"Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon. "
— Bertolt Brecht
Literature
The Christmas Books. [A Christmas Carol; The Chimes; The Cricket on the Hearth; The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man in] The Works of Charles Dickens.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1843-1848. [Festive Ghost Stories] ALL FIRST EDITIONS, each with an associated letter tipped-in. Five volumes, octavo (19 x 13 x 10cm). Publisher's red cloth covers (brown cloth for 'Carol') with gilt blocking and gilt edges. [1] A Christmas Carol: FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, FIRST STATE, with..... More
The Road to Wigan Pier.
London: Victor Gollancz, 1937. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15 cm), pp.viii; 264. With 32 black and white photographic plates. Not including the foreword, which appeared in the first Left Book Club edition. In publisher's blue cloth with yellow titles to spine. With original light yellow dust-jacket with titles to..... More
Six Modern One-Act Plays.
London: University of London Press, 1950. SIGNED FIRST EDITION, thus. Octavo, pp.160. Publisher's softcovers. SIGNED BY JOHN LENNON. An interesting school text-book borrowed by Lennon whilst a student at Quarry Bank School, Liverpool. Lennon has signed the lending stamp to the inside cover 'J[ohn] W[inston] Lennon, IVC', and dated this..... More
![The Lord of the Rings. The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; [and] The Return of the King....](/pictures/thumb/55316.jpg?v=1584533286)
The Lord of the Rings. The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; [and] The Return of the King.
London: George Allen and Unwin, 1954, 1954, 1955. [Epic Fantasy] FIRST EDITIONS, First impressions; signature '4' and 'sagging' type on p.49 of 'The Return', folding maps at rear of each volume. 3 volumes. Elegantly bound in full scarlet oasis morocco, gilt, with large gilt 'Eye of Sauron' motif blocked to..... More
The Collected Works of Mervyn Peake.
London: Queen Anne Press, 2011. FINELY BOUND. Ten volumes bound by Shepherds, Sangorski and Sutcliffe in black full goatskin, gilt titles to spine and various onlays. Red endpapers and gilt top edges, each volume housed in a custom, lined slipcase with leather trim. The set housed in a black cloth..... More
A Dictionary of the English Language; In Which the Words are Deduced From Their Originals; and Illustrated in Their Different Significations, by Examples From the Best Writers. To Which are Prefixed A History of the Language, and an English Grammar. In Two Volumes.
London: Printed by W. Strahan, 1755. [Dictionary] FIRST EDITIONS. 2 volumes; Folio (42 x 27cm). Complete. Titles printed in black and red. Bound to style in full brown calf with red and green title labels, raised bands to spine, decorated in gilt and blind. Some expected spotting/toning from use; more-so..... More
Love Among The Chickens.
London: George Newnes, 1906. [Humour] FIRST EDITION. A significant ASSOCIATION COPY. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.x; 312. Complete with four full-page black and white plates by H.M Brock [the frontispiece is positioned within the text, following binder's instructions]. Publisher's stone-coloured cloth, pictorially blocked in green, black and orange. With a...... More
Casino Royale.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1953. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.218; [2], blank. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with red titles and 'Heart' design to upper, tail edge untrimmed. Book is near fine, clean inside, endpaper expertly replaced with stock of a similar tone and weight, covers..... More
The Unique Hamlet: A Hitherto Unchronicled Adventure of Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
Chicago, IL: Privately Printed for the Friends of Walter M. Hill, Christmas 1920. [Crime fiction] FIRST EDITION. Slim octavo (20 x 15cm), pp.39; [1], blank. Bound in publisher's mustard-coloured textured paper over boards with printed title label to spine, Japanese vellum endpapers, edges uncut, original off-white tissue jacket. Internally fine..... More
Uncommon Danger.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1937. [Intrigue] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.314; [6], advertisements. Publisher's pale blue cloth lettered in black, mid-blue endpapers, pictorial jacket by Gibbs, priced 7/6. Trivial toning to edge of text block, jacket with very light rubbing/wear to extremities. Overall a lovely fine copy of..... More
A Family Without a Name.
London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1891 [1890]. [Historical Fiction] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.viii; 172; 134 [34]. Publisher's catalogue dated October 1890. With 79 of the 80 wood engraved plates by Tiret-Bognet, including a frontispiece. Publisher's burgundy cloth with gilt titles and black, white and..... More
The Picture of Dorian Gray.
London: Ward, Lock, and Co., [1891]. [Literature] FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Octavo (20 x14cm), pp.334. First issue showing the correct imprint (later Ward Lock and Bowden), plus the misprinting 'nd' on page 208, line 23. Bound in original grey paper-covered bevelled boards with titles and ornate gilt decoration to upper..... More
The Crowborough Edition of the Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Include the Sherlock Holmes and Professor Challenger stories, as well as Brigadier Gerard adventures and more.
Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc., 1930. [Literature] The Crowborough Edition, Limited to 760 sets of which this is number 214, SIGNED by the Author in the first volume. 24 volumes. Publisher's brown paper covered boards with the author's facsimile signature in gilt to uppers; oatmeal-coloured buckram spines..... More
Live and Let Die (a James Bond novel).
