Search Results: Authors starting with D from Peter Harrington

Edinburgh., 1850. Large and accurate map of Asia in two parts, north and south. Although aspects of the map are in a copperplate style, the degree of detail and the date suggest this is a steel engraving. Lizars illustrated natural history books, and also engraved bank notes Steel engraving. Original colour. Very good condition, good margins Size: 87 x 77 cm. MacKenzie, British Prints

Paris: Denys Thierry,, 1681. When I look at you even for a short time, it is no longer possible for me to speak First edition of the first translation of Sappho by a woman, paired with her version of Anacreon, in a contemporary binding and complete with the often-lacking frontispiece. Prior to Dacier, Louise Labé in France and Gaspara Stampa in Italy published poetic imitations of Sappho, but Dacier was the first woman to translate the poems themselves into any modern language. The only daughter of the noted Hellenist Tanneguy Lefèvre, Anne Dacier (c.1654-1720) translated classical works from an early age, beginning with Callimachus and progressing to Anacreon and Sappho. "By choosing to translate Anacreon and Sappho into French, instead of presenting them with a Latin translation, as her father did, Anne Le Fèvre was seeking to introduce these two authors to a larger audience. That is indeed what she says in her preface to Anacreon, specifying that she is particularly thinking about women: 'By… Read More

Paris: Rigaud,, 1716. The first female translator of Homer First Dacier edition, in a beautiful contemporary French binding decorated with small gilt shell tools. Dacier's celebrated translation into French of the Odyssey is considered her "crowning achievement" (Folger, p. 34) alongside her equally successful translation of the Iliad (1711). The only daughter of the noted Hellenist Tanneguy Lefèvre, Anne Dacier (c.1654-1720) began translating classical works from an early age, beginning with Callimachus and progressing to versions of the poems of Anacreon and Sappho. She was a staunch champion of Homer in the Ancients and Moderns debate, in which she defended his works against what she saw as the contemporary decline in standards of taste. Despite literary feuds with Antoine Houdar de la Motte and Thémiseul de Saint-Hyacinthe, and her differences in particular with Alexander Pope, with whom she fundamentally disagreed on how best to approach translating Homer, Dacier was held in high regard by her… Read More

Kansas City: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Company,, 1903. The Boxer Rebellion, as recounted by America's last Union general First edition, first printing, familial association copy, with the ownership signature of the author's daughter Helen Daggett Patterson (1881-1970) on the front free endpaper. Patterson subsequently passed this copy to Trevor Washington Swett Jr, a US Army colonel; his ownership inscription is below her signature. Aaron Daggett (1837-1938) was appointed brivet brigadier general by Andrew Johnson in February 1866, having served with distinction during the Civil War. Following service in the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War, he was appointed brigadier general in the regular army in 1900, leading the 14th Infantry Regiment during the Boxer Rebellion. By his death, he was the last surviving high-ranking officer to have fought on the Union side. His account describes American and allied troop movements in China, as well as day-to-day experiences of battle and the conduct of key… Read More

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1983. A beautifully bound copy First edition, first impression. Winner of the Whitbread Award for Children's Novel in 1983, the book was adapted into a stage play and a two-part radio dramatization for the BBC, a 1990 movie directed by Nicolas Roeg which starred Anjelica Huston and Rowan Atkinson, and an opera by Marcus Paus and Ole Paus. Octavo (222 x 149 mm). Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in bright blue morocco, titles to spine and front board onlaid in pale blue morocco and blocked in black, pictorial onlay wrapped around front and back board after the original dust jacket, twin rule to turn-ins in black, plain blue endpapers, gilt edges. Housed in a bright blue flat-back cloth box. With black and white illustrations. A fine copy.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf,, 1983. First US edition, first printing. The book was first published the previous year in the UK by Jonathan Cape. The US edition changes the original printed order of the rhymes. Octavo. Original pictorial boards, spine and front cover lettered in yellow and white. With dust jacket. Illustrated throughout by Quentin Blake. Foot of spine a little bumped, leaves slightly creased; unclipped jacket a little worn at extremities, adhesive tape repairs to reverse: a very good copy in like jacket.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf,, 1974. First edition, first printing, preceding the UK edition which was published later that year. Comprising "The Visitor", "The Great Switcheroo", "The Last Act", and "Bitch", this adult story collection gathers four explicit tales which were first printed in Playboy between 1965 and 1974. Octavo. Original orange cloth, spine lettered in gilt, author's initials stamped on front cover within gilt frame, publisher's device on rear cover, top edge orange, fore edge untrimmed. With dust jacket. 1974 Christmas gift inscription on first blank in blue ink. Spine head bumped, faint mottling of cloth edges, foxing to book block edges, internally clean; unclipped jacket slightly creased, mild sunning of spine, panels bright: a very good copy in like jacket.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1982. First edition, first impression. Dahl's fantastical tale was expanded from a short story found in his 1975 book Danny, the Champion of the World and was described in the dust jacket blurb as "Dahl's most startling and wonderful tale since Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". A film adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg, was released in 2016. Jeremy Treglown assesses Dahl's legacy in his biography and notes that not all of the author's books will last, but concludes "the best - especially The BFG - surely will" (Treglown, p. 9). Octavo. Original light grey boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. Black and white illustrations within the text, all by Quentin Blake. