Kazantzakis, Nikos

Zorba The Greek.

Athens : Plateia Syntagmatos, 1946.

First Greek edition, preceding all other editions of the author’s most popular novel and basis for the Oscar-winning film starring Anthony Quinn. Octavo, bound in contemporary cloth. Signed by Nikos Kazantzakis on the copyright page. In near fine condition. First editions of Zorba The Greek are of legendary scarcity.

Blishen, Edward. Illustrated by Brian Wildsmith

Oxford Book of Poetry for Children.

London : Oxford University Press, 1963.

First edition of Blishen and Wildsmith’s acclaimed illustrated compilation of children’s poetry. Quarto, bound in full crushed red morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling and fleuron cornerpieces to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles,Continue reading "Oxford Book of Poetry for Children."

Waugh, Evelyn

Decline and Fall.

London : Chapman & Hall, 1962.

First revised edition of Waugh’s first published novel. Octavo, bound in full crushed green morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling and fleuron cornerpieces to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edgesContinue reading "Decline and Fall."

James, Henry

The Portrait of a Lady.

London : Macmillan and Co, 1881.

First edition, first issue, one of only 750 copies of the last and most accomplished work of fiction during James’ apprentice years. Octavo, three volumes, original cloth. In near fine condition with volume one rebacked with original spine laid down. Housed in a custom half clamshell and chemises box. Rare and desirable, especially in thisContinue reading "The Portrait of a Lady."

Purdy, Ken W

The Kings of the Road.

Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 1952.

First edition of this classic work. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated endpapers, illustrations. Near fine in a very good dust jacket.

Baldwin, James

Going to Meet the Man.

New Yrok : The Dial Press, 1965.

First edition of Baldwin’s singular collection of short stories. Octavo, original half cloth. Signed by the author on the second free endpaper, “God bless, James Baldwin.” Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Author photograph by Martha Holmes. Rare signed.

Goldoni, Carlo

Le Commedie Del Dottore Carlo Goldoni Avvocato Veneziano Fra Gli Arcadi Polisseno Fegejo Prima Edizione Fiorentina Dell’ Autore correta, riveduta, ed ampliata.

Firenze : Eredi Paperini, 1753-1755.

First corrected Florentine edition of Goldoni’s comedic works. Octavo, 12 volumes, bound in full vellum, frontispiece portrait of Goldoni by Pitteri after Piazetta. In good condition. Armorial bookplates and ownership inscription. A rare set published during Goldoni’s lifetime.

Milne, A. A. Decorations by Ernest Shepard

Now We Are Six.

London : Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1960.

Finely bound example of the third book in Milne’s beloved Pooh series. Octavo, bound in three quarter morocco over marbled boards by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, decorations by Ernest Shepard. In near fine condition.

Coetzee, J.M

Diary of a Bad Year.

Melbourne : Text Publishing, 2007.

First Australian edition of this groundbreaking novel. Octavo, original boards. Signed by J.M. Coetzee on the title page. Near fine in a fine dust jacket. Cover design by Chong.

Jefferson, Thomas [Edited by Thomas Jefferson Randolph]

Reports of Cases Determined in the General Court of Virginia, From 1730, TO 1740; And From 1768 TO 1772.

Charlottesville : F. Carr and Co., 1829.

First edition. Octavo, original boards. Presentation copy, inscribed by the editor and Thomas Jefferson’s grandson on the front free endpaper, “Rick Barnhead Presented by Tho Jefferson Randolph Grand son of the author.” In very good condition. Rare and desirable, especially signed and inscribed.

Roubayyat de Hafiz et d’Omar Khayyam. [The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám].

Paris : Francis LeBegue, [1921].

Finely bound example of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Octavo, bound in full levant morocco with gilt titles to the spine, gilt Art Deco style decorations to the front and rear panel, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, decorated borders and initials. One of 300 copies. Text in French. Translated byContinue reading "Roubayyat de Hafiz et d’Omar Khayyam. [The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám]."

Sibly, Ebenezer

The Medical Mirror, or Treatise on the Impregnation of the Human Female, Shewing the Origin of Diseases And the Principles of Death.

London : Printed for the Author, and Sold by all Booksellers in Town & Country, c. 1798.

Scarce early printing of Sibly’s The Medical Mirror. Octavo, bound paper-covered boards, illustrated with engraved frontispiece, vignette title page and 13 anatomical plates engraved by W. Newman. New Edition with large Additions. In very good condition. Bound into a three-ring medical binder. Exceptionally rare, with only a handful of copies having appeared at auction inContinue reading "The Medical Mirror, or Treatise on the Impregnation of the Human Female, Shewing the Origin of Diseases And the Principles of Death."

