(ASSOCIATION COPY) Abel Sanchez. Una Historia de Pasion by Unamuno, Miguel de - 1917

New York: H. C. Kinsey & Company, 1938. First Edition. Hardcover. Joints and gutters of book darkened but a superior copy in both condition and association. Near Fine in a close to Fine dustwrapper. A small, slim clothbound volume of 47 pages. Roosevelt's own copy with a bookplate from the publisher on the front endpaper stating, "This is your editorial copy" with a publication date of 3 January 1938. Above the bookplate the First Lady has INSCRIBED and SIGNED the book to her daughter and son-in-law: "For Anna & John/My good critics & best/readers! With love/Eleanor Roosevelt." We have handled many signed books by Eleanor Roosevelt, but this is only the third signed example of this title we have come across and one of the very very few of any of her titles inscribed to a family member.

London: Chapman and Hall, 1837. First edition. First edition. Exquisitely bound in full crimson morocco with highly decorative gilt designs and green morocco onlays on cover and spine, gilt designs on back cover by Sangorski & Sutcliffe including alternating gilt busts of Samuel Pickwick and Sam Weller which recur in the spine panels. WITH SUPERB ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR OVAL WATERCOLOR PORTRAIT OF DICKENS inset to inside upper cover, mounted with brass edges, ornate gilt and morocco onlay borders, full morocco doublures and silk-free endpapers. A wonderful and truly imaginative binding. iii]-xiv, [2], 609 pp. Lacking half-title. With 43 engraved plates by Robert Seymour and H.K. Browne. Some scattered light foxing, some fraying to f.f.e.p., wear to margins of spine, expertly rebacked. Housed in a wonderful handmade folding cloth clamshell box with marbled paper interior and gilt red crushed morocco spine with five raised bands and three gilt ornaments by Sean Richards.

Amsterdam: Anthos, 1998. Signed first edition of rare English language Dutch edition of Irving's novel. The true first edition of Irving's novel, preceding the release of the US and UK editions. SIGNED presentation from Irving to motorcycle legend Cook Neilson, who took the photo of Irving that was used for the dust jacket of the book: "For Stepp and Cook - with my appreciation and affection - John Irving, April 1, 1998." Together with AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED by Irving on his stationery to Neilson laid in, in which Irving says that Neilson's photos will also be used on the UK edition, and jokes that another photo, to be used for the American and Canadian editions is more flattering, because it doesn't show Irving's face. Closes with mention of a nearby school in Vermont. Neilson was a preeminent motorcycle journalist and editor of Cycle Magazine. As a motrocyclist, Neilson won the Daytona Superbike race in 1977 on a Ducati. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of… Read More

New York: Viking Press, 1952 First printing of the first edition, first state. Original green cloth boards, front cover printed in dark green, spine printed in black on brown background, pictorial jacket., 602pp., with the word "bite" present on page 281, line 38. First issue jacket with photo of Steinbeck on rear panel with no photo credit mentioned. Steinbeck's epic novel about two families who settle in the rich farmlands of California [Goldstone-Payne A32.b.]. Book with light toning to edge of boards and two small, faint blemishes to top page edge, else in fine condition; dust jacket with a couple tiny rubbed spots, edges lightly toned, and light wear to extremities, else fine. A lovely copy, seldom seen in this condition. Basis for the 1955 film starring James Dean.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf / A Borzoi Book, 1947 First printing of the first edition, original publisher’s teal cloth, yellow top edge; in original dust jacket; written while Hughes was a visiting writer in residence at Atlanta University, containing over 70 poems including “Border Line” that was submitted by Hughes for the 1962 anthology Poet’s Choice. A presentation copy from Langston Hughes to Marius Flothius: “Especially for / Marius Flothius / with my thanks for your excellent / musical settings / of my poems, / Sincerely / Langston Hughes / New York, November 1, 1955.” Additionally, loosely laid-in is a brochure for Hughes’ “The Rhythms of the World” and a single page carbon copy of Hughes’ short poem “Cross.”
Marius Flothuis (1914–2000) was a Dutch composer who set six of Hughes’ poems to music.
Shallow crimping to cloth spine ends, the very tip of the bottom back corner slightly softened, and light toning to… Read More