London: Jonathan Cape, 1954. [James Bond] FIRST ISSUE, Second State. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.240. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper-covered boards, titled and decorated in gilt, with dust-wrapper, priced twice as issued, at 10/6. With 'author's skill' text incorrectly spaced to the rear panel, as described in the bibliography, page 61..... More
The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, The Tales of Canterbury, Boece, Troilus and Criseyde, The House of Fame, The Legende of Good Women, The Romaunt of the Rose
Oxford: Printed at the Shakespeare Head Press Stratford-Upon-Avon and Published for the Press by Basil Blackwell, 1928-1929. [Literature] FINELY BOUND LIMITED EDITION. The Shakespeare Head Press edition. Eight volumes, quartos (29 x 21 x 26cm). Liberally strewn with hand-coloured illustrations. Beautifully bound by James MacDonald of New York in brown..... More
![The Possessed. A Novel in Three Parts [Demons; Devils]. The Novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky Volume...](/pictures/thumb/56891.jpg?v=1591354264)
The Possessed. A Novel in Three Parts [Demons; Devils]. The Novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky Volume III.
London: William Heinemann, 1913. [Russian Literature] FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.viii; 637 [1]. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles and decoration to spine, and a blind device to upper. Small blue bookseller's ticket to front pastedown. A black ink ownership, and a blue ink Convent school..... More
Washington Square. The Pension Beaurepas. A Bundle of Letters.
London: Macmillan and Co., 1881. [Literature] FIRST ENGLISH EDITION, Hybrid issue. Two volumes, Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.265; 271. With a 24-page catalogue at the rear of volume II, dated January 1881. Publisher's blue-green cloth, lettered in gilt to spine, coated brown endpapers. Contents clean. A used set with some..... More
![War and Peace. [1] Before Tilsit. [2] The Invasion. [3] The French at Moscow. Lev TOLSTOY,...](/pictures/thumb/53590.jpg?v=1584533242)
War and Peace. [1] Before Tilsit. [2] The Invasion. [3] The French at Moscow.
London: Vizetelly and Co., 1887. [Literature] VIZETELLY'S SECOND EDITION, the first edition is virtually unobtainable. Octavo (19 x 13 x 8 cm) pp.429; 360; 387. With half titles, no advertisements. Elegantly bound by Mudie in scarlet half calf over marbled sides, morocco title-piece to spine, gilt rope decoration over raised..... More
The Complete Works of Walt Whitman. The Collector's Camden Edition.
New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1902. [Complete Works] FINELY BOUND LIMITED EDITION. Ten volumes, octavo (24 x 17 x 40cm). With 40 lithographic illustrations. Number 10 of just 300 sets signed and numbered by the publisher. Recent blue half morocco with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spines..... More
The Bombay Edition of the Works of Rudyard Kipling. [Set of writings / novels / poems including: The Jungle Book, Kim, Wee Willie Winkie, Just So Stories, Captain Courageous, Rewards and Fairies, Stalky and Co, Puck of Pook's Hill, Rewards and Fairies, etc.]
London: Macmillan and Company, 1913-1938. LIMITED EDITION, SIGNED by the author in volume I to half title. Complete in 31 volumes; large octavo (25 x 132cm). Finely bound in deep red half morocco, raised bands and gilt rules to spines, matching cloth sides, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Printed from..... More
Mr Standfast.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1919. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.412. Publisher's mid-blue cloth, titled and ruled in dark blue, pictorial wrapper priced at 7shillings. A lightly used copy with minor edge spotting and bumping, jacket lightly edgeworn with a few minor tears. Overall a lovely bright copy. An attractive..... More
The Works of H.G. Wells. Contains all his famous titles, including: The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, Kipps, First Men in The Moon, War of The Worlds, The War in The Air, etc.
London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1924. The Atlantic Edition, Limited to 620 sets of which this is No.411, SIGNED on the limitation page by the author. 28 volumes, large octavo. Portrait frontispiece, title printed in red and black. Finely bound in dark green half oasis morocco with gilt titles and decoration..... More
Oliver Twist; Or, The Parish Boy's Progress. By "Boz". In Three Volumes.
London: Richard Bentley, 1838. [Classic Literature] FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with the suppressed 'Fireside' plate and with with 'Boz' on the title pages. Three volumes, Small octavo, illustrated with 24 plates by Cruikshank. Complete copy with both half-titles (not required for vol.III), advertisement leaf following text of vol I, initial..... More
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
London: Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell, 1782; 1787; 1787; 1788; 1788; 1788. [Late Antiquity] FINELY BOUND QUARTO EDITIONS, first three volumes New Edition, final three volumes First Edition. Complete in six volumes. Quarto (29 x 23 x 31cm), pp.xx; 704; pp.[12] 640; pp.[12] 640; pp.[4] xvi; 620; pp.[12]..... More
The Bear Fell Free.
London: Grayson and Grayson, 1935. [Modern Literature] PROOF COPY. Slim octavo (22 x 15cm), unpaginated. Bound in plain brown paper wraps, titled in ink to upper. Minor wear to spine, light handling; near fine. Published in an edition limited to 250 copies, yet only a handful of softcover proofs would..... More