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Early edition in a splendid Victorian illustrated cloth binding. Green bevel-edged boards with four-colour depiction of the conjurer at work. Small puncture to spine; rubbing to extremities and light staining to upper cover. Floral endpapers with ‘Wilsden Board School’ prize bookplate dated to 1891; 8 pages of preliminaries, heavily foxed with fron… Read more…

An extraordinary family copy owned and inscribed by the author of the Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, Gilbert White, and subsequently by his favourite niece Mary White who copy-edited his book, and her husband - and cousin - Benjamin White who published their uncle’s masterpiece. This comprehensive web of ownership and association is r… Read more…

From the collection of the medieval manuscript expert Neil Ker and bound with 2 leaves of an English manuscript of Thomas Aquinas’s Commentaries on Aristotle. Contemporary blind-stamped pig skin; remains of clasp fixings; scuffing to extremities; 4cm tear to the pigskin rising along the outer hinge between spine and lower board not affecting integr… Read more…

First British edition of the final novel in the Dune trilogy, thought to be a copy retained by the publisher. Near fine book, with a pencilled note on the front flyleaf: ‘Arr[ived]]. Aug. 20 Pub[lished]. Sep. 23’ presumably recorded by a Gollancz employee. Beautifully clean text printed on the high quality paper used by Gollancz at the time. Very g… Read more…

An unrecorded edition of Charles Jackson’s Narrative of his role in the Wexford Rebellion is the star item in this fascinating collection of Dublin imprints from the 1790s. Small octavo-sized volume bound in contemporary half calf over marbled boards with red morocco spine label: ‘Tracts’. Endpapers with 1794 dated watermark. The imprints appear as… Read more…

Three separately published English histories dating from the Civil War and Commonwealth period which offer contrasted interpretations of Tudor and Stuart history, and each bound without their engraved portraits. Small folio (26x18cm) in 19th century half calf with marbled endpapers and on the front pastedown the bookplate of Edward Fenwick Boyd de… Read more…

First edition with most distinguished provenance, having been gifted by the first Lady Rothschild to her daughter in law, the formidable Roszika Rothschild. Folio bound in imitation of 17th century full calf, signed by ‘Hatchards, 197 Piccadilly’ with 5 raised spine bands, gilt to spine panels and date at the tail of the spine - no doubt executed f… Read more…

Unrecorded and otherwise apparently unknown collection of ‘Prescriptions and Recipes’ published by the Norwich printer, Jarrold. Bound upside down in the publisher’s decorative, ribbed cloth over boards with a printed paper label to the upper cover. Faded and scuffed but sound; sewing loose but holding. The book collates: vi, pp42. A little brownin… Read more…

Scarce dustjacketed edition of this biography of Lincoln. Third impression of 1925 bound in blue boards; old damp staining to edges of cloth. Jacket is in good condition with some loss at the head and tail of the spine and several closed tears. The jacket reproduces the oval image of Lincoln that appears on the frontispiece opposite the title page.… Read more…

A very trim copy of Richard Bentley's 1854 edition of two Jane Austen novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, bound in a most attractive publisher’s bindings of blind-stamped brown cloth. Yellow-coated endpapers and a 19th century ownership inscription of ‘Edgar Jones’ to the recto of the 1833 engraved frontispiece which has a tissue guard and is… Read more…

First edition in attractive patterned boards, no ownership inscriptions, a little spotting. Very good plus in a very good jacket. An uncommon posthumous publication containing some wonderful poems. Read more…

Beautifully Riviere-bound and extra-illustrated with 26 amateur photographs of turn-of-the-century Spain including 3 images of a bull fight. Crushed red morocco, all edges gilt; marbled endpapers with gilt turn-ins. The 26 additional silver gelatin photographs are mounted on inserted leaves and include images of Gibraltar, Toledo, Madrid and three… Read more…

First edition, fifth impression of this landmark novel, signed on the title page by Mantel a few days after she won the Booker Prize in October 2009 at her appearance at the Ilkley Literature Festival. A very sharp copy, fine in a fine jacket, unread and inscribed to two of the volunteer helpers at the Festival in Mantel’s characteristic italic han… Read more…