T. Becket & P.A. De Hondt. London. 1761. First edition of the authors first book. 8vo. xxxii, 159pp. All original blank leaves present, two before the title and four after last leaf that has text. "From the Author" in Gibbon's own hand to blank opposite title page. This has offset lightly to title page. Bound in contemporary full brown speckled calf, worn at extremities, rebacked with original spine laid down. Original spine darkened as if scorched. Outer margins of e/ps. and title browned, some occ. foxing. Inner hinge visible but sound. The whole contained in a purpose made clam-shell marbled box with leather lettering piece. Norton 1. Though not published until 1761, Gibbon wrote this first work, in French, in 1758 when he was 21. He let Dr. Maty of the British Museum read it and on gaining approval revised and completed it in 1759. It was only published due to his fathers urging. The dedication to his father is both sincere and touching. The book, mostly due to being written in French, was more… Read More

London: Chapman and Hall, 1837. First edition. First edition. Exquisitely bound in full crimson morocco with highly decorative gilt designs and green morocco onlays on cover and spine, gilt designs on back cover by Sangorski & Sutcliffe including alternating gilt busts of Samuel Pickwick and Sam Weller which recur in the spine panels. WITH SUPERB ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR OVAL WATERCOLOR PORTRAIT OF DICKENS inset to inside upper cover, mounted with brass edges, ornate gilt and morocco onlay borders, full morocco doublures and silk-free endpapers. A wonderful and truly imaginative binding. iii]-xiv, [2], 609 pp. Lacking half-title. With 43 engraved plates by Robert Seymour and H.K. Browne. Some scattered light foxing, some fraying to f.f.e.p., wear to margins of spine, expertly rebacked. Housed in a wonderful handmade folding cloth clamshell box with marbled paper interior and gilt red crushed morocco spine with five raised bands and three gilt ornaments by Sean Richards.

Amsterdam: Anthos, 1998. Signed first edition of rare English language Dutch edition of Irving's novel. The true first edition of Irving's novel, preceding the release of the US and UK editions. SIGNED presentation from Irving to motorcycle legend Cook Neilson, who took the photo of Irving that was used for the dust jacket of the book: "For Stepp and Cook - with my appreciation and affection - John Irving, April 1, 1998." Together with AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED by Irving on his stationery to Neilson laid in, in which Irving says that Neilson's photos will also be used on the UK edition, and jokes that another photo, to be used for the American and Canadian editions is more flattering, because it doesn't show Irving's face. Closes with mention of a nearby school in Vermont. Neilson was a preeminent motorcycle journalist and editor of Cycle Magazine. As a motrocyclist, Neilson won the Daytona Superbike race in 1977 on a Ducati. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of… Read More

Cairo: Dar ul Kutub al- Misriyya, 1932 Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. Arabic text, 2 parts in one volume, 108 p introduction by the editor, the proffesor in the Egyptian University, Abd ul Wahhab Azzam, 389, 343 p with several fine illustration plates of miniatures. Limited edition to 1200 copies. The Shahnama was originally written by the Persian poet, Abu al Qasim al Firdawsi. This important Arabic edition was translated by al- Fatih b. 'Ali al- Bindari (al- Bundari?) D. 643 AH- 1245 AD. Compaired with the original persian text, translation is partly completed, corrected, annotated and introduced by A. Azzam. Contamporary hard cover binding. Inventory no. 000441 for the Persian work Printed by the name of Abu al Fatih Shah Qajar..

London : T Cadell Jun. and W Davies, 1802 A good to very good copy of the first translation into English of Dante's Divine Comedy. This copy retains the original marbled boards, with new calf spines and corners, so the bindings are clean, sound and tight with some light scuffing to the boards. The translation was completed by Henry Boyd, then Vicar of Rathfryland in County Down. The contents are complete with frontispiece portrait by Stothard and titles and half titles to each volume. Vol I: frontispiece; title; dedication; half title to Inferno; text 408pp. Vol II: title; half title; preliminary essay and text 384pp. Vol III: title; half title; preliminary essay and text with index, errata and addenda 420pp (more detailed collation available on request). All the volumes retain their original endpapers with repair at the joints and stamped ownership details of Richd Hopkins of Huntingdonshire. All the endpapers have some marking and Vol II has lost the corner tip of the rear free endpaper.… Read More