Products
The Pillars of the Earth
New York: William Morrow & Company, 1989. First Edition. Illustrated dust jacket in fine condition with price of $22.95 intact. Brown paper boards with brown cloth spine, crisp gilt lettering on cover and spine, complete number line on copyright page, in fine condition.
Kenneth Martin Follett (1949 - ) is a Welsh author, primarily known for his thrillers such as "Eye of the Needle" and "The Key to Rebecca." Follett was always fascinated by cathedrals and writing this book was a definite risk for him. The novel is set in England in the 12th century and revolves around the building of a cathedral and the characters who help and oppose this task, set against the drama of the historical events at this time.
The Pioneer History of Meigs County
Columbus, OH: Berlin Print Co., 1908. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8". Black cloth over boards, gilt lettering on cover and spine although very faded on spine, some ink and wear to front cover, overall edge wear and rubbing, ink writing on front free endpaper, frontispiece, many black and white plates, index, a few notes and fingerprints throughout some foxing, otherwise in very good condition.
Stillman Carter Larkin (1808 - 1891) was a member of the Meigs County Pioneer Society and they worked to collect and keep the history and stories of the early pioneer settlers of Meigs County, Ohio. With an excellent index, you can find biographies, name, photos of graveyards and homesteads, along with fascinating stories of these early settlers.
The Principal Antique Patterns of Marbled Papers Made and Described by Anne Chambers with an Introduction by Bernard Middleton
Burford, Oxfordshire: The Cygnet Press, 1984. [44] pp. approx. 6 x 7 3/4". LIMITED EDITION of 250, this being #176. Blue paper over boards with title in black letters on spine, 14 marbled paper samples tipped in, some sun fading to spine, otherwise in near fine condition.
A short but informative introduction by Bernard Middleton on the history of paper marbling, this book is also very helpful in identifying some of the classic patterns such as Antique Spot, French Shell, Italian Shell, English Stormont, Gloster, Spanish, Peacock, and Stonemarble (or Turkish). The tipped in examples are brilliant and colorful and extremely beautiful.
The Private Practice of Michael Shayne
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1940. 250 pp. 5 1/4 x 7 1/2"; First Edition. Illustrated dust jacket has original price of $2.00 on front jacket flap, some chipping and loss at spine extremities, minor chipping and tears, some spots and creases, some damp stain and previous tape repairs on the inside of the jacket, otherwise in good condition; Black cloth over boards with crisp white lettering on spine, top edge stained red, some tanning throughout, a few stains on foredge, a nice copy of this scarce edition in very good + condition.
Brett Halliday is the pseudonym of Davis Dresser (1904 - 1977), an American western and mystery writer who is best known for his Michael Shayne mystery series. The series was so popular that it spawned a radio series, twelve motion pictures, a TV series, and a Michael Shayne Mystery Magazine. Dresser was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America. This is the second book in the Michael Shayne series and is relatively scarce.
The Quality of Life
Philadelphia: Girard Bank, 1970. 85 pp. Approximately 5 3/4 x 8 1/4". First edition, first printing. Slip case is in fine condition; green paper over boards with black lettering to cover and spine, label paste-down on cover which has a tiny nick in it, insert from the Girard Company bank president laid in, in fine condition.
Per the laid in slip from Stephen S. Gardner, President of The Girard Company, this book was commissioned for James Michener to write in order to include it with the bank's 1969 Annual Report. Michener was given free artistic license to express his own views. Nine color reproductions of paintings by James B. Wyeth (son of Andrew Wyeth and grandson of N. C. Wyeth) were added to enrich the text.
The Reluctant Dragon
New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983. Approximately 8 1/4 x 10 1/2". LIMITED EDITION of 350 copies, this being #44. Green cloth over boards with brown cloth spine, brown slipcase, signed on the colophon by the illustrator, Michael Hague, includes a reproduction of a specially commissioned pen and ink drawing, all in fine condition.
Kenneth Grahame (1859 - 1932) was a British writer, best known for his novel, "The Wind in the Willows". This charmingly illustrated short story, is seen as an original idea that a dragon does not have to be seen as a threat, but can be a sympathetic character. This story was originally published in 1898 as a chapter in Grahame's book, "Dream Days".
The Rita and Tim Hildebrandt Fantasy Cookbook: Real Recipes You Can Cook in Your Own Home
New York: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1983. 195 pp. Approximately 8 x 10". First Edition, first printing. Wraparound dustjacket is beutifully illustrated on the front cover but is missing a small chunk on the top of the spine and a large section on the rear cover, good condition only. Green cloth binding with 8 illustrations in color and many black and white line drawings, maps and decorations, some punctures to cover (an overly friendly cat?), but text block is clean. Overall, very good condition.
Greg and Tim Hildebrandt (twin brothers born in 1939) began painting professionally in 1959 as the Brothers Hildebrandt. They are best known for their popular The Lord of the Rings calendar illustrations,painting the first bilingual Star Wars film poster, illustrating comics for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, original oil paintings for a limited edition of Terry Brooks's The Sword of Shannara, and their Magic: The Gathering and Harry Potter illustrations for Wizards of the Coast. Tim Hildebrandt illustrated children's books, two Dungeons & Dragons calendars, and the poster for the film The Secret of NIMH.
The Robber Bride
New York: Nan A. Talese / Doubleday, 1993. 6 1/2 x 9 1/2". 466pp. First American edition, first printing. Dust jacket in good condition only, with crease on the spine and minor wear, not price clipped. Grey cloth quarter-wrapped over boards, slightly cocked, minor wear, otherwise very good condition.
This is Atwood's 8th novel, and is full of her usual wit. The story centers on three women and the influence on them by the fourth classmate, Zenia, the evil maurader. This book comes with the publisher's "Book Group Companion".
The Second Magenta Frog
Vancouver, BC: Talonbooks, 1972. First Edition, limited print run of 4,000 copies. Illustrated stiff paper wrap with some browning to edges and spine, some foxing to inside front/back covers, minor edgewear, numerous illustrations, pictures, newsclips and short stories throughout, on newsprint paper, unmarked, in very good plus condition.
Great collection of the early works of Arnold Saba (now Katherine Collins), best known for the Neil the Horse comics and stories. From the front cover, this book contains, "Stories, Poems, Pictures, Songs, Comics, Jokes, Games, Tricks, Puzzles, Enigmas, Conundrums, Surprises, Marvels, Magic, Deceptions, Illusion, Disillusion, Fear, Horror, Despair, Death, Truth, Lies, Changes, Cycles, Love, Life." Only a few other copies on the market.
The Short Reign of Pippin IV
New York: Viking Press, 1957. 188 pp. Approximately 5 1/4 x 8". First Edition, first state of dust jacket. Illustrated dust jacket in very good condition with minor edge wear, some rubbing, publisher's price of $3.00 on the front flap; Strawberry cloth over boards with heraldic blind-stamping, yellow spine with red printing but discolored/darkened slightly, top stain red, pages clean and bright, in very good condition. (Goldstone & Payne A36a)
Generally considered as one of Steinbeck's lesser books, this book did become popular enough to be a book-of-the-month selection. This is Steinbeck's only work of political satire and tells the story of an amateur astronomer, Pippin, who is proclaimed King of France. He spends most of his time trying to avoid any responsibilities and deal with hangers-on with inherited money. Much of the satire is clearly relatable to today's people and politics as well.