Georgian edition. Complete in five volumes. Publisher's original blue cloth with gilt titles to the spine. Titles pages printed in black and red. A near fine set, the bindings are square and firm, the cloth bright and gilt fresh, with mild rubbing to the extremities, and touch of fraying to the extremities of Northanger Abbey. The contents, with a previous owner's bookplate to the front pastedown of Pride and Prejudice, shadows on the front pastedowns of the other volumes, and mild offsetting to the endpapers, are clean throughout, and without inscriptions or stamps.

A very attractive and unusually bright set of the 'Georgian Edition' of Jane Austen's collected works, with an introduction by John Bailey included in every volume. (Gilson E158).

First edition, first printing. Three volumes. Signed by the author. Volumes I and III, publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper; volume II, publisher's brown cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. 'A Kind of Loving' is in very good condition, the binding firm,the spine a touch rolled, the cloth and gilt bright and fresh. The contents, toned to the paper-stock as always, are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that is toned to the spine and panel edges. 'The Watchers on the Shore' is a near fine copy, the binding square and the cloth and gilt bright and fresh. The contents, with a small square patch on the front endpaper (from a paper label, long since removed) are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the lightly rubbed dustwrapper that is without fading, loss or tears. 'The Right True End' is a near fine copy, the binding firm, the spine a touch rolled. The contents are clean throughout. Complete with the lightly rubbed and creased dustwrapper that is a little toned to the spine and panel edges. None of the three dustwrappers have been price-clipped and all of the books are without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps.

Each volume is signed by Stan Barstow in black ink on the title page. Uncommon thus. 'A Kind of Loving' forms the basis for the 1962 British kitchen sink drama film directed by John Schlesinger, starring Alan Bates and June Ritchie. The screenplay was written by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall and was later adapted into the 1982 television series of the same name.

First French edition. Limited edition. Signed by the editor. Text in French. Publisher's original black silk with gilt titles and small parma violet illustrations to the upper board and spine, with a printed illustration by Erté to the upper board. Housed in the dark grey cloth folding case, with white card label with black titles and borders pasted to the backstrip. Patterned endpapers. Printed on handmade blue paper with the deckled fore-edge. Illustrated throughout with 78 tipped in colour plates by Erté, including a photograph of the artist himself, and 42 black and white line drawings of the artist's costume and prop designs. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the lower board very lightly spotted to the top edge and a little marked, with a touch of rubbing to the extremities. The contents are clean throughout, and without inscriptions or stamps. An attractive example.

Issued in an edition of 3000 copies carried out in two successive print runs of 1500 copies, from which this example is numbered 2697, and signed by the editor Franco Maria Ricci in black ink on the colophon. A luxuriously-bound study of Russian-born French artist, fashion designer, and set designer Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990), popularly known by the pseudonym Erté (from the French pronunciation of his initials). Richly illustrated throughout with a series of reproductions of the artist's works, this volume includes an accompanying essay by French critic and literary theorist Roland Barthes, followed by an extract from Erté's memoirs. The text was published in a series of six languages, Italian, English, French, Spanish, German, and Russian. Widely considered 'The Father of Art Deco', Erté's most famous art deco costume creations were worn by international stars of the stage and screen such as Marion Davies, Lillian Gish, and Irène Bordoni. Yet, Erté is particularly remembered for his artistic contributions to print media, having contributed over 200 covers for Harper's Bazaar fashion magazine in his signature art deco style, between 1915 and 1937. His work has since been described as a major factor in the magazine's rise in popularity, to the extent that the magazine's owner and publisher William Randolph Hearst is said to have once commented "what would Harper's Bazaar have been if it wasn't for Erté?" (Jon Astbury for Dezeen, 2025). The Alphabet and Numeral Suites, featured in this book, reportedly came from his childhood, with the artist explaining in an interview for The New York Times 'When I was learning to write, I thought of it as a kind of drawing. It amused me to make the letters in fancy ways, and I guess I came to think of the human body as a pliable part of a design in Maria Petitpa's ballet class' (Flora Lewis for The New York Times, 1976).

First edition, first printing. Original black cloth lettered in silver to the spine, in the Pentagram designed dustwrapper with Sue Linney's portrait of Beckett on the front panel. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the lower spine tip a little pushed, the cloth bright and fresh. The contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. The top edge is just a touch spotted. Minor binding fault resulting in the front endpaper being fixed to the pastedown. Complete with the lightly creased dustwrapper that has a few foxing spots to the underside. Not price-clipped (£12.50 net to the front flap). The hardback edition is notably scarce.

Published three years before the author's death, this volume collected for the first time all of Beckett's writings for stage, radio, television and cinema. Still available in paperback format, it remains the standard edition of these works.

First edition, first printing. Original blue cloth with titles in black to the spine and upper board, in the illustrated dustwrapper. Illustrated endpapers. With a colour frontispiece and black and white illustrations throughout by Eileen Soper. A very good copy, the binding square and firm, with pale mottling to the spine, a small mark to the lower board and minor bumping and rubbing at the extremities. The contents, with some light spotting to the prelims and closed text-block edge, are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the rubbed, nicked and creased, price-clipped dustwrapper that has dust marks to the rear panel, a few marks to the spine and a number of short closed tears along the bottom edges, the longest of which measures 2cm. An attractive example, seldom encountered thus.

The fifth adeventure of The Famous Five. The children befriend a circus boy named Nobby and, whilst on a caravanning adventure, help him to foil the plans of his criminal clown uncle.

Second edition. Bound in wooden boards salvaged from the 'Mary Rose', with black leather spine titled "A Relic Of The Mary Rose" in gilt. 96 pp. Measuring 9 x 6cm. All edges gilt. A very good copy, the binding firm, the wood boards a little bowed and the spine leather a little rubbed and scuffed. The contents, a little darkened to the margins and with a few small scuffs to the front pastedown, are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Scarce.

