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First edition inscribed gratefully by one of the co-editors Stephen Spender and a contributor Stephen Spender. A very good copy in publisher’s yellow cloth, bookplate of Arthur Lanyon Blair to the front pastedown. Auden has signed his poem ‘Exiles’ just below the printed title. At the tail of the page is written ‘Stephen Spender grazie’ in brown in… Read more…

The world’s first computer programming manual for a stored-program computer, written in Manchester by Alan Turing, found here in its third, revised edition. Foolscap format (21x33cm) with printed card wrappers, ring-bound through three hole-punched holes. Early ownership inscription, later scrubbed out, top right of the upper cover appears to read… Read more…

Special issue of Nature devoted to the discovery of the theory of relativity with a specially commissioned article by Albert Einstein. Printed paper wrappers with adverts to the covers, small annotation underlining the date of the publication on the upper cover. Stapled binding; closed tear where the lower of the two staples has rusted through the… Read more…

[Reserved MH] Bernard Leach’s visitor’s book from a 1964 exhibition at the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Tokyo. Small quarto covered in silk fabric with spine ties. Paper label with Leach’s label for the book written vertically on the front (to the western eye, rear) cover. 19 leaves, 38 pages of signatures, most in Japanese characters, written ve… Read more…

A single article by Joseph Banks excerpted from Archaeologia. Old paper wrappers with a manuscript label to the upper cover. Some loss and edge wear to the wrapper. The article runs from pages 316-390, a little browning and spotting to paper. The text is of a manuscript owned and transcribed by Banks. Read more…

First edition in publisher’s binding with faded gilt lettering to spine. Binding in good condition with bumping to corners and spine. Browning to front and rear end-papers. W.H.Smith Library bookplate on the front paste-down and Clifton College library bookplate opposite on front flyleaf; no other library markings. Several finger markings located o… Read more…

Facsimile of a first edition in orange cloth publisher’s binding which is in fine condition with gilt lettering to front board and spine. Minor roughening to paper at head of the front flyleaf. Top edge stain in blue. Very good dust jacket condition with minor rubbing to top and bottom of spine, not price clipped. Printed book insert for The First… Read more…

First editions in green cloth a publisher’s binding with gilt lettering to front board and spine. Binding in very good condition with some bumping to board corners and dusting to top edge. Moderate browning to front and rear end-papers and a small hole in inner hinge. Double ownership signature in pencil to front end pages. Bright and attractive. Read more…

First edition in publisher’s binding with gilt letters to spine. Book in fine condition, small white mark above spine lettering and tiny mark at head of front flyleaf. Dust jacket in very good condition with slight wrinkling at top of spine, no price clipping. Seemingly unread copy of an iconic 1980s novel. Read more…

The author’s copy of the first Swedish edition of Hawking’s global bestseller from his personal library until its removal from Stephen Hawking’s home in Cambridge after his death. Blue cloth binding with the posthumous deep blue-rimmed bookplate on the first flyleaf that reads: ‘From the home of Stephen W Hawking (1942-2018) Wordsworth Grove, Cambr… Read more…

Inscribed copy of this scarce fashion guide: ‘To dear Hilda with Auntie’s love/ Flushing New York June 1910’ on the first flyleaf. Bound in decorative tan buckram with spine lettering. Frontispiece with printed signature. Good binding; internally near fine. Very much of its era, the book begins: ‘Good dressing, nowadays as every woman known, who is… Read more…

A presentation copy from the editor who has inscribed their book: ‘It is a great pleasure to the editor of this correspondence to inscribe this copy for “Jack” Leon. Christopher St John Smallhythe 24th of October 1932.’ Additionally a signature of Ellen Terry has been tipped onto the first flyleaf. The book is in good condition only, the boards mar… Read more…

‘Second to Fourth thousand’ - in other words a very early reprint of the most important architectural treatise of the century. Very good orange-brown boards, ‘Foyles’ ticket to front pastedown, internally very good. In a good jacket which has separated along the front spine hinge. An uncommon book. Read more…

