible', whilst the writers of Time magazine were similarly baffled by the poem. However, Edmund Wilson praised Eliot as "one of our only authentic poets", concluding, "I doubt whether there is a single other poem of equal length by a contemporary American which displays so high and so varied a mastery of English verse."
See below our stock of T. S. Eliot First Editions.
London: Faber & Faber, no date [1931]. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION. Octavo pamphlet (19 x 13cm), pp.[4]. With a tri-chromatic print, as well as a cover illustration by Kauffer. Publisher's grey paper covers, sewn. A little light spotting, and some toning to edges. Near fine. The fifth of Eliot's 'Ariel' poems..... More
Herning: Poul Kristensen, 1965. [Drama in Translation] INSCRIBED FIRST DANISH EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.114 [6]. All text in Danish. INSCRIBED by the translator in black ink to the first blank, dated October 1965, with a longer message written onto the back of a business card. Publisher's grey soft..... More
London: Faber and Faber, Ltd., 1934. [Literary Criticism] FIRST EDITION, SIGNED by the author in blue ink to title page. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.68. Blue cloth hardcovers with gilt titles to spine, in typographic dust-jacket priced at 3/6. Faint erasure to pastedown, minor spotting, jacket with old tape to..... More
London: Faber and Faber, Ltd., 1954. [Drama] FIRST EDITION. Tall octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.136. Publisher's blue cloth hardcovers titled in gilt, typographic dust-wrapper priced at 10/6. Corrected text on p.7, which is apparently more elusive. Some light spotting including board edges, trivial toning to jacket; overall a fresh, bright..... More
New York, NY: Boni and Liveright, 1922. LIMITED SECOND EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.64. Number 518 of 1000 copies printed. Publisher's dark grey cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board. Edges untrimmed. Text block lightly browned, as expected. Some rubbing to fore-edges and spine; a few marks..... More
London: Faber and Faber, 1942. [Excerpts] FIRST THUS. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.146 [2]. Publisher's yellow cloth with brown titles to spine. With the yellow typographic dust-jacket, priced at 3/6. Jacket toned, with rubbing and light chipping to edges, and heavier rubbing and browning to spine. Very good. Selected passages..... More
London: Faber and Faber, 1933. [Poetry Anthology] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.255 [1]. Publisher's brown cloth with white titles to spine. Gently toned, otherwise a clean copy internally. Lightly rubbed and bumped to boards, with heavy rubbing and toning to spine. Lower joint split; upper starting. Good. A...... More