The second edition of this ninety-six-page narrative recounting the loss of the 'Mary Rose'. It follows the first edition of 1842 and precedes a third edition published in 1849. All three editions are identical except for the date on the title page. Upon his accession to the throne, Henry VIII initiated an ambitious shipbuilding programme. Among the vessels constructed was the 'Mary Rose', built between 1509 and 1511 and, at the time, one of the largest ships in the English navy. As the English flagship, she participated in numerous naval engagements throughout more than three decades of Henry's reign. Her final action took place in July 1545 in the Solent, during an engagement with a French invasion fleet. With Henry himself watching from Southsea Castle, the Mary Rose suddenly sank, resulting in the loss of approximately 500 men. The wreck remained undisturbed for nearly 300 years until its accidental discovery by fishermen in 1836. Seeking to remove the obstruction, they employed pioneering divers Henry Abbinett, John Deane, and William Edwards to investigate. Following the initial exploration, John Deane secured exclusive salvage rights to the wreck and recovered numerous artefacts, later selling items including longbows and several bronze and iron guns. The wood used for this binding was purchased on 12 November 1840 at Mr. Deane's public sale of articles recovered from the Mary Rose. In 1982, after eight years of extensive preparation and excavation, the remaining hull of the Mary Rose was raised from the seabed. Today, it is preserved and displayed at the Mary Rose Museum, located within the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

First edition, first printing. Complete in four volumes. Publisher's original brown cloth, with gilt titles to the spine, borders stamped in blind to the boards and spine, and with gilt insignia to the upper board. With a black and white frontispiece in each volume, two black and white illustrations in volumes II and III, and five black and white illustrations in volume IV. A very good set, the bindings firm with a little bumping to the spine tips and corners, the cloth a little rubbed at the edges and with light fading to the bottom of the spines of volumes III and IV. The inner hinges in volumes II, III, and IV are cracked but holding. The contents, with a previous owner's signature in black ink to the front endpapers of each volume and with a couple instances of pencilled marginalia by Dr Richard Rowland in volume II and III, and a small pen notation in volume III, are otherwise clean throughout.

A decent set with an interesting provenance. Each volume with the ownership inscription and date '15/6/[19]45' of Margaret Hubbard (1924-2011), an Australian-born British classical scholar, best known for her study of Propertius (1974) and for her academic and romantic connection to noted novelist Iris Murdoch, who dedicated her 1962 novel 'An Unofficial Rose' to her. Later from the library of (and with pencilled marginalia of) Dr Richard Rowland, editor and author on the Renaissance and classical mythology, and Senior Lecturer in the Department of English and Related Literature at the University of York. Shakespeare scholar Sir Ernest Kerchever Chambers' seminal work on Elizabethan drama remains a standard resource for early modern drama students and scholars today.

Second printing of the February 1933 first edition. Publisher's original blue cloth with black titles to the upper board and spine, in dustwrapper. A very good copy, the binding square with a little bumping to the spine tips and rubbing to the extremities, the cloth quite bright. the contents, with a few finger marks, and the odd foxing spot to the margins are otherwise clean and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that has several short closed tears, some associated creasing and some tape in a few places to the underside. Scarce in dustwrapper.

The first collection of short stories featuring Simon Templar, alias 'The Saint'. A Queens Quorum title. (Hubin)

First edition. Hardcover. Text in French and English. Publisher's original blue cloth with white titles to the upper board and spine, in dustwrapper. Illustrated in colour throughout. A near fine copy, the binding firm, the spine a touch rolled. The contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the bright original dustwrapper that is without fading, loss or tears. Scarce.

A profusely illustrated study of the design models behind Aubusson tapestries, how they were made, used, neglected, and eventually rediscovered as valuable works of art and historical documents. Aubusson tapestries bear witness to the glory days of a bygone and little-known era. To create a tapestry, the weaver uses a model painted or drawn on a support. This model, called a "tapestry cartoon", serves as the motif to be reproduced. The figures, scenes, and landscapes created in the nineteenth century by the cartoon painters pay homage to these painters, now quietly deceased, and to the life of the tapestry workshops.

Stapled illustrated paper covers printed in black and orange. 16 pages. With photographic portrait of the author. A very good copy indeed, the binding firm with just a little toning and light creasing to the extremities. The pages are bright and fresh, and without loss or tears.

Signed by Agatha Christie in black ink at the top of the front cover. Agatha Christie's classic locked room mystery 'The Mousetrap' premiered on 6th October 1952 at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham. Following its debut, the production toured several major cities, including the New Theatre, Oxford; The Opera House, Manchester; The Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool; The Theatre Royal, Newcastle; The Grand Theatre, Leeds; and the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, before opening in London at the Ambassadors Theatre on Tuesday, 25th November. The play reached its 1,000th performance on 22nd April 1955, and on 12th April 1958, after its 2,239th performance, it became the longest-running play in the history of British theatre. It celebrated its 5,000th performance on 9th December 1964, just a few months after this programme was issued. Today, 'The Mousetrap' holds the distinction of being the world's most successful and longest-running play.

First UK edition, first printing. Original brown paper-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine, in the dustwrapper illustrated with an image from the 1550 text 'Rosarium philosophorum' in gilt. A very good copy, the binding square and firm, the spine tips very lightly bumped. The contents are clean throughout and without stamps or inscriptions. Complete with the lightly rubbed and creased original dustwrapper which has a short closed tear to the top edge of the rear panel. Not price-clipped (£4.95 on the front flap).

Leonard Cohen's seventh book of poetry. It shares its title (with a slightly different spelling) with his 5th studio album 'Death of a Ladies' Man', released in 1977. The only shared material between the book and album are the identical words of the eponymous poem and song, the remaining poems are unrelated to the album.

First UK edition, first printing. Original black paper-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. A fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean throughout and without stamps or inscriptions. Complete with the very lightly rubbed and creased dustwrapper which is without loss or tears. Not price-clipped (£1.75 on the front flap).

Leonard Cohen's sixth book of poetry.

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Inscribed presentation copy from the author to her brother. Publisher's blue cloth with black titles to the spine, in the Bip Pares illustrated dustwrapper. A better than very good copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth bright and fresh. The contents, with some spotting to the prelims and closed text block edge are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that is a little toned to the rear panel. Not price-clipped (9/- net to the lower front flap). Scarce in presentation state.

