Adams, Richard. Watership Down (First Edition). New York: Macmillan, 1972 First Edition. First American Edition, first printing. Fine and unread in two dust jackets. Inner jacket is Fine, outer jacket is close to Fine, with only a couple of tiny closed tears. A stunning example of what this poorly-manufactured book looked like before everyone on earth read it. A pristine copy. [Book #104504]. (read more)

[African-American Literature] Baldwin, James. Typescript for "Down at the Cross". N.p., 1962-1963 Ribbon copy typescript of James Baldwin's essay, "Down at the Cross," with holograph editorial corrections. Author's copy. A cover sheet (matching the paper containing the typescript) is SIGNED and inscribed by Baldwin to his friends Bill and Sylvia Abernathy, thus, "Bill and Sylvia / Jimmy." The essay constitutes three-quarters of Baldwin's book, "The Fire Next Time." Also included is a holograph postcard from Baldwin to the Abernathys, which reads, "Happy New Year. / See you in February or / March. / Best / Jim Baldwin" and is addressed at the right to the couple's Chicago home. Very Good condition overall, unbound. [Book #104821]. (read more)

Ambler, Eric. The Mask of Dimitrios (First Edition). London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1939 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing, Very Good+ lacking dustjacket. The book has a couple of tiny stains to the front board and spine with rubbing to the spine. A Haycraft-Queen cornerstone novel. Basis for the 1944 film noir starring Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet, and Zachary Scott. [Book #75962]. (read more)

[Arion Press] de Maistre, Xavier; Ross Anderson (illustrations). Journey Round My Room (Signed Limited Edition). San Francisco: Arion Press, 2007 First Edition. Hardcover. First printing of this edition, one of 300 numbered copies (this being No. 94) SIGNED by the illustrator, architect Ross Anderson, at the final photograph after page 136. Fine in gray and rose striped cloth covered boards. An imaginary travelogue written during the author's 42 day period of house arrest stemming from his participation in a duel. 152 number pages plus 32 non-numbered pages for the illustrations, 8-1/4 inches X 5-7/8 inches. Printed by letterpress in Monotype Suburban French with Monotype Gallia for initials and display in black and rose ink (recalling the rose and gray binding cloth, a reference to the author's bed covers) on French mouldmade Arches Text paper. [Book #101021]. (read more)

[Arion Press] Stevens, Wallace; Jasper Johns (illustration), Helen Vendler (introduction). Poems (Signed Limited Edition). San Francisco: Arion Press, 1985 First Edition. Hardcover. First printing of this edition, one of 300 numbered and 26 lettered copies hors de commerce (this being Letter L) SIGNED by the artist on the frontispiece etching. Near Fine, in blue quarter goatskin with blue-and-white linen boards. Some light scuffing along the spine hinges, else Fine. A new selection of 122 of Stevens' poems. Illustrated with a frontispiece etching by renowned pop artist Jasper Johns. This is the first public display of any of his work from "The Seasons" series which was not exhibited until after this publication. Arion Press Christmas greeting with Stevens poem laid in. 280 pages, 11-3/4 x 8-1/4 inches, in Monotype Bembo and handset Dante Titling on English mouldmade T. Edmonds paper. [Book #87502]. (read more)

[Arion Press] Stevenson, Robert Louis; Michael Kenna (photographer), Oscar Lewis (introduction). The Silverado Squatters (Signed Limited Edition). San Francisco: Arion Press, 1996 First Edition. Hardcover. First printing of this edition, limited to 250 numbered copies (this being No. 69 ) SIGNED and numbered by photographer Michael Kenna on the colophon page. Fine in handsewn, rust-colored cloth quarter binding with cork boards. Illustrated by landscape photographer Michael Kenna who follows Stevenson's California journey in 16 stunning duotone photolithographs. 160 pages, 9-1/2 x 6-3/4 inches, printed in Monotype Modern 8A and handset Craw Modern on German mouldmade Zerkall paper. [Book #100720]. (read more)

[Arion Press] Yeats, William Butler; Helen Vendler (editor), Richard Diebenkorn (illustrations). Poems of W. B. Yeats (Signed Limited Edition). San Francisco: Arion Press, 1990 First Edition. Hardcover, quarto. First printing of this edition, one of 400 numbered copies (this being No.117) SIGNED by Diebenkorn on the limitation page. Fine in red goatskin spine with gilt titles and green cloth boards, in a Near Fine green cloth and red paper slipcase. Slipcase has just a bit of fading to the green cloth else, Fine. Illustrated with 6 etchings by Richard Diebenkorn inspired by one of Yeats' themes of an empty coat on a hanger. 224 pages, 10-1/4 x 8 inches, printed in Monotype Baskerville with poem titles in handset Worrel Uncial in red on English mouldmade Somerset paper from the Inveresk Mill. [Book #100719]. (read more)

