"Outside of a dog, man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
— Groucho Marx
Roald Dahl | First Editions
1916 - 1990
Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and fighter pilot. He is one of the most beloved children's writers of all time, and his books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide.
Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, Dahl served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence officer, rising to the rank of acting wing commander. Dahl began writing fiction for both children and adults, and rose to prominence in the 1940s. Today, Dahl is one of the world's best-selling authors, and has been referred to as "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century". His awards for contribution to literature include the 1983 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, and the British Book Awards' Children's Author of the Year in 1990. In 2008, The Times placed Dahl 16th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
Dahl's short stories are known for their unexpected endings and his children's books for their unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic content, featuring villainous adult enemies of the child characters. His books champion the kind-hearted, and feature an underlying warm, moral current. Roald Dahl died on 23 November 1990, at the age of 74. According to his granddaughter, the family gave him a "sort of Viking funeral". He was buried with his snooker cues, some very good burgundy, chocolates, HB pencils and a power saw. Today, children continue to leave toys and flowers by his grave.
See below our stock of Roald Dahl First Editions, fine bindings, sets, and signed copies.
Results 1 - 25 (of 25)
Dirty Beasts.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1983. [Childrens Illustrated] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Slim Quarto (28 x 22cm), pp.[32]. Illustrated with hilarious and gruesome plates by Fawcett. Bound in publisher's pictorial paper boards, showing titles and a terrified child tucked up in bed to the front cover, titles to spine, yellow endpapers. No..... More
The Minpins.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1991. [Children's story] FIRST EDITION. Large format hardcover (28 x 22cm), pp.48, colour illustrations throughout. Publisher's illustrated covers, red endpapers, pictorial dust-jacket. A clean, fine copy, inside and out. "Beware, Beware, the Forest of Sin! None come out, but many go in!" This was the author's final..... More
The BFG.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982. [Children's classic] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (24 x 13cm), pp.224. With frequent in-text illustrations by Quentin Blake. Publisher's grey cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket illustrated by Blake, priced at £6.50. A nice clean copy, somewhat toned to edges and margins, as..... More
The BFG.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982. [Children's classic] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (24 x 13cm), pp.224. With frequent in-text illustrations by Quentin Blake. Publisher's grey cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket illustrated by Blake, priced at £6.50. Contents clean, edges gently toned, no inscriptions, jacket with trivial wear..... More
George's Marvellous Medicine.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1981. [Childrens classic] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (24 x 15cm), pp.96. With illustrations by Blake. In publisher's light blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With pictorial dust-jacket priced at £3.95. Contents clean, no inscriptions, jacket is fresh. Simply a crisp, fine copy. Outstanding. Dahl's splendidly..... More
George's Marvellous Medicine.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1981. [Children's classic] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.96. With illustrations by Blake. In publisher's light blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With dust-jacket also illustrated by Blake. Spotting to edges, otherwise internally clean. Some wear and toning to board extremities. Price-clipped jacket..... More
The Magic Finger.
London: Viking, 1995. [Children's Adventure] FIRST BLAKE EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.64. With frequent in-text illustrations by Blake; large print. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the green illustrated dust-jacket, not priced. Moderate toning to paper, as usual, jacket with a few small nicks, spine gently..... More
The Roald Dahl Treasury.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1997. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION, first impression, ASSOCIATION COPY from the library of Dahl's agent. Octavo (26 x 21cm), pp.444. Colour illustrations throughout, by Quentin Blake and others. Publisher's red cloth with yellow titles to spine, yellow endpapers. With the pictorial dust-jacket, priced at £19.99. Blake-illustrated Bookplate..... More
Songs and Verse.
London: Jonathan Cape, 2005. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION, first impression, ASSOCIATION COPY from the library of Dahl's agent. Octavo (26 x 21cm), pp.192. Colour illustrations throughout, by Quentin Blake and others. Publisher's dark blue cloth with gilt titles to spine, pale blue endpapers. With the pictorial dust-jacket, priced at £14.99..... More
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke.
London: Century, 1991. [Illustrated Humour] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.24. Quentin Blake illustrations throughout, some in colour. Publisher's dark blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the pictorial dust-jacket, priced at £6.99. Minor marks to endpapers, and some light general wear. Near fine. A short..... More
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke.
London: Century, 1991. [Illustrated Humour] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.24. Quentin Blake illustrations throughout, some in colour. Publisher's dark blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the pictorial dust-jacket, priced at £6.99. A nice clean copy, showing just a touch of handling, and a hint..... More
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke.
London: Century, 1991. [Illustrated Humour] FIRST EDITION, first impression, ASSOCIATION COPY from the library of Dahl's agent. Octavo (24 x 17cm), pp.24. Quentin Blake illustrations throughout, some in colour. Publisher's dark blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the pictorial dust-jacket, priced at £6.99. Blake-illustrated Bookplate of Tom Maschler..... More
Two Fables.
Harmondsworth: Viking, 1986. [Short Stories] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.64. With frequent in-text black and white illustrations, and a colour frontispiece, by Dean. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the red and black dust-jacket, priced at £5.95. A little light general wear. Near..... More
James and The Giant Peach. A Children's Story. Illustrated by Michael Simeon.
