Search Results: Biography from Quercus Rare Books

Berkeley: University of California Press, 1970. Biography of the famed anthropologist by his equally famous wife. This is a Fine copy of the First Edition. Black paper-covered boards with gilt titling on the spine. The front cover has an blindstamped representation of Kroeber's signature. Clean text; xi, 292 pages. The dustjacket has been clipped and has some faint edgewear. In a plastic protector.. First Edition.. Hard Cover. Fine/Near Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint, 2000. New edition of biography of the Welsh poet. Fine in DJ (As New condition). Plastic protector. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First Thus.. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1898. Lady Burton's biography was published initially in 1893 as two volumes. Penzer was not impressed by her efforts, noting that she plaiarized Hitchman's work and lacked editing skills, insering many odd and irrelevant items - but not the letters and journals she had destroyed. This is a Very Good copy of a "New Edition" from five years later that has been compressed by Wilkins into one volume, no doubt improving the product greatly. This edition much less common than the First; not in Penzer (Casada #347). Decoratively bound in gray cloth with gilt titling. Blindstamped decoration to rear cover. The front cover features Burton as he appeared during his incognito visit to Mecca, rendered in colour. Clean text; xx, 548 pages. There is a frontis portrait of a fierce Burton; eleven other illustrations within. There is a gift inscription dated 1899 and a notation "read through for 2nd time" in February 1938. Light wear to the margins;… Read More

London: Navarre Society Limited, 1935. Cust (1861-1940) wrote extensively on art; this is one of his major works. Originally published in 1910, this is a First Edition Thus issued by the Navarre Society, known for their reprints of classics in fine bindings. Navarre first published their edition in 1927, but this incorporates new material by the author.Two Volumes, 390 pages and 533 pages (indexed). Very Good copies, in blue cloth, blindstamped, with gilt lettering and decorations. This binding appears to mimic the 1910 edition from Bell, but with a different design on the spine. Many illustrations. Lightly bumped, edges dusty (two are deckled), moderately-well foxed throughout. The blue dustwrappers are complete and have done their duty, showing some wrinkling and chipping. The spines are darkened to an olive green. Wrappers are in archival plastic protectors. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First Printing.. Hard Cover. Very Good/Good. Privately Printed.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1898. Isabel brought out her two-volume pro-vita memoir in 1893; Penzer was not impressed by her efforts, noting that she plagiarized Hitchman's work and lacked editing skills, insering many odd and irrelevant items - but not the letters and journals she had destroyed. This is a Very Good copy of a "New Edition" from five years later that has been compressed by Wilkins into one volume, no doubt improving the product greatly. This edition much less common than the First; not in Penzer (Casada #347). Decoratively bound in gray cloth with gilt titling. Blindstamped decoration to rear cover. The front cover features Burton as he appeared during his incognito visit to Mecca, rendered in colour. Clean text; xx, 548 pages. There is a frontis portrait of a fierce Burton; eleven other illustrations within. Light soiling; rubbed at the margins of the spine, with two short splits at the head; spine slightly darkened. Quercus notes evidence of an interesting… Read More

London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1890. This biography of Benjamin Disraeli is a late work by the prominent British historian James Anthony Froude (1818-1894). This is a Very good copy of the First Edition, part of a series of "The Queen's Prime Ministers." Not common. Maroon cloth binding with titling in gilt on the spine and front cover; decorative gilt band at the top. Clean text; x, 268 pages, with a 32-page publisher's catalog in the rear (which remains unopened. Some spotting to the fore-edge. Mildly bumped; rubbed head and foot of spine, which has faded (gilt still bright). . First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1883. This biography of the Anglo-Irish children's author Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) was the first volume in the publisher's "Famous Women" series. A Very Good (Plus) copy of the First Edition, an uncommon title. Brown decorative cloth binding, stamped in black and with gilt titling on the spine and front cover. Clean text; 305 pages, with 14 pages of publisher's adverts in the rear. The fourth book published by Helen Zimmern (1846-1934). This is an ex-libris copy, but the treatments are not onerous: there are vintage paper labels on the lower spine and the front paste-down. Oddly, it is stamped "June 1, 1881" on the first page - two years prior to publication. Bumped, and mildly rubbed on the head and foot of the spine. . First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Very Good (Plus)/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

