Dickens, Charles

The Personal History of David Copperfield.

London : Bradbury and Evans, May 1849-November 1850.

First edition in the original parts of “the most perfect of all the Dickens novels” (Virginia Woolf). Complete set of the original parts, with all of the etched plates and most of the advertisements. Octavo, original blue-green illustrated serial issue wrappers being twenty parts in nineteen, 624 pp. plus xiv pp. of preliminaries, errata leafContinue reading "The Personal History of David Copperfield."

Fielding, Henry

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, in Six Volumes.

London : Printed for A. Millar, 1749.

First edition, first issue of one of the most influential English novels, one only 2,000 copies printed. Octavo, bound in full contemporary mottled calf with gilt ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels. Armorial bookplates. In veryContinue reading "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, in Six Volumes."

Eliot, George

The Works of George Eliot [Including Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Romola, Middlemarch, and Daniel Deronda].

Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 1908.

Large paper edition of the works of George Eliot, with an autographed signed letter tipped in. Octavo, 25 volumes, bound in full morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, elaborate tooling to the front and rear panels, raised gilt bands, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, elaborately illustrated withContinue reading "The Works of George Eliot [Including Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Romola, Middlemarch, and Daniel Deronda]."

Stowe, Harriet Beecher

Uncle Tom’s Cabin; Or, Life Among the Lowly.

Boston : John P. Jewett & Company. Cleveland: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, 1852.

First edition, first issue of Stowe’s classic American novel, widely considered the book that precipitated the American Civil War. Octavo, two volumes in the original publisher’s cloth stamped in blind with gilt titles and vignettes to the front panels, illustrated with title vignettes and six wood-engravings. BAL’s binding B (no priority). Portrait of Stowe tippedContinue reading "Uncle Tom’s Cabin; Or, Life Among the Lowly."

Sale, George. [Translator]

The Koran: Commonly Called The Alcoran of Mohammed: Translated From The Original Arabic. With Explanatory Notes, Taken From the Most Approved Commentators. To Which is Prefixed, A Preliminary Discourse.

London : Printed by C. Ackers for J. Wilcox, 1734.

First edition in English of George Sale’s important translation of the Koran, the first to translate directly from the Arabic into English. Quarto, bound in full contemporary speckled calf with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, sympathetically rebacked, gilt turn-ins, all edgesContinue reading "The Koran: Commonly Called The Alcoran of Mohammed: Translated From The Original Arabic. With Explanatory Notes, Taken From the Most Approved Commentators. To Which is Prefixed, A Preliminary Discourse."

Don Ramon Zazo of Ortega

Don Ramon Zazo of Ortega Signed Patent of Nobility.

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Rare illuminated patent of Nobility signed by Don Ramon Zazo of Ortega, historian and King of Arms to Charles III, King of Spain. Quarto, bound in full morocco with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine, fleuron cornerpieces and central gilt motif within botanically gilt frames to the front and rear panels, elaborately illuminated vellum leavesContinue reading "Don Ramon Zazo of Ortega Signed Patent of Nobility."

Guest, Montague and William B. Boulton [Ernest Shackleton]

Memorials of the Royal Yacht Squadron.

London : John Murray, 1902.

First edition of the standard history of the Royal Yacht Squadron and Solent yachting in the 19th century, with a complete list of member and their yachts. Octavo, original cloth, top edge gilt, with 46 illustrations. Presentation copy, inscribed on the front free endpaper, “To Sir Ernest Shackleton from Philip Hunloke, 1921.” Major Sir PhilipContinue reading "Memorials of the Royal Yacht Squadron."

Schumpeter, Joseph A

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy.

London : George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1942.

First edition of Schumpeter’s ground-breaking work. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in the original dust jacket a few small chips. Rare in the original dust jacket.

[Napoleon Bonaparte]. Emil Ludwig. Translated by Eden and Cedar Paul

Napoleon. [Cosway Binding].

London : George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., 1927.

Elaborately bound Cosway style first edition in English of Emil Ludwig’s biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Octavo, bound by Bayntun-Riviere in full Cosway style scarlet morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, inset ivorene hand-painted portrait of Napoleon depicting him with medals to the front panel, giltContinue reading "Napoleon. [Cosway Binding]."

Chesterfield, Lord. [Alexander Hamilton; Elizabeth Hamilton]

Lord Chesterfield’s Letters.

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Eighteenth century printing of Lord Chesterfield’s Letters from the library of Alexander Hamilton with his wife, Elizabeth’s ownership signature. Octavo, bound in full contemporary calf with gilt ruling to the spine, red morocco spine label lettered in gilt. Signed by Elizabeth Hamilton on the first page of text. In good condition. Rare and desirable, booksContinue reading "Lord Chesterfield’s Letters."

Tolstoy, Leo. (Count Lyof N Tolstoi)

War and Peace. A Historical Novel.

New York : William S. Gottsberger, 1886.

First editions in English of Tolstoy’s masterpiece; one of the most important novels in world literature and widely considered the greatest novel ever written. Small octavo, six volumes, bound in contemporary three quarters morocco over marbled boards with gilt titles to the spine. Translated into French by ‘A Russian lady’ and from the French byContinue reading "War and Peace. A Historical Novel."

Schumpeter, Joseph A

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy.

London : George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1942.

First edition of Schumpeter’s ground-breaking work. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in the original dust jacket with some chips to the extremities. Rare in the original dust jacket.

Dickens, Charles

A Tale of Two Cities.

London : Chapman and Hall, 1859.