London: George Allen and Unwin Limited, 1967. [Children's classic] FIRST UK EDITION, first impression. Octavo (25 x 18cm), pp.112. Publisher's glazed pictorial boards, illustrated throughout the text with black and white line drawings. Contents clean without spotting, no inscriptions. Notoriously fragile covers are in very good condition, showing minor wear..... More
James and The Giant Peach. A Children's Story. Illustrated by Michael Simeon.
London: George Allen and Unwin Limited, 1967. [Children's classic] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (25 x 18cm), pp.112. Publisher's glazed pictorial boards, illustrated throughout the text with black and white line drawings. Contents clean without spotting, no inscriptions. Notoriously fragile covers are in very good condition, showing gentle use, some laminate..... More
The Gremlins. From the Walt Disney Production. A Royal Air Force Story by Flight Lieutenant Roald Dahl.
London: Collins, [1944]. [Childrens classic] FIRST BRITISH EDITION. Quarto (28 x 23cm), pp.[52], with 13 colour plates (one double-page), and many in-text illustrations throughout. In the publisher's red pictorial paper-covered boards, cream cloth spine, pictorial end-papers. Contents clean, brief gift inscription to endpaper, boards a little shelf worn and bowed..... More
The Minpins, Illustrated by Patrick Benson.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1991. [Children's fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Quarto (29 x 22cm), pp.48. Publisher's pictorial hardcovers. With the matching illustrated dust-jacket priced at £8.99 to front flap. Crisp, clean copy. Fine. "Beware, Beware, the Forest of Sin! None come out, but many go in!" This was the author's..... More
My Uncle Oswald.
London: Michael Joseph Ltd, 1979. [Modern Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.221. Publisher's dark blue cloth in pictorial dust-jacket designed by Dave Senior, priced at £5.50. Neat ink ownership else a lovely fine copy. Slightly risque, adult romp from the regular 'Playboy' contributor. Roald Dahl received the World..... More
My Uncle Oswald.
London: Michael Joseph Ltd, 1979. [Modern Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.221. Publisher's dark blue cloth in pictorial dust-jacket designed by Dave Senior. A clean, fine copy in like, price-clipped wrapper. Slightly risque, adult romp from the regular 'Playboy' contributor. Roald Dahl received the World Fantasy Award [Lifetime..... More
Roald Dahl. A Biography.
London: Faber & Faber, 1994. [Literary biography] FIRST EDITION, with strike-line ending '1'. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.xiv; 307; [1], blank. Illustrated with two suites of eight photographic plates. Publisher's black cloth, photographic jacket priced £17.50. Minor toning to text block else fine. Biography of the award-winning children's author and..... More
Contributes 'My Monte Carlo System' to Encore; The Sunday Times Book.
London: Michael Joseph, 1962. [Literary Anthology] FIRST EDITION. Large Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.488. Publisher's blue cloth with original pictorial dust-jacket priced at 25s. Contents clean, edges slightly toned, no inscriptions. The jacket is simply exceptional having been protected by a custom-made red cloth outer cover, with gilt titles to..... More
MANUSCRIPT. Original working manuscript of 'You Only Live Twice.'
No place [1966]. [James Bond films] Original manuscript first draft of Roald Dahl's screenplay for the screen adaptation of Fleming's You Only Live Twice, with Dahl's signature boldly across the title leaf. This is the most substantial Roald Dahl manuscript to exist in private hands and to come on the..... More
![Item #66876 [You Only Live Twice, United Artists, 1967] Related documents. Ian Fleming /...](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/66876.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1704562105)
[You Only Live Twice, United Artists, 1967] Related documents.
UK, 30th March 1967. [James Bond film history] Typed arbitration decision by screenwriter Jack Pulman, regarding a dispute over the credits of the film You Only Live Twice between script writers Roald Dahl and Harold Jack Bloom. A detailed six-page arbitration including two pages of synopsis of Bloom's treatment compared..... More
Contribute 'Weed' and 'Sitting Pretty' to 'Argosy' magazine October 1959.
London: Fleetway Publications, [late 1959]. [Literary magazine]. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.144. Publisher's typographic softcovers. Light handling, minor spine roll. Near fine. Berkely Mather's books were favourably reviewed by Ian Fleming for the Sunday Times, and Mather later contributed to the screenplay for the first James Bond film 'Dr. No'..... More
![Item #70638 You Only Live Twice [LOBBY CARDS]. Roald DAHL, writer, Harry SALTZMAN, Albert R....](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/70638.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1736012073)
You Only Live Twice [LOBBY CARDS].
Frankfurt: United International Pictures, 1967. [Movie Memorabilia] A set of twelve German lobby cards from the film You Only Live Twice [Man Lebt Nur Zweimal], directed by Lewis Gilbert, and starring Sean Connery, Donald Pleasence, Karin Dor, Akiko Wakabayashi, and Tetsur Tamba. Colour half-tone images on thin stock measuring 21..... More
Results 1 - 25 (of 25)