Literature & History (all items)
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CHURCHILL, Winston S.
A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. 1956–58
£15,000
First editions, first impressions. This set inscribed identically in vols. I and II; "To Dr. Roberts from Winston S. Churchill, Christmas 1956"; vol. III with a printed facsimile...
4 volumes, octavo. Original dark red cloth, titles gilt to spines , red top-stain. With the dust jackets. All volumes illustrated with maps and genealogical tables.... Read more
DICKENS, Charles.
A Tale of Two Cities. 1859
£15,000
First edition in book form, first issue, the list of contents with signature "b" and with page 213 misnumbered 113. The novel was published in book form on 21 November 1859.
Octavo. Original red cloth, covers blindstamped, spine gilt-lettered, pale yellow endpapers. Red morocco-backed folding case, spine lettered in gilt, by the Lakeside... Read more
WILDE, Oscar.
An Ideal Husband. 1899
£15,000
First edition, one of 1,000 copies printed of the regular trade issue, inscribed copy, signed by Oscar Wilde on the front free endpaper, and inscribed in another hand above his...
Octavo. Original pink cloth, titles and decorative flourishes to spine and boards gilt. Inscribed by the author and presumably the recipient on the front free... Read more
HOLBEIN, Hans, the younger.
Imitations of Original Drawings by Hans Holbein, 1792-1800
£15,000
First edition, "surely the finest early example of English colour printing" (Ray). These plates by various engravers after Bartolozzi's copies of Holbein's originals were issued in...
Folio (540 × 403 mm). Contemporary calf, title gilt directly to the spine, flat bands with gilt roundel and Greek key rolls, compartments gilt with floral and... Read more
(COSWAY BINDING) LAWRENCE, T. E.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom a triumph. 1935
£15,000
First trade edition of Lawrence's great work, in an elegant and suitably dramatic Cosway binding, number 964 of the Cosway bindings according to the printed sheet signed by J. H....
Quarto (249 × 186 mm). Fine contemporary Cosway binding by Rivière and Son of red crushed morocco, spine gilt in compartments between five raised bands;... Read more
KIPLING, Rudyard.
The Bombay Edition. 1913–38
£15,000
The Bombay Edition, one of only 500 complete sets from a limited edition of 1500 sets signed by the author on the half-title. The Bombay edition was initially published in 20 volumes...
31 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full red morocco, titles and centre tools to spines gilt, rule to boards gilt, twin rule to turn-ins gilt,... Read more
![The Common Reader [First &] Second Series.](/content/store/products/2080/2/3338.jpg)
WOOLF, Virginia.
The Common Reader [First &] Second Series. 1925 & 1932
£15,000
First editions, first impressions of both volumes, Nelly Cecil's copies, the First Series with her ownership inscription, the Second Series a presentation copy, with the author's...
2 volumes, octavo. First Series: original cloth backed decorated paper boards; with the cream dust jacket designed by Vanessa Bell supplied from another copy. Second... Read more
TOLKIEN, J. R. R.
The Lord of the Rings. 1954–55
£15,000
First editions, first impressions, first state of the text in Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is certainly one of the most popular works of literature in the...
3 volumes, octavo. Original red cloth, titles to spines gilt, top edges stained red. With the dust jackets. Folding map by the author at end of each volume. Partial... Read more
GREENE, Graham.
The Ministry of Fear. 1943
£15,000
First edition, first impression. Two cloth variants exist for this edition. This is the more yellow of the two. The cream cloth is generally found in dust jackets printed on the...
Octavo. Original yellow cloth, titles to spine in black, buff endpapers. With the dust jacket. Housed in a quarter green morocco solander box made by The Chelsea... Read more
TRESSELL, Robert.
The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists. [1914]
£15,000
First edition, first impression. Robert Philippe Noonan (1870-1911) was the illegitimate son of an inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary. He settled in South Africa for ten...
Octavo. Original black cloth, titles to spine and front board gilt. With the printed dust jacket. Housed in a green quarter morocco solander box made by The Chelsea... Read more
BROWNING, Robert.
The Ring and the Book. 1868-9
£15,000
First edition, presentation copy to Frederick Locker-Lampson, a very early presentation between the two poets, if not the earliest. Each volume is inscribed by Browning at the head...
4 volumes, foolscap octavo (166 × 102 mm). Contemporary reddish-brown morocco by Holloway, spines gilt-lettered in two compartments, others with gilt quatrefoil... Read more
THOREAU, Henry David.
The Writings. 1906
£15,000
The Manuscript Edition. Limited to 600 numbered sets only, signed by the publisher on the limitation page. With a leaf from an original draft manuscript entirely in Thoreau's...
20 volumes, octavo (220 × 147 mm). Contemporary green half crushed morocco, titles and elaborate floral decoration to spines in compartments, raised bands,... Read more
FLEMING, Ian.
Thunderball. 1961
£15,000
First edition, first impression. With the author's signed presentation inscription to the front free endpaper, "To Margot from Ian Fleming"; a fascinating presentation. The recipient...