Inscribed in blue ink on the front free endpaper, in the hand of Adelaide Manning "W. O. Manning / from / Manning Coles / 4.9.40." The recipient, William Oke Manning, the author's elder brother, was a pioneering figure in British aeronautical design. This is the debut novel of the crime-writing partnership of Adelaide Manning and Cyril Coles, published under the pseudonym 'Manning Coles'. It introduces the master spy Tommy Hambledon, who would go on to appear in a further twenty-five novels over the next two decades. A Haycraft–Queen Cornerstone title. (Hubin).

First edition, first printing. Signed by the artist. Publisher's original dark blue cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in the Quentin Blake illustrated dustwrapper. Illustrated throughout in black and white by Quentin Blake. A fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the ever so lightly creased dustwrapper, which is without fading, loss or tears. Not price-clipped (£7.95 to the front flap).

Signed by Quentin Blake in blue ink on the title page. "The marvellously dastardly Dahl has joined forces with that bounder Blake to plunder a wealth of nursery heritage for the delight of the older reader in this wonderful addition to the literature of the absurd" (publisher's blurb). A collection of 15 poems based on nursery rhymes, fables and fairy tales. Comprising of 'Dick Whittington and His Cat', 'St Ives', 'A Hand in the Bird', 'The Tortoise and the Hare', 'The Price of Debauchery', 'Physical Training', 'The Emperor's New Clothes', 'A Little Nut-Tree', 'The Dentist and the Crocodile', 'Hot and Cold', 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves', 'Hey Diddle Diddle', 'Mary, Mary', 'Hansel and Gretel', 'Aladdin and the Magic Lamp'.

First UK edition, first printing. Association copy. Signed by the author for fellow science fiction author Brian Stableford. Publisher's original burgundy cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with some bumping to the spine tips, the cloth and gilt bright and fresh. The edges of the text block, especially the top edge are toned and spotted, the contents are otherwise clean throughout, and other than the author's, without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the lightly rubbed dustwrapper that is nicked to the laminate at the spine tips. Not price-clipped (30s net to the lower front flap).

Inscribed by the author in black ink on the dedication page "To Brian Stapleford / from / Samuel R. Delany / Oslo '89". First published in the United States in 1968 by Doubleday and nominated for the Hugo Award in 1969, the first UK edition is notably scarce, particularly so when signed, and as in this example, with a meaningful author-to-author association.

First edition in book form. Publisher's original deluxe full burgundy morocco with four gilt-decorated raised bands and gilt titles to the spine. Bound from the parts, with stab-holes visible. All edges gilt. Portrait frontispiece of the author (in the first state), engraved by Finden from a painting by Maclise. Illustrated with 39 full page plates by "Phiz". A handsome, very good copy, the binding square and firm with very slight bumping to the corners and some rubbing to the extremities of the spine and corners. The contents, with some foxing to the prelims and plates and occasionally to the margins of the text, are otherwise clean throughout and without stamps or inscriptions. A very attractive example, uncommon in the publisher's full morocco binding.

'Nicholas Nickleby', Charles Dickens' third full-length novel, was originally serialised as 20 numbers in 19 monthly parts between April 1838 and October 1839, the final part being a double number. It was first published in book form on October 23, 1839, with the publisher offering three different bindings: cloth, half morocco with marbled edges and full morocco with gilt edges. The publisher also offered a binding service for owners of the parts, advertised with an inset in the final part, with the same binding options. Copies bound from the parts can identified by the stab-holes near the gutter, as seen here, where the parts were originally sewn in wraps, as opposed to the newly printed copies intended specifically for the book form, which have no holes. This example with one of the first four plates in the first state (with publisher's imprint), and most of the earliest text points noted in Smith. During the writing of 'Nicholas Nickleby' Dickens and his illustrator Halbot K. "Phiz" Browne made research trips by stagecoach to Yorkshire and its infamous cheap boarding schools that are heavily criticised in the novel. Such schools were repeatedly accused of mistreatment and neglect of their pupils, with some cases resulting in blindness or even death. Dickens' popularity had soared with the publishing phenomenon 'The Pickwick Papers' in 1936, and 'Nicholas Nickleby' and its central reforming theme received a huge readership. The novel had a significant hand in the dismantling of the Yorkshire school industry in the 1840s. (Smith, Part 1: 5).

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Publisher's original quarter black cloth over paper covered boars with gilt and red titles to the spine, in the Janet Halverson designed dustwrapper. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with some rubbing and a little fraying at the head of the spine. The contents are clean throughout, the closed text block edge just a little dusty and spotted. Complete with the original dustwrapper that is a little nicked and creased at the head of the lightly faded spine, and has two very short closed tears to the top edge of the upper panel. Not price-clipped ($8.95 to the lower corner of the creased front flap).

Signed by Joan Didion in black ink on the front endpaper. The author's third novel.

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author, with an original drawing. Publisher's original pictorial boards, in dustwrapper. A very good or better copy, the binding square and firm. The contents, with a little toning of the pages and light spotting to the closed text-block edge are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the lightly rubbed dustwrapper that is a touch faded to the spine and to a strip at the left and top edges of the front panel. Not price-clipped (£9.99 to the front flap).

Inscribed by Neil Gaiman in purple ink on the title page "Mark - / Neil Gaiman [underlined]" alongside a doodle of a mouse. Gaiman's acclaimed children's dark fantasy novel won a Hugo Award for Best Novella, a Nebula Award for Best Novel, and a Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers. It was adapted into an animated film of the same name in 2009.

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Limited edition. Publisher's original black cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in the black cloth slipcase. A very near fine copy, the binding square and tight, bright and fresh with just a touch of rubbing to the spine tips and corners. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owners' marks. Housed in the fine original slipcase with titles in gilt to one side and the publisher's price label to the bottom edge.

Issued in a limited edition of 1000 copies, this example is numbered 541 and signed by David Gemmell in black ink on the title page. A sweeping historical fantasy that reimagines the era of the Trojan War, drawing on the characters and landscapes of Homer's 'Iliad'. Two subsequent novels complete the 'Troy' trilogy, the last completed by Gemmell's wife Stella following David's passing in July 2006.

