Literature & History (all items)
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MALLINSON, Allan.
A Close Run Thing. 1999
£225
First edition, first impression. Signed by the author on the title page.
Octavo. Original dark blue boards, titles to spine in silver, map endpapers. With the dust jacket. Contents very slightly toned. An excellent copy in the lightly... Read more
[DODSLEY, Robert (ed.)]
A Collection of Poems. By several hands. 1758
£95
Fifth edition, the first complete in six volumes. One of Dodsley's two major contributions to English literary history (with his collection of old plays), "the Collection set the...
6 volumes, small octavo. Contemporary full speckled calf, volumes I, III, and IV rebacked with the original spines laid down, crimson and blue morocco title labels,... Read more
HUGHES, Ted.
A Collection of Six Poems.
£150
First edition, first printing. Limited to 54 numbered copies.
Six sheets printed facsimile of the author's manuscript copies in the original plastic faux leather folder. All in fine condition. Read more
HUGHES, Ted.
A Collection of Six Poems.
£150
First edition, first printing. Limited to 54 numbered copies.
Six sheets printed facsimile of the author's manuscript copies in the original plastic faux leather folder. All in fine condition. Read more
BARCLAY, James.
A Complete and Universal Dictionary of the English Language. 1812–13
£750
Quarto. Contemporary full tree calf, rebacked to style with smooth spine gilt in compartments. Engraved frontispiece, title, and 48 plates and maps, of which 21 are hand-tinted maps...
Quarto. Contemporary full tree calf, rebacked to style with smooth spine gilt in compartments. Engraved frontispiece, title, and 48 plates and maps, of which 21 are... Read more
TOOLE, John Kennedy.
A Confederacy of Dunces. 1980
£2,250
First edition, first printing.
Octavo. Original grey cloth, titles to spine in black. With the dust jacket. An excellent copy in the dust jacket that is faded and very slightly rubbed and creased... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. 1923
£95
Volume 14 of the definitive edition of Mark Twain's writings. A handsomely bound copy.
Octavo (218 × 145 mm). Contemporary brown half morocco, titles to spine, raised bands, brown cloth boards, cream endpapers, top edge gilt. With black and white... Read more
WEST, Nathanael.
A Cool Million. The Dismantling of Lemuel Pitkin. 1934
£975
First edition, first printing.
Octavo. Original green cloth, titles to spine and upper board in black. With the dust jacket. Faint spotting to boards, light partial tanning to free endpapers. An... Read more
BATES, H. E.
A Crown of Wild Myrtle. 1962
£40
First edition, first impression.
Octavo. Original green boards. With the John Andrew dust jacket. A fine copy. Read more
TRAVERS, Ben.
A Cuckoo in the Nest. 1922
£275
First edition, first impression.
Octavo. Original green cloth, title and panels blocked to front side in blind, spine lettered in gilt, with dust jacket. Contemporary ownership inscription to front... Read more
WELTY, Eudora.
A Curtain of Green. 1941
£1,500
First edition, first impression. Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper "To Nash and Marjorie, love from Eudora". Nash Burger was a high school classmate of Welty's who...
Octavo. Original red cloth, titles to spine and upper board in grey and green, green top-stain. With the dust jacket. Spine shaken, partial tanning to endpapers. An... Read more
[POPHAM, Rear-Admiral Sir Home Riggs] POPHAM, Hugh.
A Damned Cunning Fellow. 1991
£125
First Edition. Decidedly uncommon. Account of a controversial and intriguing career. Popham developed the first comprehensive flag signalling system for the Navy, carried Baird on...
Octavo. Coloured portrait frontispiece and 16 black and white plates, illustrations to the text. Near fine in dust jacket. Read more
POWELL, Anthony.
A Dance to the Music of Time. 1951–75
£6,750
First editions, first impressions. Powell's celebrated roman a fleuve.
12 volumes, octavo. Original red cloth, titles to spines gilt within black ground. With the dust jackets. First volume with light foxing mainly to the fore edge, dust... Read more
[CHRISTIE, Agatha; as] WESTMACOTT, Mary (pseud.)
A Daughter's a Daughter. 1952
£150
First Edition, First Impression. One of a handful of non-detective novels written by Christie under this name.