Arnaud, Georges. The Wages of Fear (First Edition). New York: Farrar Straus and Young, 1952 First Edition. Hardcover. First American Edition, first printing, Fine in a bright, price-clipped, Very Good+ dust jacket. Jacket is Near Fine but for a modest chip to the top front corner of the jacket panel, with an associated faint crease. Basis for the 1953 film masterpiece of the same name by Henri-Georges Clouzot, and a somewhat interesting remake in 1977 titled Sorcerer. Stamp of Edmund Grainger Productions, dated 1952 and likely a production company involved in the making of the 1953 film version, to the front flyleaf. Quite scarce. [Book #36549]. (read more)

Auchincloss, Louis. The Injustice Collectors (First Edition). Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1950 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing, Fine in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket. Tiny snag to cloth at bottom edge of front board, else a pristine copy of the book. Jacket shows a couple of very tiny closed tears at the top rear panel, else a lovely example, the best we have encountered. Author's first book under his own name. [Book #64391]. (read more)

Bagnold, Enid. National Velvet (First Edition). New York: Morrow, 1935 First Edition. First Edition, first printing. Slight fading to the red on the jacket spine, else easily Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket. Basis for the classic1944 film starring Mickey Rooney, Angela Lansbury and a young Elizabeth Taylor. [Book #60301]. (read more)

Barr, Nevada. Bittersweet (First Edition). New York: St. Martin's Press, 1984 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing, Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket. Jacket shows closed tear to top of front panel that doesn't detract from this lovely copy. [Book #72560]. (read more)

Beeding, Francis. The House of Dr. Edwardes [Spellbound] (Early edition). London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1927 First Edition. Hardcover. First UK cheap edition, priced at 2 shillings on the jacket spine. Book is Near Fine, with some offsetting to the endpapers; jacket is Very Good or better overall, bright and complete, with some foxing at the verso and one chip respectively at the crown and heel (one small corner of the publisher device at the heel affected). An attractive, inexpensive alternative to the rare first printing (published the same year). Basis for the 1945 film noir, "Spellbound," directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written for the screen by Ben Hecht, and starring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck. [Book #102564]. (read more)

Bell, Vereen. Swamp Water (First Edition). Boston: Little, Brown, 1941 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing, Near Fine in a bright, Very Good+ dust jacket. Some offsetting to the endpapers, else book is bright and clean; jacket is quite nice, with several tiny closed tears and some edge rubbing. Basis for the 1941 film directed by Jean Renoir and starring Walter Brennan, Walter Huston, Anne Baxter and Dana Andrews. Very scarce in dust jacket, and a much nicer copy than is generally found. [Book #80486]. (read more)

Bemelmans, Ludwig. Small Beer (Signed Limited First Edition). New York: Viking Press, 1939 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing, Near Fine in a Good slipcase. One of 175 Limited Edition copies (this being no.35), NUMBERED by the author on the Limitation page. This edition also contains an original watercolor SIGNED by the author. Light tanning to spine. [Book #67817]. (read more)

Black, David. Murder at the Met (Signed First Edition). New York: Dial Press / Doubleday, 1984 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing, Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket. Slight foxing to upper edge of book block, else a tight copy. Presentation copy, SIGNED and inscribed To Barry Farber on the front flyleaf thus: "To Barry / One of the true greats / in the media. I enjoyed every / minute of the interview. / Jerry Giorgio," and "To Barry / Wow, you are one / mountain of energy. / This was a true pleasure. Mike Struk." Farber was a New York City talk show announcer. Giorgio and Struk, whose work is the subject of this book, were the detectives that solved the Phantom of the Opera case, a murder involving a violinist in New York's Metropolitan Opera. Top page edges moderately foxed; jacket lightly worn along the top edge, with one tiny closed tear to upper front panel. A bright copy, and a nice association. [Book #84468]. (read more)

[Book Arts] Beckett, Samuel (author); Dellas Henke (etchings). Company (Limited Edition, Fine Binding). University of Iowa, 1983 Hardcover. Folio. One of 52 numbered copies (this being No. 48), SIGNED by Samuel Beckett and and artist Dellas Henke. Fine in a contemporary binding of black calf with an etching by Henke mounted at the front board, raised bands and titles in gilt. Thirteen etchings by Henke throughout. A stunning production in an interesting binding. Included is a small archive of correspondence between Henke and Fred Shearer, along with two photographs of Henke from 1985. [Book #101511]. (read more)

