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Nansen
New York: Viking Press, 1945. 170 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/2". First Edition, third printing (July, 1945). Illustrated wrappers, some tears and missing sections but front cover is mostly intact, in very good condition. Blue cloth over boards with black design on cover and lettering on spine, some wear to spine top and bottom, INSCRIBED by author on the front free endpaper, beautifully illustrated in blue tones, slightly musty smell, otherwise in near-fine condition.
A beautiful book, illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff, Caldecott Honor recipient noted for his strong work and surreal designs, this is a biography about Fridtjof Nansen, a noted Norwegian scientist, explorer, and diplomat. A fascinating look at this influential and humanitarian person. Winner of a Newberry Honor award in 1941. Scarce in jacket and signed.
Odds Against
London: Michael Joseph, 1965. 256 pp. Approximately 6 1/4 x 9 1/4". 1st Edition, first printing. Illustrated dust jacket in very good + condition with minor edge wear and repair tape to inside cover near spine, slight rubbing to back cover, not price-clipped; Brown cloth over boards, crisp gilt title on spine, slight foxing of pages edges, otherwise in near fine condition.
Born Richard Stanley Francis (1920 - 2010), Dick Francis was a British crime writer whose novels were mostly centered on horse racing in England (he was a former steeplechase jockey himself). This book is Dick Francis' 5th book, with Sid Halley appearing for the first time as the private investigator. Edgar Award nominee.
Passion Play
New York: St. Martin's Press, 1979. 271 pp. First Edition. Approximately 6 1/2 x 9 1/4". Illustrated dust jacket in fine condition. Black cloth 1/4 bound over red boards, signed on front free endpaper, some foxing to top edges, otherwise in near fine condition.
From the dust jacket: "Passion Play bears the stamp of Jerzy Kosinski's power and eloquence, heightened by an unusual tenderness and humanity. Fabian is the author's most romantic, most vulnerable hero - but also his most sexually driven - making Passion Play an indelible narrative of love and loss." Also from the dust jacket: "He seeks out women whom he met as girls, in whose minds he planted a seed of himself in preparation for a future harvest of seduction". A predator or a tender person? You'll have to read it to find out.
Portsmouth Plaza. The Cradle of San Francisco.
San Francisco: John Henry Nash, 1932. 464 pp. Approximately 7 1/2 x 10 3/4". First Edition. One of 1,000 unnumbered copies. Slipcase in fair condition with case cracked, tape repairs, original paper lable on spine; Vellum-backed marbled boards, some wear to board edges, gilt lettering on vellum, which is slightly dirty and peeling in a few places, interior is bright with no foxing, errata slip tipped in at rear, in very good+ condition.
A beautiful, privately printed book about the history of San Francisco with profuse illustrations by William Wilke (1879-1958), a San Francisco native. The author, Catherine Coffin Phillips (1874-1942) was an author as well as a printer, book collector and historian.
Prelude to Space
[New York]: Gnome Press, Inc., 1954. 191 pp. 5 1/2 x 8"; First American edition, first printing; Illustrated dust jacket by EMSH with some slight rubbing, original price of $2.50 intact, in very good condition; Blue boards with red lettering on spine, some foxing to page edges, age toning of paper throughout, some stains to front cover, a lovely copy in very good condition.
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (1917 - 2008) was a British science fiction writer, among other things . Best known for his screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey, he was a lifelong advocate of space travel.
Role of Honour
London: Jonathan Cape and Hodder & Stoughton, 1984. Approximately 5 1/4 x ". Illustrated dust jacket by Trevor Scobie with author photo, original price of £7.95 intact, in fine condition; Black paper over boards with crisp, gilt lettering on spine, one flawed page printed by publisher that was not cut properly and folded in, otherwise beautifully bright and unmarked, in fine condition.
Base on the Ian Fleming character, this is Gardner's fourth James Bond book. The plot, from the jacket, involves a computer wizard, a mercenary army, and SPECTRE.
Sapphira and the Slave Girl
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1940. 295 pp. First Trade Edition. Dust jacket in very good condition with 1" tear on bottom of front cover, darkened spine and minor chips on top and bottom spine edges, some spotting and darkening to rear cover as well. Green cloth over boards with spine only a slight shade lighter and some sunning to top cover edges, orange and black labels on spine has some slight smudging, otherwise in near fine condition.
Willa Cather (1873 - 1947) was an American author, mostly of the frontier and pioneer experiences. This is Cather's final novel, one that was much heavier in tone and subject matter than her other novels. It portrays a family in Virginia in 1856 before the Civil War.
Satyrs and Women
New York: Covici, Friede, 1930. Approximately 7 1/2 x 12". LIMITED EDITION of 1,250 this being #395. Original black slipcase with gold label on cover present but shows some wear, in very good condition. Blue cloth over boards with gilt design on cover, very sunned spine, 15 fullcolor tipped in illustrations, signed by the artist Majeska on the colophon, foxing throughout, otherwise in very good condition.
A fine press book on heavy paper, with a translated introduction by Pierre Loving, this book is full of sensual and intelligent poetry, accompanied by tasteful illustrations of partially naked women.
Secrets of the Conjurer's Craft
London: Abbey Library, n.d. 144 pp. Approximately 6 1/2 x 9". Dust jacket is in very good condition with some tears with loss in a few spaces, price clipped, slightly dirty rear cover, but still a bright and colorful cover; Black cloth over boards with gilt lettering to spine, many black and white illustrations, slight page tanning, otherwise in near fine condition.
A delightful book revealing how many magician's tricks are performed, along with a "condense history of the Art of Conjuring" from the dust wrapper flap. Some tricks that are revealed include how to saw a woman in half, the Indian Rope Trik, and the Vanishing Lady, among others.
Set of Winnie the Pooh First Editions 4 Volumes -- When We were very young -- Winnie the Pooh -- Now We are Six -- The House at Pooh Corner
London: Methuen and Co., 1924 - 1928. First Editions (When We Were Very Young is 1st edition, second state with "ix" on Contents page), Four volumes. With wonderful line drawings throughout, illustrated by E. H. Shepard.
When We Were Very Young, published in 1924, first trade edition, second state, NF copy with light wear to extremities in VG dustwrapper with a tanned spine, miniscule chip out of top left of spine, navy cloth boards with gilt lettering and gilt vignettes to front and back covers, 100 pps, one of 4,500 copies printed in the first edition, which sold out in the first week.
Winnie-the-Pooh, published in 1926, first trade edition, NF copy in a NF first issue dustwrapper with 117th thousand marked on back flap is bright and complete (does have small wrinkle on back which is not a tear) with minor dustiness, green cloth boards with gilt lettering and vignettes of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh, illustrated end papers with map of 100 Aker Wood and numerous line drawings throughout the book of Pooh and his friends, 158 pps.
Now We Are Six, published in 1927, first trade edition, NF in first state VG dustwrapper with 7/6 price on the spine, back panel has a one-inch tear and slight chips to head and tail of spine, PO name on verso of FFEP, maroon cloth with gilt lettering and vignette of Christopher Robin playing with a train engine on front and Pooh and Piglet on back, 103 pps.
The House at Pooh Corner, published 1928, first trade edition, NF copy in VG first issue dustwrapper (back flap contains an ad for When We Were Very Young, stating it is in its 179th Thousand), small one-half inch tear to front of dustwrapper at the top in the middle and a small gouge (paper still present) to bottom right corner, salmon cloth boards with gilt lettering and vignette, small prior bookshop label to rear endpaper, 179 pps.