First edition. Publisher's metallic card covers printed in red. 16 pages, unpaginated. Illustrated with folding plates in colour throughout. Publisher's information printed in black on a single brown paper sheet, loosely laid in, as issued. A very good copy, the binding firm with a little rubbing, bumping and creasing to the extremities. The contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. The second in the series of quarterly graphic design essays printed and published by The Kynoch Press in co-operation with the Desingers and Art Directors Association of London. Scarce.

Bob Gill (born 1931, Brooklyn, NY) studied at the Philadelphia Museum School of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts before launching a freelance career in New York. His early work included illustrations for Esquire, Architectural Forum, Fortune, Seventeen, The Nation, as well as children's books and film titles. In 1955, he received a New York Art Directors Club Gold Medal for a CBS television title. In 1960, Gill moved to London to work for the advertising agency Charles Hobson. There, he joined forces with Alan Fletcher and Colin Forbes to form Fletcher / Forbes / Gill, an influential studio that would later help lay the groundwork for Pentagram. The early 1960s in England were a period of extraordinary creative energy. The Beatles were rapidly transforming from a Liverpool band into a global cultural force. The satirical revue Beyond the Fringe introduced Jonathan Miller, Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore, and Peter Cook as sharp-witted social commentators. Designer Mary Quant was redefining fashion and modern femininity. Graphic design, too, was part of this cultural surge, and Fletcher / Forbes / Gill stood at its leading edge. Working from a mews studio off Baker Street, the trio developed a bold, avant-garde approach that fused typography and image in ways largely unseen in the traditionally conservative British design scene. Their work quickly gained attention beyond the design community, including features in Vogue, and they soon attracted a growing list of high-profile clients. In 1965, Gill left the partnership, which was restructured as Crosby / Fletcher / Forbes with the addition of architect Theo Crosby. Gill later returned to New York, where his work spanned disciplines: he designed a proposed peace monument for Times Square, directed the film 'The Double Exposure of Holly', and collaborated with Robert Rabinowitz on the multimedia musical Beatlemania, which ran on Broadway for three years. Throughout his career, Gill championed a direct, idea-driven approach to design. As he wrote in 1981 "Drawing (illustration) is just like design. It's a process, a means, not an end. Both are ways of making statements. So unless you have a specific point of view about something, don't even begin the process". In 1999, he was awarded the British D&AD President's Award.

First edition, first printing. Limited edition. Signed by the author. Publisher's original quarter black cloth over paper covered boards with titles in brown on a white paper label to the spine, in the card and cloth slipcase. A near fine copy, the binding square and tight, bright and fresh with just a little rubbing to the extremities, consistent with being removed and replaced into the slipcase. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owners' marks. Housed in the lightly rubbed, structurally sound slipcase.

Issued in a limited edition of 300 copies, this example is numbered 82 in black, and signed by Seamus Heaney in blue ink on the colophon. in black ink on the title page. 'Opened Ground' still remains the closest thing to a collected Heaney. The volume also includes the acceptance speech, 'Crediting Poetry', given by Heaney upon receiving the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

First edition. Publisher's original pictorial boards, red cloth spine with titles in black. Illustrated in colour throughout, some plates are double page and fold out. A fine copy, the binding square and tight; the contents immaculate throughout.

David Hockney discusses with Marco Livingstone his wonderful landscape paintings of East Yorkshire. This is one of 5000 copies of the regular or trade issue. There was also an edition of 200 deluxe copies bound in full green cloth, and a super deluxe edition of 75 (plus 25 hors commerce) issued with a signed original print.

First edition. Complete in six parts. Publisher's original pictorial wrappers, loosely laid into an original Pearson's Magazine grey cloth-bound case with titles and decorations to the spine and upper board in gilt, brown and green. Illustrated throughout with photographs, paintings and drawings by various artists, some in colour. Good copies, all volumes with chipping and tears to the spine tips and folds and rubbing and short closed tears to the edges of the wraps. The front panel of October is detached and the front and rear panel of December are detached. The lightly toned contents are clean and without previous owners' stamps or inscriptions. Complete with the very good case that is lightly rubbed at the extremities.

The complete first publication of C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne's lightly science fiction-toned Atlantis story, 'The Lost Continent', serialised across six volumes of Pearson's Magazine between July and December 1899, illustrated by Ernest Prater. 'The Lost Continent' was first published in book form in 1900 by Hutchinson. Considered by many, including Lin Carter and L. Sprague de Camp, to be one of the best of the classic Atlantis stories. Pearsons Magazine was a monthly periodical that specialised in speculative fiction and articles on politics and art. It notably serialised the first appearance of H. G. Wells' 'The War of The Worlds' in 1897.

First edition, first printing. Publisher's original dark blue cloth with gilt titles to the spine, without the dustwrapper. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with a little bumping at the spine tips, the cloth slightly rubbed at the spine and extremities, but bright and fresh. The contents, with a contemporary ownership signature to the front free endpaper, are otherwise clean throughout. An attractive example.

The true first edition of one of the most important and influential texts of the twentieth century, a foundational work of modern macroeconomics. (Printing and the Mind of Man 423).

First edition, first printing. Original dark olive cloth with white lettering to the spine, in the dustwrapper with Sue Linney's drawing of Larkin to the front panel. A very near fine, bright copy, the binding tight and square. There is a little light spotting to the top edge of the closed text-block, the contents are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the near fine dustwrapper which is a touch faded to the spine and lightly creased at the edges. Not price-clipped (£16.95 to the front flap). An attractive copy of the first collected edition of Larkin's poems.

This posthumous collection, which presents all Larkin's published poems (and a selection previously unpublished) in chronological order of composition, was edited by Larkin's friend and fellow poet, Anthony Thwaite. It was later ousted by a less comprehensive (if more immediately user-friendly) edition, also edited by Thwaite, which printed the contents of each of the poet's four published collections intact, with some uncollected poems tucked away in appendices. Both versions have their adherents. Larkin arranged his slim volumes very carefully, so it's good to have the poems printed that way. This original edition, however, prints the date of composition at the foot of every poem (the dates drawn from the poet's manuscript notebooks), allowing the reader to witness the growth of a great poet. It includes an appendix indicating the ordering of the individual volumes, along with relevant page numbers. Published on 10th October 1988, 11,563 copies of this first impression were printed. Such was the appetite for a Collected Larkin, a further 8460 copies had to be printed later the same month (and another 12,700 the following month). (Bloomfield A19)

First edition, first printing. Original stapled glossy card covers, illustrated with a wraparound photograph of the Brynmor Jones Library, the title is printed in white to the upper cover. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the wrappers sharp, with some rubbing and small nicks at the spine tips and some toning to the upper and left side of the front cover. The contents clean and unmarked throughout. Errata slip loosely laid in as called for.

