Hardcover
The Story of Word Pictures
Santa Cruz, CA: The Good Book Press, 1984. 14 pp. Approximately 2 x 2 1/8". LIMITED EDITION of 200 copies, the first fifty are hand-painted and bound in leather, this being #197 of the regular printing. Pale green paper wrap with design and title on cover and spine in fine condition. Green boards with design on front cover, printed on a hand-operated printing press on Peter's handmade paper, one minor foxing spot on rear endpaper, numbered on the colophon, in near fine condition. (Bradbury, Peter and Donna Thomas 11).
Peter and Donna Thomas, well-known book artists, authors, and paper-makers, have been operating their private press since 1976. This is a lovely little book with elfin maidens and wizards and words by the author on how to gather pictures in your own head.
The Sunbonnet Babies' Book
Chicago, NY & London: Rand, McNally & Co., 1902. 6 x 8 1/4". 105 [1] pp. Tan pictorial cloth over boards, some staining on the cover, some minor stains inside, a slight tear on p. 33, pictorial endpapers with music by H. H. Neidlinger, many colorful illustrations by Bertha L. Corbett throughout, very good condition.
Eulalie Osgood Grover (1873 - 1958) was forn in Mantorville, Minnesota. She created a series of reading primers for young readers featuring two little girls named Mollie and May, whose faces were completely hidden by large sunbonnets. The Sunbonnet Babies Primer was a huge success and was widely accepted in public schools throughout the United states. In 1905, Miss Grover published a second series, The Overall Boys, which introduced little boy characters.
The Terminal Man
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972. 247 pp. 5 3/4 x 8 1/2"; First Edition. Dust jacket is price clipped, otherwise in very good condition; Grey paper with brown cloth over spine, stated First Edition on copyright page, top edge stained green, in near fine condition. (Clute & Nicholls p. 273)
Michael Crichton (1942 - 2008) graduated from Harvard with an MD, which is apparent in much of his work. He first wrote under the name of John Lange but The Andromeda Strain is the second work of his under his own name, which was very successful. It was made into a movie in 1974 and delves into the morality of using electronic brain implants to control behavior, now a better known method of the use of a neurostimulator.
The Toilers of the Sea
New York: Harper and Brothers, [1870's]. 7 x 10 1/2". Brown cloth over boards with beveled edges, frontispiece etching of Victor Hugo is missing tissue guard, 2 illustrations by Gustave Dore have tissue guards intact, some stains and wear to covers, corners bumped and frayed spine ends show wear, minor foxing, good + condition.
American version originally printed in 1867, but this is one of three possible later versions, either 1873, 1875, or 1878 according to their size. (Malan, p.279) Text in two columns. The book is dedicated by Hugo to the island of Guernsey, where he spent 19 years in exile. The novel setting is just after the Napoleonic Wars and portrays the impact of the Industrial Revolution upon the island.
The Tragedy of Lesbos
London: Macmillan and Co., 1870. First Edition. 8vo. Bright green cloth binding with gilt spine lettering and front board ruled in gilt; Front hinge is loose and front free endpaper is loose; spine edges are worn; corner bumping; some age-toning; foxing throughout, a few minor pencil marks; Burns & Co. binder ticket on rear endpaper. Original pencil drawing on page 115, artist unknown. Hardcover in Very Good condition.
Edward Henry Pember was an English barrister, educated at Harrow School and Christ Church, Oxford. The books is inscribed by author at the endpaper: "F. Pember / 1871 / From the author". Presumably this would be his son, Francis William Pember, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.
The Transcendent Man
New York: Rinehart & Co., 1953. 244 pp. Approximately 5 x 7 1/2". First edition, first printing with price of $2.50 on dust jacket flap. Gray boards, red and black spine letters with very minor rubbing to extremities, usual toning to text block, near fine condition. Dust jacket in near fine condition with crease and rubbing on back. NF/NF.
A science fiction story about an unseen alien race, called Capellans, living among us, harvesting "the thought forces released by humans at death."
The Treasure Cave: A Book of New Prose and Verse
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1928. 7 3/4 x 10". Red cloth over boards with black stamped lettering and design, bookstore stamp on inside free endpaper, various illustrators with Daphne Jerrold being the most prominant, both black and white illustrations and tipped-in color illustrations, no dust jacket, corners bumped and a little worn, otherwise in very good condition.
A collection of stories and poems from the time, mostly romantic in nature. The Treasure Cave contains a nice mix of male and female authors, with Rafael Sabatini being perhaps the most well-known.
The Trouble With Eden
New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1973. First hardcover printing. Dust jacket is in very good condition with some edge wear, drink water mark, some shelf wear and minor chips, not price clipped. Red cloth over boards with gilt spine title, top edge has small red ink stain, some tanning, otherwise very good contion.
Jill Emerson is a pseudonym of Lawrence Block (b. 1938). Block is an American crime writer best known for two long-running New York–set series, about the recovering alcoholic P.I. Matthew Scudder and gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, respectively. Block was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1994. This fiction novel, set in New Hope Pennsylvania, has a diverse set of characters, some who struggle against temptation and some who don't.
The Wayward Bus
New York: Viking Press, 1947. 312 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/4". Pictorial jacket is in very good condition, with some wear, slight chipping of the spine, tape repairs to the inside of the jacket, original price of $2.75 intact, first edition first printing dust jacket. Grey cloth over boards with crisp lettering on cover and spine, blindstamp on front cover the same shade as the rest of the binding, top stained red, in near-fine condition. (Goldstone & Payne A23 third issue)
Originally thought to be one of Steinbeck's weaker novels, it was actually financially successful. The interesting thing about it is that no one single character in the book dominates. Rather, the viewpoint shifts from one character to another quite frequently, with access to the character's thoughts through an internal monologue. Adapted to film in 1957 to some success at the box office, it starred Jayne Mansfield, Joan Collins, Dan Dailey and Rick Jason.
The Wayward Bus
New York: Viking Press, 1947. 312 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/4". Pictorial jacket is in very good condition, with some wear, slight chipping of the spine, tape repairs to the inside of the jacket, original price of $2.75 intact. Dark reddish-orange cloth over boards with crisp lettering on cover and spine, blindstamp on front cover a lighter shade then the rest of the binding, top is not stained green and there is no book club dot so likely some variant of first printing, slight edge wear to covers especially along the bottom edges, stained on the upper page edge corners, otherwise in very good condition. (Goldstone & Payne A23a)
Originally thought to be one of Steinbeck's weaker novels, it was actually financially successful. The interesting thing about it is that no one single character in the book dominates. Rather, the viewpoint shifts from one character to another quite frequently, with access to the character's thoughts through an internal monologue. Adapted to film in 1957 to some success at the box office, it starred Jayne Mansfield, Joan Collins, Dan Dailey and Rick Jason.