First Edition, near fine, a little spotting to book edges only. In a good jacket with small loss to tail of spine and several closed tears. A scarce title thus in jacket. Read more…

All three volumes of Dickinson’s verse found together in publisher’s bindings. Vol I, Poems dated 1897, 16th edition; 2nd Series, 1896, 9th edition; 3rd Series, 1896, 2nd edition. All three in very good condition, bound in publisher’s olive green, bevel-edged boards with silk book marks. The bookplate of Herbert John Elmhirst (Elvington Grange, nr… Read more…

Rare Colonial Intelligence Report compiled in Lagos some twenty years before Nigeria achieved independence. Homemade brownish paper wrappers with punched holes for tied binding; title and author in black ink on cover. Seemingly a ribbon copy, typed on rectos only, signed in type at the end: ‘H.L.M. Butcher D.O. 23rd MAy, 1939.’ A fine copy. ff71 OC… Read more…

Morris’s Art of the People lecture in its first edition printed in Birmingham where the lecture was given in February 1879. Contemporary cloth-backed boards, a little toning to paper stock; thirteen leaves of blank blue lined paper bound-in at rear. A near fine copy of a scarce item. Morris’s lecture contains the memorable assertion that ‘I have ne… Read more…

Inscribed to fellow poet and literary critic Jo Rippier. Larkin has written on the flyleaf: ‘Kind regards to Jo Rippier remembering a “close reading” - Philip Larkin/’. A near fine copy of the second impression issued in the same year as the first in a very good jacket, with a few pencilled notes to the text by Rippier as testament to his skills in… Read more…

Laurie Lee’s annotated copy of his classic account of an English childhood, prepared for public performance by the novelist and poet. This eighth impression which comes from Lee’s recently deaccessioned library was annotated in the 1970s for his reading public. Green cloth in a good jacket into which Lee has introduced an extensive pattern of annot… Read more…

Signed first edition of David M Crook's autobiographical account of his role as a Spitfire pilot in the Battle of Britain. Near fine book in near very good jacket, signed beneath the portrait frontispiece. As one of the 'few' Crook recorded six kills and was one of nine 'aces' in 609 West Riding Squadron during the Battle of Britain. He died in 194… Read more…

Offered in the BBC’s centenary year - with the Aberdonian BBC founding Director General Sir John Reith’s signature tipped in. Publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine, formerly the property of the Cunard Shipping Company with their gilt stamp to the middle of the front board. Blind stamp of the Circulating Library of Harrods Limited on… Read more…

Inscibed by Charlton Heston to Bejamin Whitrow while filming for American TV, Robert Bolt’s play, A Man for All Seasons, playing respectively Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell: ‘For Ben an actor for all seasons Chuck 2-9-88 Bath’. Half diced calf over marbled boards. Bewick-like bookplate of Thomas Bell, 1797 on front pastedown with a long proven… Read more…

A good copy with a ticket to Coward’s performance ‘at the piano’ on Lake Maggiore tipped into the verso of the title page. Opposite is a card signed, no doubt at this performance, by Noel Coward. Marking to board but internally very good. Read more…

First edition in the original cloth which has been repaired with new endpapers inserted. The book is now square and easily readable. Occasional browning to the text which collates complete with all plates as called for. The novel continues the adventures of the silver-tongued Psmith, one of Wodehouse's best loved characters, and his friend Mike Jac… Read more…

Fine presentation copy inscribed by Lord Kelvin on the title page to his devoted sister: ‘Elizabeth King. 24 Hamilton Terrace from her brother W.T. March 2/ 89’. Very smart green publisher’s cloth binding with dark green coated endpapers, clean fresh text throughout, pp460 plus 2 pages of adverts at the end, illustrated throughout. Elizabeth Thomso… Read more…