Larkin wrote his short history of The Brynmor Jones Library to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the institution where he had been working since 1955. Although he isn't credited as the author (presumably at his own request), as Brian Dyson notes in a 1985 re-issue (updated by Maeve Brennan, edited by Dyson, and finally credited to Larkin), "few of those who admired his writings appeared to realise just how seriously Larkin regarded his work and career as a professional librarian. […] Indeed, many would be astounded to learn that 'The Brynmor Jones Library' was to be the last significant original prose work published in his lifetime." In his bibliography, Barry Bloomfield records that his own copy is inscribed: "To Barry / from the Author / – his last book. / 13. 3.79." Dyson reproduces a page from the original typescript, densely annotated and corrected in Larkin's hand, demonstrating the care with which he approached the task. Printed in an edition of 600 copies and invoiced to the Library on 22 February 1979, most copies of the first edition were given to library staff, other libraries, and friends. This example, although unmarked as such, is from the collection of Sir Brynmor Jones. (Bloomfield A12a).

Three volumes. Quarto. Publisher's original quarter buckram and grey paper covered boards, in dustwrapper and burgundy cloth slipcase. Two text volumes (volume one with two folding maps in a pocket at the rear), and one volume of plates, comprising 41 colour portraits from the original oil, soft pastel, chalk and pencil portraits by William Roberts, Eric Kennington, Augustus John, Henry Lamb, R. M. Young, William Nicholson, William Rothenstein, Colin Gill, John Singer Sargent, Gilbert Spencer and Frank Dobson and 86 photographs in black and white. All three volumes are in fine condition, the bindings square and tight, bright and fresh. The contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the very lightly rubbed dustwrappers that are without fading, loss or tears. All three volumes are housed in the original cloth covered slipcase.

Issued in a limited edition of 650 copies (from a total edition of 752), this example is numbered 389. The first unexpurgated publication of the original 1922 Oxford Text of T. E. Lawrence's magnum opus. The text for which was taken from the manuscript in the Bodleian Library and T.E. Lawrence's annotated copy of the 1922 Oxford Times printing.

First edition. Limited edition. Signed by the author. Publisher's original black faux leather with metallic red titles to the spine, in the Lee Moyer illustrated dustwrapper. A fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents are clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the fine dustwrapper that is without fading, loss or tears. Not price-clipped ($38 to the front flap).

Issued in a limited edition of 150 copies of which this example is numbered five and signed by Jack McDevitt in blue ink on the limitation page. A collection of 38 short stories by Jack McDevitt, with the title story 'Cryptic' his first nomination (of 16) for a Nebula Award, which he would go on to win in 2005 for 'Seeker'. He has also received a Campbell Award for 'Omega' (2004), the International UPC Science Fiction Award for 'Ships in the Night' (1993) and the Robert A. Heinlein Award in 2015.

First UK edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Publisher's original illustrated card covers. A very near fine copy, the binding square and firm, bright and fresh with just little rubbing to the extremities. The contents are clean throughout, and other than the author's, free from inscriptions or stamps.

Inscribed by the multi-award winning Australian poet in black ink on the half title "To Rhonda with / best wishes - / Les Murray". This collection, shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize, brings together poems from across Les Murray's career, from The Ilex Tree (1965) to Subhuman Redneck Poems (1996), and also features twelve new poems, published here for the first time.

First edition. Two typed poems ('The Soldiers' and 'England') on a single leaf of cream handmade paper with a black and white woodcut illustration by Eric Gill printed on the verso, depicting Saint George and the Dragon and initialled 'S G'. Deckled fore- and bottom edges. Unpaginated. A near fine copy, with just a touch of rubbing and toning to the extremities, bisected with a folding crease. Scarce.

First edition with these illustrations, first printing. Limited edition. Signed by the illustrator. Original grey boards marbled with a skull-like design, with a white vellum spine lettered in black. Housed in the original grey slipcase. With six original black and white lithographs by Charles Keeping. A fine copy, the binding square and tight, the boards clean and sharp. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owners' stamps or inscriptions. Complete with the very good original slipcase that is cracked at the surface of the spine and open edge, remaining structurally sound.

Issued in a limited edition of 100 copies, this example is numbered 46 and is signed by Charles Keeping on the limitation page. Two of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories, 'The Facts in the Case of Monsieur Valdemar' and 'The Story of Hop-Frog', atmospherically illustrated with striking, gothic lithographs by the twice Kate Greenway award-winning artist Charles Keeping, celebrated for his large body of work for the novels of Rosemary Sutcliff. 'The Facts in the Case of Monsieur Valdemar' details the experiments of a mesmerist who hypnotises a man who is about to die of tuberculosis, which subsequently stops him from dying until he is awakened months later. It was first published in 'Broadway Journal' and 'American Review' in 1845 without indication that is was fictional, leading many readers to believe that the account was a scientific report. 'The Story of Hop-Frog' is about a court jester and a court dancer with dwarfism who take revenge on a cruel king. The fifth book issued by Chimaera Press.

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Publisher's original blue cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in David Fordham designed and David Wood illustrated dustwrapper. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm with a little bumping to the spine tips and corners, the cloth and gilt, bright and fresh. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owners' marks. Complete with the lightly creased dustwrapper that is without fading, loss or tears. Not price-clipped (£11.95 to the lower front flap).

Signed by Ian Rankin with the addition of his smiley face doodle in black ink on the title page. The multi-award winning author's fourth book, that falls somewhere between science fiction, thriller and a conspiracy novel.