Octavo. Original purple boards, titles to spine gilt. With the dust jacket. An excellent copy in the nicked and slightly faded dust jacket. Read more
(WESTMACOTT, Mary) CHRISTIE, Agatha.
A Daughter's a Daughter. 1952
£65
First edition, first impression. One of only six non-detective novels published by Christie under a pseudonym.
Octavo. Original blue boards, titles to spine in green. With the dust jacket. An excellent copy in the rubbed and nicked jacket with small chips at the head of the... Read more
(ENGLISH CIVIL WAR.)
A Declaration of the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, 1642
£750
First edition. A defensive declaration by parliament in anticipation of military aggression on the part of Charles I at the outset of the English Civil War. This copy with the...
Octavo (192 × 135 mm). Nineteenth-century black half morocco by Henderson & Bisset, title to spine gilt, marbled sides. Bookseller's ticket to front pastedown.... Read more
PARTRIDGE, Eric.
A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. 1961
£250
Fifth edition with the supplement much enlarged. With the author's initialled presentation inscription on the front free endpaper of each volume in the year of publication. Franklyn...
2 volumes, quarto. Original blue cloth, titles to spines gilt, top edges stained blue. With the dust jackets. A fine set in excellent dust jackets. Read more
JOHNSON, Samuel.
A Dictionary of the English Language 1785
£1,850
First authorized quarto edition, preceded by a pirate Dublin edition the previous year. This edition was issued following Johnson's death in 1784.
2 volumes, quarto (273 × 212mm). Recent sprinkled calf to style with double fillet gilt border, red and black morocco labels, five raised bands, green sprinkled... Read more
(JOHNSON, Samuel) LATHAM, Robert Gordon.
A Dictionary of the English Language. 1870-72
£450
4 vols. Quarto. Contemporary red half morocco with red boards, titles to spines gilt. Spines faded to brown, boards unevenly faded otherwise a nice solid set.
4 vols. Quarto. Contemporary red half morocco with red boards, titles to spines gilt. Spines faded to brown, boards unevenly faded otherwise a nice solid set. Read more
JOHNSON, Samuel.
A Dictionary of the English Language: 1755
£17,500
First edition of this most famous of English dictionaries. This work has at various times been called "the most important British cultural monument of the eighteenth century"...
2 volumes, folio (415 × 257 mm). Sometime rebound to style in half calf, red and black morocco labels, raised bands, old marbled paper sides. Paper restoration... Read more
JOHNSON, Samuel.
A Dictionary of the English Language: 1785
£2,000
First one-volume folio edition, and the seventh and last of the authorized folio editions of the Dictionary, issued the year after Johnson's death. The text is as in the fourth...
Large folio (439 × 283 mm). Rebound to style in English panelled calf, red morocco label, spine with double gilt rules either side of raised bands and date in... Read more
JOHNSON, Samuel.
A Dictionary of the English Language: 1785
£1,500
First authorized quarto edition and the sixth edition overall, preceded by a pirate Dublin edition the previous year and issued following Johnson's death in 1784.
2 volumes, quarto (270 × 210 mm). Diced brown calf, rebacked in the early 20th-century with brown morocco, spines gilt in compartments, ruling to boards gilt,... Read more
JOHNSON, Samuel.
A Dictionary of the English Language: 1810
£1,500
Tenth edition, corrected and revised.
2 volumes, quarto (270 × 207 mm). Contemporary tree calf, spines elaborately gilt in compartments, red and black morocco labels, marbled endpapers, floral roll to... Read more
JOHNSON, Samuel.
A Dictionary of the English Language: 1816
£750
Eleventh edition in quarto format of Johnson's dictionary.
2 volumes, quarto (275 × 215 mm). Near-contemporary black polished calf, red morocco labels, wide raised bands, covers with gilt scroll borders and central... Read more
JOHNSON, Samuel.
A Dictionary of the English Language; 1799
£1,000
Eleventh edition, corrected and revised.
Octavo (216 × 126 mm). Near contemporary brown calf, ruling to spine and boards gilt, five raised bands, brown morocco label. Bookplate. Attractive pencil sketch... Read more