Eccentrically inscribed by its eccentric, nay decadent, author. Quarto sized book bound in blue cloth with gilt lettering, a little rubbed. Tennant has decorated the front flyleaf with his effusive inscription ‘for Rupert Lord’ adding verses from the Persian and ‘A very ancient saying Oriental I think. I love it.’ The book is otherwise unmarked apa… Read more…

First edition of the final Bond novel bound in black boards with gilt spine lettering, no gun on the upper board; the scarcer issue with blank endpapers with no ownership inscriptions, a very good plus book. The jacket is complete with the '18s. net' price present; very good colour to the jacket, a little rubbing to extremities and a few spots to t… Read more…

Attractive, squarely bound second edition with Oxford provenance to ‘Thornton and Son, Booksellers’ on The Broad, Oxford. Publisher’s red cloth; black coated endpapers. Internally clean and fresh, with the bookplate of Edward Alfred Cockayne (1880-1956), an English physician specialising in children’s medicine, a keen entomologist in his spare time… Read more…

With very interesting provenance, having been signed by the author and with a note from the book’s owner laid in: ‘During World War II when I was an Army chaplain in England I had chance to attend the Shakespearian festival at Stratford... I spent several hours with Mr William Jaggard.. As a souvenir of my visit I bought several books from him, amo… Read more…

Richly provenanced Nelson family association copy presented by Horatio Nelson’s niece Charlotte Nelson to the future Admiral Richard Crozier. Two handsome small octavo volumes bound in straight grain red morocco with gilt decoration; all edges gilt; grey coated endpapers. Armorial bookplate of Richard Crozier to both front paste-downs. Charlotte Ho… Read more…

Inscribed to a legendary Shakespearian to mark the first Shakespearian performance in Russia by a leading British actor since the Bolshevik Revolution. Folio sized volume bound in cream buckram, browning along the top edge of the flyleaf, below which is written in Russian script by the book’s author Victor Komisarzhevsky: ‘To Paul Scofield - Hamlet… Read more…

True first edition of this early poem, inscribed to a close friend on the northern poetry scene numbered 4 out of 26 signed copies. Printed brown paper wrappers which are browned and faded and separated along the spine. Harrison has inscribed the poem above the title with a double-edged quotation: ‘Nor need we to the distant Indies rome; The curst… Read more…

Forster’s second - and favourite - novel, signed and initialled by the writer, probably in Cambridge. A near fine book, green publisher’s cloth, in a good jacket with a little wear to the head and tail of the spine and a closed tear up the hinge between the front jacket panel and the front flap. Not price-clipped. Bookseller’s label of ‘Bowes and B… Read more…

Second edition in worn contemporary calf binding complete with all illustrations and text present: an excellent study copy. Full calf binding: upper cover detached; lower cover attached by a single cord. Blind double fillet to boards, leather starting to detach from boards. Old presentation inscription to front flyleaf: ‘The Gift of Mr Robert Offle… Read more…

Miniature guide to ballroom etiquette (10.5x6.7cm) bound in ribbed red cloth over limp boards; all edges gilt. A little fading to the boards. Yellow coated endpapers; frontispiece; pp82, minor soiling to final leaves. This guide first appeared in 1848, printed in Manchester; this is Milner and Sowerby’s first edition (one institutional copy at the… Read more…

Maritime memoir inscribed to the First World War correspondent and British government spin-doctor, Basil Clarke. Blue cloth, fading to spine. Bradford has inscribed the front flyleaf: ‘To Sir Basil Clarke with the author’s best wishes S. Bradford Feb 1934.’ Internally very clean, a very good plus copy. Bradford was Chaplain to the RNR Officers’ Clu… Read more…

First edition of Mitford’s first novel. Publisher’s binding; subscription library bookplate to front pastedown and an inserted leaf opposite on the stub of the flyleaf with the ownership inscription of ‘Hilary Glynn Gilling’ in pencil; another inserted leaf on the lower pastedown. Internally very good. This book has spent many decades in a smoky La… Read more…