First US edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Original navy cloth with gilt titles to the spine and a blindstamped motif to the upper board, in the Pat Steir illustrated dustwrapper. A better than very good copy, the binding square and firm, bright and fresh with light rubbing at the extremities. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owners' stamps or inscriptions. Complete with the lightly rubbed and creased dustwrapper which is a little faded to the spine and otherwise without loss or tears. Not price-clipped ($4.95 on the front flap). An attractive example.

Inscribed by Keith Roberts on the title page "To Andy, with all good wishes. / Keith Roberts". An alternate history novel consisting of six linked stories, described by George R. R. Martin as "one of the greatest alternate world stories ever told". 'Pavane' imagines a feudal 20th century Britain in which the industrial revolution never happened and the country is ruled by the Catholic Church, which seized power after the assassination of Queen Elizabeth I in 1588. Each story was first published in Impulse (on which Roberts worked as an assistant editor) and its sister magazine New Worlds in 1966. The stories were serialised in a different order to how they appear in the novel, 'The Signaller' being published first, followed by 'The Lady Anne' (later changed to 'The Lady Margaret'), 'Brother John', 'Lords and 'Ladies', 'Corfe Gate' and 'The White Boat', while the novel presents the stories in the following order: 'The Lady Margaret', 'The Signaller', 'The White Boat', 'Brother John', 'Lords and Ladies' and 'Corfe Gate', an order which reveals details about the mysterious setting in a notably different manner. The novel also includes a new prologue and a coda, which were never published in magazines. 'Pavane' was first published as a novel in the UK by Hart-Davis in 1968, this US edition was published in the same year.

First edition, first printing. Softcover. Signed by the author. Publisher's original card covers, with titles in dark blue to the spine and in dark blue and white to the upper board. With three blue and white photographs by Ron Harrison. A very good copy, the binding square and firm, with some rubbing and creasing to the extremities. The contents, are clean throughout, and other than the author's, without inscriptions or stamps. Retaining the original price label to the lower cover (£1.50), as issued.

Inscribed by the author in blue ink on the front endpaper "For Rhonda, / All good wishes, / Maurice". The poet-author's debut poetry publication. A Hull native and contemporary of Philip Larkin, by whom he was most influenced, Maurice Rutherford's (1922-2025) quietly powerful poetic voice sought to introduce and humanise the local Hull community and natural Humberside landscape to a wider audience. His working-class background, strong family ties, and life-long love for his late wife, Olive, provided a wealth of inspiration for his poetical musings, penning numerous love poems and elegies and various short prose works throughout his almost 50 year-long literary career. Yet one theme in particular subtly underpins his body of work - Rutherford's military past. His experiences serving in North Africa and Italy with the Royal Armoured Corps during World War II left him with an abhorrence of war, which he writes about openly in his poem 'Heinz Gropsmeyer' (p.7). As demonstrated in the poem, Rutherford's emotional depth was hard-earned in his days as a soldier, and became his greatest strength as a poet. His widely respected reputation and lyrical sensitivity continue to attract new readers today, with his perceptive portrayals of relationships, childhood, local community, and the natural world garnering universal praise.

Limited edition. Signed by the author. Publisher's original blue cloth with metallic blue titles to the spine, in the Vincent Chong illustrated dustwrapper. A fine copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth bright and fresh. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owner's marks. Complete with the original dustwrapper that is without fading, loss or tears.

Issued in a limited edition of 400 copies, from which this example is numbered 347 and signed by John Scalzi on the limitation page. The second book in the 'Old Man's War' military science fiction series.

First edition. Complete in nine volumes. Original red cloth with black titles to the spines and upper boards. Without dustwrappers, as issued. An excellent very near fine set, the bindings square and firm, with a tiny bump to the fore-edge of the upper board of volume 9 and minor bumping to the spine tips of volume four. With barcode labels to the lower boards. There is some very faint spotting to the top edge of volumes 1, 2 and 4; a folded corner to a page at the rear of volume 2; and there is a short closed tear and crease to the top edge of the title page of volume 9, the contents are otherwise clean throughout and without stamps or inscriptions. A lovely set.

A vast and comprehensive collection of the short fiction of Robert Silverberg, one of the most acclaimed and prolific writers in the science fiction genre, covering over five decades. Each volume contains an introduction by the author, placing the stories within the wider context of his life and career. Silverberg has won a host of major genre awards, including multiple Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards. He was given the lifetime honour of Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association in 2004 and was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 1999.

First edition, first printing. Contemporary dark blue pebble-textured cloth with gilt titles to the spine. Illustrated with black and white charts and line drawings. A very good copy, the binding firm with rubbing to the spine tips, a small nick to the head of the spine and light bubbling to the cloth on the upper board. With a bookplate of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, an independent society of Rosicrucian Freemasons founded by Robert Wentworth Little (1840-1878) in 1867, on the front pastedown, the pressmark has been crossed out and rewritten beneath the bookplate in pencil. There is offsetting to the endpapers and a partially removed, small label to the rear pastedown, the contents are otherwise clean throughout.

William Simpson (1823-1899) was a reportage artist and war correspondent who was employed by leading Victorian lithographers Day and Son and later the London Illustrated News to travel across the globe making sketches of war zones, areas of political tension and world events, such as the battlefields of the Crimean War, Tibetan Buddhist temples, the marriage of Alexander III and Princess Dagmar of Denmark, the opening of the Suez Canal and the marriage of Emperor Tung-Chin. Simpson was also a Freemason and one of the first members of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, founded in 1886. During his extensive travels Simpson fostered his esoteric interests by sketching and researching architectural and archaeological sites around the world, which provided him with material for this volume. Simpson presents a survey of the directional orientation of temples from Native American, Indian, Chinese, Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures, with a strong emphasis on the 'four quarters' and the 'four cardinal points' of north, south, east and west. He also examines the ritual use of the four quarters in a number of historical cultures as well as in contemporary Christian and Jewish practices, and how these relate to Masonic rituals. Ritual focus on the four quarters can be found right up to the modern day in practices such as Wicca and the various branches of Neopaganism, which, though bearing little overt resemblance to Masonry, were influenced by early 20th century ritualists such as Aleister Crowley and Gerald Gardner, who in turn were influenced by the work of Masonic scholars like Simpson. Although this volume reads "Masonic Reprints" on the spine, it is a first edition. Only two copies are currently held by institutions, the University of Cambridge Libraries and the Royal Asiatic Society.

