Hardcover
A Little Pilgrim
Boston: Roberts Brothers 1882, hardcover. SIGNED by "Mrs. Oliphant" on title page. Grey cloth over boards with gilt lettering on cover and spine, cover has some stains, spine is worn with a little tear on the back side, red topstain, previous owner's name on ffep, tanning to pages, otherwise good+ condition.
Born Margaret Oliphant Wilson (1828 - 1897) was a Scottish novelist and historical writer. She usually wrote as Mrs. Oliphant. She often wrote about domestic realism, and historical novels but took to writing supernational fiction in the 1880's. This is a collection of stories that deals with after-death experiences.
A Tourist In Spite of Himself
Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1930. 252 pp. Approximately 6 x 9". Limited Edition of 525 copies, this being #71. Signed by the author. Cardboard slip case is in good condition with some splitting to edges, past repairs, paper label on spine indicating title and limited edition number; Blue cloth quarter bound over decorative boards with torn label pasted down to spine, many black and white illustrations by Gluyas Williams throughout, in near fine condition.
A delightful book about a book collector's travels around the world, particularly Scandinavia, London, Paris, Egypt, Jerusalem and Rome, all told from a very humorous perspective. Newton also authored The Amenities of Book-Collecting.
Adlai: The Wit and Wisdom of Adlai Ewing Stevenson
Sausalito, CA: Castle Baird Press, 1993. 32 pp. Approximately 2 x 2 1/2 ". LIMITED EDITION of 75 copies, this being #32. Printed paper boards with design and lettering by Susan Acker and Mary McDermott at the Feathered Serpent Press, printed endpapers with the United Nations emblem repeated, US Postage stamp of Adlai Stevenson tipped in at front, Doonesbury cartoon by Gary Trudeau folded in, signed by both the author and publishers, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Castle Baird 3)
A brief but compassionate bio about Adlai Stevenson II (1900 - 1965), a Governor of Illinois, a U.S. Presidential Candidate, and a U.N. Ambassador.
Adlai: The Wit and Wisdom of Adlai Ewing Stevenson
Sausalito, CA: Castle Baird Press, 1993. 32 pp. Approximately 2 x 2 1/2 ". LIMITED EDITION of 75 copies, this being #8. Printed paper boards with design and lettering by Susan Acker and Mary McDermott at the Feathered Serpent Press, printed endpapers with the United Nations emblem repeated, US Postage stamp of Adlai Stevenson tipped in at front, Doonesbury cartoon by Gary Trudeau folded in, miniature bookplate of well-known scholar and miniature book collector Kalman Levitan (also the founder and first president of the Miniature Book Society) on front paste-down endpaper, signed by both the author and publishers, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Castle Baird 3)
A brief but compassionate bio about Adlai Stevenson II (1900 - 1965), a Governor of Illinois, a U.S. Presidential Candidate, and a U.N. Ambassador. levitan
Arthur C. Clarke: The Authorized Biography
Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1992. 430 pp. 6 x 9 1/4"; Pictorial dustjacket in fine condition; Black paper over boards with gilt lettering on spine, signed Arthur C. Clarke bookplate on front paste-down endpaper, many black and white photographs, in fine condition.
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (1917 - 2008) was the author or more than sixty books and has received many awards for both his science fiction and his scientific non-fiction writing. This biography explores his career and personal vision though candid interviews with Clarke, his friends, family members, and colleagues. The numerous black and white photographs enhance the biography in a delightful way. Bookplate printed "Ex Libris, Arthur C. Clarke" with illustrations of the monolith from his 2001 Space Odyssey series and dolphins from his novel, Dolphin Island.
Cape Cod Yesterdays
Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1935. 48 pp. Approximately 6 3/4 x 9 3/4"; LIMITED EDITION of 1075, this being #471 as indicated on the colophon, although the slipcase indicates copy #826, signed by both author and illustrator. Slipcase slightly corner bumped but in near-fine condition with spine label showing title and limitation in excellent shape. Calico cloth covered boards with quarter-bound linen backing, beautiful pictorial endpapers, top edge of all-rag paper is trimmed but other edges are untrimmed, both b/w and full color illustrations by Harold Brett, extra label at rear of book, otherwise in fine condition.
Told from the point of view of remembrances of the departing way of life in Cape Cod. Informal diaglogue brings back the time of general stores, ships that sailed without gasoline engines, travelling by horseback instead of car, fishing, all told with the Cape Cod landscape as a beautiful and scenic background.
Cardography and Card Catalogue
Eugene, OR: Hypatia Press, 1987. 183 pages + Afterward and maps. 5 1/2 x 8 1/2"; LIMITED EDITION, 76 deluxe editions with 56 having hand-tinted tarot cards of the minor arcana tipped in, like this one, being the Lady of Wands. Beige leather slipcase in fine condition; Beige leather over boards with gilt design and lettering on cover and spine, illustrations throughout including beautiful copper tinted gilt endpapers, signed by Orson Scott Card (author), David Hartwell (editor) and Leslie Newcomer (artist) on limitation page, all in fine condition. Includes Catalogue of Card's works, signed by the compiler, Michael R. Collings and Card.
Orson Scott Card (1951 - ) is an American writer, public speaker, and columnist. He is known for many genres but best known for his science fiction and fantasy books, most especially Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead, both of which won Hugo and Nebula Awards.
Children of the night
New York: G.P. Punam's Sons, 1992. 382 pp. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4". First Edition, first printing. Illustrated dust jacket in near-fine condition; black cloth over boards, crisp gilt lettering on spine, map endpapers, faint spotting on top page edges, inscribed on the title page to Diane Peterson, a well-known ABAA dealer, "To Diane Peterson -- /Greetings from Transylvania/Dan Simmons, accompanied by a unique vampire drawing by the author, in fine condition. (Clute & Nicholls, p 1111.)
Simmons' tenth novel, this is an epic horror novel about an American hematologist who adopts a Romanian boy with a mysterious illness that may hold the key to a cure of cancer and AIDS, who unfortunately has a hidden tie to the vampire family of Vlad Dracula. Scariness and horror ensues. This novel was a Locus Award Winner in 1993. Dan Simmons (1948 - ) was the winner of the 1986 World Fantasy Award for his novel Song of Kali.
Christmas in the Olde Coaching Days
[Manteno, IL]: Bronte Press, 1989. Approximately 2 3/4 x 2 1/8", oblong. (22) pp. First Edition. LIMITED EDITION of 75 copies, this being #61. Decorated paper boards with printed labels, letterpress, hand-colored illustrations by the author, signed and numbered on the colophon by Pruchnicki, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Bronte Press 21)
Printing since 1981, Bronte Press miniatures are notable in that all of the illustrations are original works and are often hand-colored. This beautiful miniature tells a charming story of a coachman's adventures during the Christmas season.
Chronicles of Texas, A Sesquicentennial Momento, 1836 - 1986
(San Antonio, TX: Windcrest Press, 1986). (29) pp. 3 x 2 1/4". LIMITED EDITION of 25 copies, this being #19. Blue cloth over boards with metal flag on front cover, postage stamps tipped in, illustrations, signed by the author, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Windcrest Press, 2)
Valentine J. Poska is a librarian by profession who also publishes miniature books under his Windcrest Press Imprint. He also wrote other miniature books published by other publishers. He was an early member of the Miniature Book Society. This little book chronicles many important and trivia related events in the history of Texas, starting with Texas gaining its independence from Mexico and ending with Texas Sesquicentennial (with Dallas Cowboys superbowl wins and a political figures sprinkled in).