New York: W.J. Widdleton, Publisher, 1866. The famed Irish poet and musician (1779-1852) first published this biography in 1825. This is a Very Good set of a later American printing. Two volumes, bound in green cloth; decoratively ruled on the covers; titling in gilt on the spine. Clean texts, generally clear, bright, and supple. Volume I has viii, continuing to 307 pages; Volume II has iv, continuing to 335 pages; brown endpapers. Faint previous-owner signature on the Title Pages; frontis portraits have some offset despite the tissue guards. Bumped, but not too badly; spines are rubbed head and foot, with Volume I a bit torn. The rear gutter of Volume I is cracked but holding well. Sound copies that still present nicely.. Later Printing. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1974. A fascinating biography of the great Japanese author, written shortly after his ritual suicide. Nathan was Mishima's translator, and had help from the family. Clean copy is only very slightly cocked. DJ has some slight wrinkling and some small closed tears. Not price-clipped, but original price has a label placed over it. In plastic protector. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First Edition.. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

New York: Harper & Bros, 1869. Byron's private life was scandalous and very public! The Contessa Teresa was his mistress for several years during the writing, appropriately, of Don Juan. Late in her life she set the record straight with this memoir, which is quite uncommon, as was her love. She first wrote and published in French; this is the first English translation, and the publisher names her. So much for anonymity. A Very Good copy, originally with a purple cloth binding, now faded to a tan on the spine and margins of the covers. Gilt lettering on the spine is still bright. Clean text; 670 pages, plus 2 pages of publisher's adverts in the rear. Minor rubbing, mainly confined to the head and foot of the spine. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First Edition.. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket.

New York: Fromm International, 1998. A biography of Ireland's 2nd-greatest author of the 20th Century. This is a Fine copy of the First American Edition. Blue paper-covered boards with a maroon cloth spine; titling on the spine in silver. Clean text; 260 pages. Indexed. The dustjacket is Fine; unclipped. In an archival plastic protector.. First American Edition.. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

New York: Knopf, 1980. This is a Near Fine copy of the First Edition. Gray cloth paper-covered boards with linen spine, gilt lettering. Mild fade at the margins. Clean text; 389 pages, indexed. The dustjacket has been clipped, and shows some edgewear; several small chips and closed tears. In a protective plastic protector. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First Edition.. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Very Good.

New York: Henry Holt, 2000. The first biography of the famed author of the Aubry-Maturin naval series. Fine copy in unclipped Fine DJ; plastic protector. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First Edition.. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1881. The Scottish philosopher and satirist (1795-1881) entrusted his friend and disciple Froude (1818-1894) with material only to be published after his death. Froude's work kicked over a hornet's nest, only one of several public disputes that the polemical historian had. This is a Very Good copy of the First American Edition (perhaps! Harper also published it in that year, and one or the other might be a pirate). Brown cloth binding with gilt lettering and a facsimile signature on the front cover. Clean text; 536 pages, with four pages of publisher's adverts in the rear. Contemporary bookplate on the front paste-down. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First American Edition.. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket.

New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1978. A biography of the ever-fascinating explorer, linguist, and swordsman. The author won an Emmy Award for his BBC television documentary "The Search for the Nile," that dramatised the expedition and rivalry of Burton and John Hanning Speke. This is a Very Good copy of the First American Edition (stated). Light tan paper-covered boards with a brown cloth spine, titling in gilt. Clean text; 288 pages. Indexed. Sixteen pages of illustrations. Some tiny bumps to the edges of the front cover. The dustjacket is complete, unclipped, with a tiny bit of edgewear. In an archival plastic protector.. First American Edition.. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: H.S. Nichols, 1896. This is a Very Good (Minus) copy of the First Edition "...written in indignation against Lady Burton's exaggerated 'Life''..." Blue cloth binding with titling and Arabic in gilt on the spine. Clean text; 419 pages; Appendix. The pages are not trimmed, which is called for by Penzer [p.311]. Mild rub to the margins; spine darkened; moderate soiling to the covers. Previous-owner name in pencil on the title page. A solid copy, if not a beautiful one.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good (Minus)/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: H.S. Nichols, 1896. "Written by His Niece...With the Authority and Approval of the Burton Family" in a rather direct challenge to Lady Burton's censorship. This is a Very Good copy of the First Edition, in a variant binding; Penzer calls for blue. Also, it is in a smaller format than others seen in the blue binding. Titling and Arabic decoration in gilt on the spine. Clean text; frontis portrait, xv, 219 pages, trimmed; lightly toned. The corners are bumped, with rubbing to the margins. The spine has fraying at the head and foot, but it does not affect the gilt, which remains strong.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: H.S. Nichols, 1896. This biography was written by Burton's neice in "indignation" towards Lady Burton's censorship; Penzer (p.311) trusts her more than the competing work from Lady Burton. This is a Very Good copy of the First Edition, in a variant not noted by Penzer. Blue cloth binding with gilt titling and an Arabic inscription on the spine. Clean text; xv, 419 pages; appendix. However, the pages are untrimmed (with many unopened). This has resulted in a slightly larger format than those usually seen. Contemporary (1903) signature in pencil on the FFEP. Moderate soiling, and the spine has darkened, although the gilt remains bright.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.