[Book Arts] Seignobosc, Francoise; Paul Dumas. La Plus Vieille Histoire du Monde. Paris: Jardin de Mode, [1930] First Edition. Softcover. First Edition, first printing, printed entirely on linen by Paul Dumas using the four-color pochoir process. Francoise Seignobosc retells and illustrates the creation story from Genesis. Near Fine, lacking the herringbone weave backstrip, and with moderate overall toning to the front and rear panels with a bit of light foxing to the first and last couple of pages. [Book #102840]. (read more)

[Books into Film] Naughton, Edmund. McCabe (First Edition). New York: Macmillan, 1959 First Edition. First Edition, first printing. Near Fine in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket. The best example of the scarce jacket we have encountered, with no fading whatsoever to the red lettering at the spine panel. Basis for the classic 1971 film, "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," directed by Robert Altman and starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie. In a custom clamshell box. [Book #102875]. (read more)

Bradbury, Ray. The Halloween Tree (Signed Lettered Edition). Gauntlet Press, 2005 First Edition. Hardcover. First printing of this edition, one of 52 lettered copies (this being letter B) SIGNED by Bradbury. Fine in a Fine dust jacket, laid into a metal tray case. Case is toped with a pop up tree, decorated with free swinging jack-o-lanterns. This edition also includes a illustrated chapbook of some of Bradbury's previously unpublished work, and illustrations. A lovely copy of this unique production. [Book #102781]. (read more)

Brophy, John. Waterfront (First UK Edition). London: Jonathan Cape, 1934 First Edition. Hardcover. First UK Edition (and correct first), first printing, Near Fine in a Very Good example of the scarce dust jacket. Book is bright and clean, with a bit of offsetting to the front flyleaf; jacket is toned at the spine panel, with light chipping at the spine ends, one chip affecting the middle "T" in "WATERFRONT" at the crown. Basis for the 1950 British film noir, "Waterfront Women," starring Robert Newton and a young Richard Burton. [Book #83931]. (read more)

Brown, Fredric. The Shaggy Dog and Other Murders (First Edition). New York: Dutton, 1963 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing, Near Fine in a Fine, price-clipped dust jacket. An exceptional copy of one of Brown's more difficult books to find in collector's condition. [Book #79067]. (read more)

Bunker, Edward. Dog Eat Dog (First UK Edition, Signed). London: No Exit Press, 1996 First Edition. First UK Edition, first printing, Fine in a Fine dust jacket, SIGNED by the author in the year of publication, with the following epigraph: Hard times make hard people. Cool thus. Effusive front panel blurb by James Ellroy stating: The best armed robbery novel ever written. [Book #38404]. (read more)

Burke, Thomas. The Pleasantries of Old Quong (First Edition). London: Constable, 1931 First Edition. Hardcover. First UK Edition (and correct first), first printing, Fine in a Very Good+ dust jacket. Binding is orange cloth. Jacket is complete, with no chips or tears, but is lightly toned at the spine, has neat cellotape repairs at the verso joints, and is mostly separated at the rear hinge fold (save the outer extremities, thanks to the tape). A pleasing copy of this mystery highspot, a collection of short stories, and the first appearance of the legendary story, "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole." Published in the US as "A Tea-Shop in Limehouse." [Book #101536]. (read more)

Burnett, W.R. The Silver Eagle (First Edition). NY: Lincoln Mac Veagh / The Dial Press, 1931 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, Fine in a Fine dust jacket. A pristine copy of Burnett's rarest book, a Chicago novel that returns to the gangster territory of "Little Caesar," but expands the canvas to include racketeers and Chicagoans of social standing. With a remarkable layered dust jacket design by John Gram. The only jacketed copy we have ever seen. [Book #104396]. (read more)

Carleton, Marjorie. Cry Wolf (First Edition). New York: Morrow, 1945 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing, Near Fine in a bright, Very Good+ dust jacket. Contemporary owner name and date to front flyleaf, faint foxing to board edges, else book is unread; jacket is lightly nicked at spine ends and at a couple of extremities. Basis for the 1947 film noir directed by Peter Godfrey and starring Erroll Flynn, Barbara Stanwyck and Geraldine Brooks. Extremely scarce. [Book #78771]. (read more)