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Publisher's original cream card covers with titles in black to the upper board and spine. A better than very good copy, the binding square and firm, lightly rubbed to the spine and extremities, bright and fresh. The contents, are clean throughout and other than the author's, without inscriptions or stamps.

Signed and dated '17.7.[19]93' by David Starkey in black ink on the title page and further inscribed 'To Rhonda, / With many thanks to my / favorite vegetarian cookbook author. / - DS'. A former poet laureate of Santa Barbara, CA, David Starkey's most celebrated poetical works possess a common theme: American culture and politics. This collection is one of Starkey's earliest publications, released just two years after he completed his postgraduate education, and keenly observes the material objects, behaviours, and belief systems that make up contemporary American life. The 'Koan' of the title refers to the Zen Buddhist practice of observing one's buddha-nature, and can be carried out as a story, dialogue, statement, or, most recognisably, as an unanswerable question, as a form of meditation. We can see this in practice in Starkey's poem 'Marshall on the Rim' (p.11), where a Chinese-American man asks the narrator numerous Koan questions, to no response and little understanding. Another core component of Koan, the student-master relationship, is effectively portrayed in the eponymous Epilogue, where the 'Disciple' learns about American capitalism from his Master in the style of classical East Asian philosophy.

First UK edition, first printing. Publisher's original turquoise cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the spine tips and board corners lightly rubbed, the cloth and gilt fresh. There are three small spots to the bottom edge of the closed text-block and one to the top, the contents are otherwise clean throughout and without stamps or inscriptions. Complete with the lightly rubbed and creased dustwrapper that remains bright and without loss or tears. Not price clipped (8s 6d on the front flap). A very attractive example.

An enduring modern classic, Steinbeck's Great American Novel 'The Grapes of Wrath' follows a struggling farming family as they flee the Dust Bowl for California during the Great Depression. It won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and was cited by the Nobel committee as one of the factors in their deciding to award Steinbeck with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. The novel was adapted into the 1940 Academy Award winning film of the same name, directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell.

First edition. Publisher's original brown cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. With 24 black and white or green tinted illustrations on 16 pages. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth and gilt bright and fresh. The contents, with some toning to the paperstock and spotting to the prelims, are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the lightly rubbed and creased dustwrapper that is without loss or tears and just a little dusty at the fold edges. An exceptional example. Scarce in the dustwrapper.

A broad ranging study of witchcraft and black magic by the distinguished English historian, essayist, critic, and biographer, Montague Summers, regarded one of the foremost authorities on supernatural lore. A controversial and enigmatic figure in his own lifetime, Summers professed an unwavering belief in the supernatural forces he described. The seven chapters comprise 'What is Witchcraft?'; 'The Familiar, in Human Shape and Animal'; 'Witchcraft at Cambridge and Oxford'; 'The Origins of Witchcraft'; 'The Library of the Witches'; 'The Magus (1801) of Francis Barrett'; 'Sympathetic Magic'.

First edition. Signed by the author. Limited edition. Publisher's original faux brown leather with gilt titles to the spine, in the Lee Moyer illustrated dustwrapper. Blue textured endpapers. A very near fine copy, the binding square and tight, bright and fresh with just a few tiny spots to the closed top edge of the text block. Publisher's errata sheet loosely laid in. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owners' marks. Complete with the fine original dustwrapper that is without fading, loss or tears.

Issued in a limited edition of 150 copies, this example is numbered 18 and signed by Michael Swanwick on the limitation page at the front. Michael Swanwick is one of the most acclaimed and prolific writers of his generation, as well as being the only person ever to win five Hugo Awards for fiction in the space of six years. All five of those stories are included here. The collection comprises 'The Feast of St. Janis'; 'Ginungagap'; 'Trojan Horse'; 'A Midwinter's Tale'; 'The Edge of the World'; 'Griffin's Egg'; 'The Changeling's Tale'; 'North of Diddy-Wah-Diddy'; 'Radio Waves'; 'The Dead'; 'Mother Grasshopper'; 'Radiant Doors'; 'The Very Pulse of the Machine'; 'Wild Minds'; 'Scherzo with Tyrannosaur'; 'The Raggle Taggle Gypsy-O'; 'The Dog Said Bow-Wow'; 'Slow Life'; 'Legions in Time'; 'Triceratops Summer'; 'From Babel's Fall'n Glory We Fled...'.

First edition in English, first printing. Publisher's original purple cloth with silver titles to the spine, in the Gemma Nisbett illustrated dustwrapper. Top edge dark blue. A very good copy, the binding firm, the spine just a touch rolled, the cloth is bright and fresh. The contents, with some spotting to the front and rear endpapers, and closed text block edge, are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked, price-clipped dustwrapper that has a foxing spot to the front flap and a little dustiness to the edges. Scarce.

The first printing of the multi-award winning Hungarian author's first book to be published in the English language. Translated from the Hungarian by Kathleen Szasz.

First edition in English, first printing. Publisher's original grey cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in the Jan Pienkowski illustrated dustwrapper. Top edge pink. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm with a little bumping to the extremities, the cloth and gilt bright and fresh. The contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the better than very good, lightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that is toned and scuffed to the fold edges and a little toned to the spine. Not price-clipped (21s net to the lower front flap). Scarce.

The multi-award winning Hungarian author's second book to be published in the English language. Translated from the Hungarian by Kathleen Szasz.

First edition, first printing. Puiblisher's original navy blue cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. Top edge pink. Frontispiece portrait of the author by Augustus John. A very good copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth a little wrinkled and the extremities slightly rubbed. The contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the rubbed, nicked and creased dustwrapper that has minor chipping to the tips of the slightly toned spine, and a pink stain to the rear panel. Not price-clipped (12s 6d net to the upper front flap).

A collection of all of Dylan Thomas' previously published poems, along with ten poems that appear here in book form for the first time. Published the year before Thomas' untimely death in 1953.