Galbraith, John Kenneth

A View From the Stands of People, Politics, Military Power and the Arts.

Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 1986.

First edition of Galbraith’s retrospective collection. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper in the year of publication to Elaine Steinbeck, “For Elaine with love… John G – 1986.” From the library of Elaine Steinbeck. Galbraith and John Steinbeck met in the early 1950s while on a holidayContinue reading "A View From the Stands of People, Politics, Military Power and the Arts."

Markham, Robert. [Kingsley Amis]

Colonel Sun: A James Bond Adventure.

London : Jonathan Cape, 1968.

First edition of the first James Bond continuation novel published after Ian Fleming’s 1964 death. Octavo, original cloth, cartographic endpapers. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Tom Adams.

Dahl, Roald

Two Fables.

Middlesex : Viking, 1986.

Signed limited edition of Dahl’s short fable collection. Octavo, original half leather with gilt titles to the spine and front panel, illustrated by Graham Dean. One of a limited edition of 300 books signed by Dahl and published by Viking in honor of Dahl’s seventieth birthday, this is number 267. In near fine condition.

Woolf, Virginia

The Voyage Out.

London : Duckworth, 1927.

Early printing of Woolf’s first novel. Octavo, original cloth. Very good in the rare original dust jacket which has been restored. Uncommon in the original jacket.

Hughes, Langston

Not Without Laughter.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1930.

First edition of Langston Hughes’ award-winning debut novel. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page in the year of publication to his editor, “For Bernard Smith ~ Sincerely, Langston Hughes July 3, 1930.” The recipient, American literary editor and critic Bernard Smith began working at Alfred A. Knopf inContinue reading "Not Without Laughter."

Baldwin, James

Another Country.

London : Michael Joseph, 1963.

First edition of Baldwin’s classic work, nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by the author on the front free endpaper, “All the best. To you and yours. James Baldwin.” Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Ownership inscription. Jacket design by Paul Bacon.

Mishima, Yukio

After The Banquet.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1963.

First edition in English of “the biggest and most profound thing Mishima has done so far in an already distinguished career” (The New Yorker). Octavo, original half cloth. Translated from the Japanese by Donald Keene. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Preston with the author’sContinue reading "After The Banquet."

Simpson, George Gaylord

The Principles of Classification and a Classification of Mammals.

New York : Published by the Order of the Trustees, 1945.

Rare first edition of Simpson’s classic work on mammalian taxonomy. Quarto, original wrappers as issued. Signed by the paleontologist on the front panel. Ownership inscriptions. With a note of provenance laid in which reads, “If you go into taxonomy, this might be a nice classic to own. He autographed it for me when I droveContinue reading "The Principles of Classification and a Classification of Mammals."

Olmsted, Frederick Law. Edited by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and Theodora Kimball

Frederick Law Olmsted: Landscape Architect 1822-1903: Central Park as a Work of Art and as a Great Municipal Enterprise 1853-1895.

New York and London : G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1928.

First edition of the second volume of the autobiography of one of the foremost figures in American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated, tissue-guarded frontispiece portrait of Olmsted. Edited by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and Theodora Kimball. Association copy, inscribed by Frederick Law Olmsted on the front free endpaper, “To George HavenContinue reading "Frederick Law Olmsted: Landscape Architect 1822-1903: Central Park as a Work of Art and as a Great Municipal Enterprise 1853-1895."

White, Patrick

The Vivisector.

London : Jonathan Cape, 1970.

First edition of this work by “one of the great magicians of fiction . . . White’s scope is vast and his invention endless” (The Observer). Octavo, original cloth. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket art by Tom Adams.

Kennedy, William

Ironweed.

New York : The Viking Press, 1983.

First edition of Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Octavo, original half gray cloth. Signed by William Kennedy on the title page. Very good in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Neil Stuart.

Olmsted, Frederick Law. Edited by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and Theodora Kimball

Frederick Law Olmsted: Landscape Architect 1822-1903: Early Years and Experiences Together with Biographical Notes.

New York and London : G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1922.

First edition of the first volume of the autobiography of one of the foremost figures in American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated, tissue-guarded frontispiece portrait of Olmsted. Edited by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and Theodora Kimball. Association copy, inscribed by Frederick Law Olmsted on the front free endpaper, “C. Bowyer VauxContinue reading "Frederick Law Olmsted: Landscape Architect 1822-1903: Early Years and Experiences Together with Biographical Notes."