First edition, first issue of one of Dickens’ most enduring works, with p. 213 misnumbered “113,” the signature mark “b” at the foot of the plate list, and the misspelling “affetcionately” on line 12, p. 134. Octavo, bound in three quarters leather over marbled boards, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, marbledContinue reading "A Tale of Two Cities."

Dickens, Charles

A Tale of Two Cities.

London : Chapman and Hall, 1859.

First edition, first issue of one of Dickens’ most enduring works. Octavo, bound in three quarters morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, all edges gilt, illustrated with sixteen plates after H.K. Browne including the frontispiece and title vignette. In very good condition.

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de; Translated by Katherine Woods

The Little Prince.

New York : Reynal and Hitchcock, 1943.

First edition of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s masterpiece, which precedes the first edition in French. Translated from the French by Katherine Woods. Small quarto, bound in full modern full pictorial brown morocco with inlay tooling to the front panel by the Harcourt Bindery, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, illustrated by the author. In fine condition. A stunning example.

Herodotus; Translated by Isaac Littlebury

The History of Herodotus. Translated from the Greek. By Isaac Littlebury.

London : Printed for Edward Castle and Sam Buckley, 1709.

First complete edition in English of Littlebury’s translation of the histories of Herodotus, also the first appearance in English since Thomas Marshe’s 1584 incomplete translation of only the first two books. Octavo, two volumes. Bound in full contemporary calf with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, red moroccoContinue reading "The History of Herodotus. Translated from the Greek. By Isaac Littlebury."

Stephens, Alexander. Edited by Frank Moore

Cornerstone Speech. IN: The Rebellion Record: A Diary of American Events, with Documents, Narratives, Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, Etc.

New York : G. P. Putnam, 1861.

Rare first printing in book form of Stephens’ extemporaneous March 21, 1861 Cornerstone Speech delivered in Savannah shortly before Fort Sumter, published the same year, presenting a reporter’s transcription from a Savannah newspaper, with Stephens calling the U.S. Constitution “a compact built on sand” and declaring the Confederate Constitution a “cornerstone” that rests on “theContinue reading "Cornerstone Speech. IN: The Rebellion Record: A Diary of American Events, with Documents, Narratives, Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, Etc."

Schiller, Friedrich

The Works of Friedrich Schiller.

Boston : Francis A. Niccolls, c.1900.

Finely bound example of the Connoisseur edition of the works of Schiller, number 34 of only 150 sets printed. Octavo, 10 volumes, bound in full red morocco, ornate gilt tooling to the spine, with pastedowns of red leather borders and central green morocco panel, with floral decorations at the corners and a central gilt sprigContinue reading "The Works of Friedrich Schiller."

Stowe, Harriet Beecher

The Writings of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Cambridge : The Riverside Press, 1896.

The Large Paper Author’s Autograph edition of the writings of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Octavo, 16 volumes bound in three quarter crushed levant pigskin with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. Signed by Harriet Beecher Stowe on the limitation page ‘Specially For ThisContinue reading "The Writings of Harriet Beecher Stowe."

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de. Translated by Tobias Smollet

The History and Adventures of the Renowned Don Quixote.

Philadelphia : Published for Birch and Small, 1811.

Scarce first separate American edition of Cervantes’ classic novel. Duodecimo, four volumes bound in full contemporary mottled calf with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, gilt ruling to the spines. Smollett’s English translation was first published in America in Philadelphia in John Conrad & Co.’s Select Novels series in 1803 (Vols. X-XIII), this is the first separate edition publishedContinue reading "The History and Adventures of the Renowned Don Quixote."

Stephenson, Neal

Snow Crash.

New York : Bantam Books, 1992.

First edition of this “brilliantly realized” (The New York Times Book Review) breakthrough novel from visionary author Neal Stephenson, a modern classic that predicted the metaverse and inspired generations of Silicon Valley innovators. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with gilt titles and ruling to the spine in five compartments within raisedContinue reading "Snow Crash."

Dickens, Charles

The Christmas Books: A Christmas Carol; The Chimes; The Battle of Life; Cricket on the Hearth; The Haunted Man and The Ghost’s Bargain.

London : Chapman and Hall, 1843-60.

Early printings of all five of Charles Dickens’ Christmas Books, finely bound. Octavo, 5 volumes, bound in full calf with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, black and green morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, double gilt ruled panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, marbledContinue reading "The Christmas Books: A Christmas Carol; The Chimes; The Battle of Life; Cricket on the Hearth; The Haunted Man and The Ghost’s Bargain."

The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testament. Newly translated out of the originall tongues and with the former translations diligently compared and revised by his Majesties speciall Command.

London 1672.

Rare 1672 edition of the King James version of the Holy Bible with Geneva Bible notes. Folio, bound in early purple straight-grain morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within double raised gilt bands, gilt ruling and scrolling to the panels, gilt-ruled turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, textContinue reading "The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testament. Newly translated out of the originall tongues and with the former translations diligently compared and revised by his Majesties speciall Command."

The Thirde Parte of the Bible, Conteining These Bookes. The Psalter. The Proverbes. Ecclesiastes. Cantica Canticorum. The Prophetes.

London : Henry Bynneman and Richard Jugge for William Norton, 1575.

Rare 16th century English printing of a portion of the Bishop’s Bible. Quarto, bound in 18th century half calf over marbled boards, gilt ruling to the spine, paper titular label to the front panel, title page printed within a wide woodcut compartmental border featuring and angel above the date of publication in the upper compartmentContinue reading "The Thirde Parte of the Bible, Conteining These Bookes. The Psalter. The Proverbes. Ecclesiastes. Cantica Canticorum. The Prophetes."