First edition, first printing. Original blue cloth lettered in silver to the spine, in the M. E. Eldridge illustrated dustwrapper. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm. There is minor spotting to the closed text-block edge, a tiny dust mark to the bottom corner of the text-block and a small, blank label to the rear pastedown, the contents are otherwise clean throughout and without stamps or inscriptions. Complete with the very lightly rubbed dustwrapper that is just a touch faded to the spine. Not price-clipped (£25.00 net to the front flap). A nice copy.

Published to mark the poet's eightieth birthday, this remains the standard collected R. S. Thomas, including the contents of individual volumes from 'The Stones of the Field' (1946) through to 'Experimenting with an Amen' (1986). "This is a book I've been waiting for. Lorca said: 'The poem that pierces the heart like a knife has yet to be written.' But has anybody come closer to it than R. S. Thomas? And not merely once, in his case, but again and again." (Ted Hughes, from the jacket).

First printing of the third edition. Publisher's original green cloth with wraparound illustration and dark blue titles to the spine and upper board, in dustwrapper. Map endpapers, four colour plates and eight black and white illustrations after drawings by the author. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the spine tips and corners very slightly bumped, the spine lightly faded, the cloth otherwise bright and fresh. There contents, with tiny creases at the the corners of a few pages, are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that is toned to the spine and has two tiny closed tears to the bottom edge of the rear panel. Not price-clipped (20s net to the front flap). An excellent example, uncommon thus.

The correct first printing of the last edition to carry significant revisions by the author. The printers publishing information on the copyright page to the first printing of this third edition is misleading due to an error in the publication chronology. What should have read as: 'Fifteenth Impression 1965' followed by 'Third Edition (Sixteenth Impression) 1966' was actually set down as: 'Third Edition (Fifteenth Impression) 1966' followed by 'Sixteenth Impression 1966'. The Third Edition (Fifteenth Impression) 1966 does not exist and the error was never corrected. Tolkien's revisions were made to align the narrative more closely to The Lord of the Rings and to cosmological developments from his still unpublished Quenta Silmarillion (as it stood at that time). This third edition also introduced a new version of the history of Erebor. In the original story, Erebor was founded by Thorin's grandfather Thror, and the Arkenstone discovered by his father Thrain. However, to correct a note on the map saying that Thrain had been King Under the Mountain, Tolkien introduced a distant ancestor Thrain I in this text, who both founded the kingdom and discovered the Arkenstone. (Hammond A3i).

First edition. Limited edition. Signed by the author and the translator. Publisher's original blue cloth with gilt titles and tree illustration onlay to the upper board. Complete with the original plain acetate dustwrapper. A fine copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth and gilt fresh. The contents, with a small pencil inscription from a previous owner to the rear pastedown, are otherwise clean throughout, and without stamps. A lovely example.

Issued in an edition of 35 copies, from which this example is numbered 28, and signed by the Tomas Tranströmer and the translator Robin Robertson in black ink on the half-title. Known in Sweden as "the buzzard poet" for his aerial view of the landscape and human behaviour, Tranströmer's autumnal poems have been carefully translated for this collection by the Scottish poet Robin Robertson to capture his "spare, almost cinematic style" (The Independent, 2006). Tranströmer (1931-2015) is acclaimed as one of the most significant Scandivanian writers since the Second World War, and is the recipient of numerous prestigious literary awards, including the 2011 Nobel Prize for Literature. This elegant collection was shortlisted for the Corneliu M. Popescu Prize for 'European Poetry Translation'.

Deluxe edition. The catalogue for Andy Warhol's first major European retrospective. Illustrated card covers, with a design after Warhol's 'Flowers' silk-screen. All edges gilt. Housed in the original perspex slipcase, as issued. 614 black-and-white reproductions, divided into three sections: black-and-white reproductions of Warhol's work, followed by two sections of photographs of Warhol and his associates by Billy Name and Stephen Shore. A fine copy, the binding square and tight, without fading, loss or tears. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. The notoriously fragile perspex slipcase remains solid and in original condition with only a few light scratches. An exceptional example of this landmark Warhol publication, offered here in its most desirable form.

The deluxe issue of Warhol's legendary Stockholm Exhibition Catalogue. It is unknown exactly how many were issued in this signed gilt edged deluxe edition, most estimate around 50 copies and others possibly as many as 100. Some copies were also signed by Warhol, this example is not. All deluxe issues were made from the second edition. Whatever the number, intact examples of this issue in attractive original condition are rare in commerce. (Parr & Badger: The Photobook II, p.144-145).

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author, and by Sir Tom Courtenay. Publisher's original burgundy cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in the William Belcher designed dustwrapper. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with a little bumping at the spine tips. The contents, with an abrasion to the top edge of the front endpaper (possibly removing an inscription) are otherwise clean throughout. Very mild toning and spotting to the closed text block edge. Complete with the near fine, lightly rubbed dustwrapper that has a small ink mark to the edge of the front flap and is otherwise bright and without fading, loss or tears. Not price-clipped (13s 6d net to the lower front flap).

Signed by the author Keith Waterhouse in black ink underneath his printed name on the title page and additionally signed by Tom Courtenay in blue ink on the half title. Scarce thus. The basis for multiple adaptations for screen, stage and television, most notably the 1963 comedy-drama directed by John Schlesinger starring Tom Courtenay (who had previously played the lead role in the 1961 stage adaptation), Wilfred Pickles and Julie Christie.

First edition, first printing. Signed by the illustrator. Original pale green striped paper-covered boards with titles in gilt on black to the spine and an illustration in black to the upper board, in dustwrapper. Top edge red. Illustrated throughout with black and white drawings by Edward Ardizzone. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with some bumping to the spine tips and board edges and a scuff with surface paper loss to the spine. The red top-stain is faded. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owners' marks. Complete with the rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that is creased to the fold edges and a touch toned to the spine. Not price clipped (18s. net to the front flap).

Signed by the illustrator Edward Ardizzone in black ink on the front endpaper. Uncommon thus. Best known for his Arthurian series 'The Once and Future King', T. H. White here presents an autobiographical account of his childhood on the west coast of Ireland.