Octavo. Original dark grey boards, titles to spine gilt, skeletal hand motif on front board blind stamped. With the dust jacket. Housed in a black quarter morocco... Read more
LEE, Harper.
To Kill a Mockingbird. 1960
£15,000
First edition, first printing. Only 5,000 copies were printed.
Octavo. Original brown boards with green cloth spine, titles to spine in brown. With the original dust jacket with photo of Harper Lee on the lower panel (by Truman... Read more
![[Queen Mab, A Philosophical Poem, with Notes …]](/content/store/products/23321/2/31085.jpg)
SHELLEY, Percy Bysshe.
[Queen Mab, A Philosophical Poem, with Notes …] 1813]
£14,500
First edition, one of only approximately 70 copies of the first issue, the so-called "mutilated" state of the text. Queen Mab was Shelley's first important poetic work, preceded only...
Octavo (179 × 112 mm.), pp. 240, with title-page and dedication leaf removed and imprint torn from foot of last leaf Q8 by Shelley, as issued; the dedication leaf... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
Emma: A Novel. In Three Volumes. 1816
£13,500
First edition of perhaps the most perfectly constructed of Jane Austen's novels. She had fallen out with Egerton over publication of Mansfield Park and transferred to Murray, who...
3 volumes, octavo (170 × 100 mm). Contemporary black half calf, spines gilt in compartments, marbled sides. Housed in a dark blue cloth slipcase. Contemporary... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
Mansfield Park: A Novel. 1814
£13,500
First edition. The third of Jane Austen's novels to be published was begun about the same time Sense and Sensibility was accepted for publication. The novel was published in May 1814...
3 volumes, octavo (180 × 100 mm). 20th-century blue half calf, spines gilt in compartments, marbled sides, brown endpapers, red speckled edges. Occasional light... Read more
FAULKNER, William.
The Reivers. 1962
£13,500
First trade edition, first issue. Inscribed by the author to Joan Williams on the front free endpaper: "For Joan, with love Bill." Additionally inscribed on the title: "William...
Octavo. Original cloth. With the dust jacket. In a quarter morocco slipcase. An excellent copy in the dust jacket that is slightly wrinkled with light edgewear. Read more
FAULKNER, William.
The Town. 1957
£13,500
First trade edition, first printing, in the first binding of red cloth, with the textual error on p. 327 and with "5/57" on the lower inner front flap of the jacket. Presentation...
Octavo. Original red cloth. With the dust jacket. In a quarter morocco slipcase. Slight toning to the spine panel. Read more
DOYLE, Arthur Conan.
The Works. 1930
£13,500
The Crowborough edition, limited to 760 numbered sets. Signed on the limitation page by Arthur Conan Doyle in volume one. "The Crowborough Edition was intended to be a complete and...
24 volumes, octavo. Recent dark brown morocco, twin morocco title labels burgundy and green, titles and decoration to spines gilt, single rule to boards gilt, marbled... Read more
DICKENS, Charles.
A Christmas Carol. In Prose. 1843
£12,500
First edition, first issue, with "Stave I" on the first page of text and green endpapers. These handcoloured endpapers, Dickens's original choice for his lavish gift book, proved a...
Octavo. Original brown vertical fine-ribbed cloth, spine and upper cover decorated and lettered gilt, sides stamped in blind, green endpapers, gilt edges. Red morocco... Read more
DICKENS, Charles.
A Christmas Carol. In prose. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas. 1843
£12,500
First edition, first issue, with red and blue title-page dated 1843, Stave I at the beginning of the text, green endpapers and with the gilt wreath on the front cover 15mm at the...
Small octavo. Original cinnamon vertically-ribbed cloth, covers stamped in blind with single line and decorative border of holly and ivy, front cover stamped in gilt... Read more
WAUGH, Evelyn.
A Handful of Dust. 1934
£12,500
First edition, first impression, of the book now widely regarded as his masterpiece.
Octavo. Original red and black "snakeskin" cloth, titles to spine gilt. With the dust jacket. Housed in a crimson quarter morocco solander box. Light sporadic foxing... Read more
CHURCHILL, Winston S.
A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. 1956–58
£12,500
First American editions, inscribed by the author, Vol. 1 signed and dated, Vol. 4 inscribed "Emery from Winston S. Churchill, April 1958", the other volumes unsigned. It was Emery...
4 volumes, octavo. Original black cloth-backed linen boards, spines lettered gilt on red panels, facsimile signature in gilt on front covers, in the printed dust... Read more
HEMINGWAY, Ernest.
Across the River and Into the Trees. 1950
£12,500
First edition, first printing, one of only 24 copies in the presentation binding. With a hand-written note tipped-in on the rear free endpaper signed by Charles Scribner and listing...
Octavo. Publisher's presentation binding of blue cloth, titles and horizontal ruling to spine and author's name to upper board gilt. In a blue half morocco solander... Read more
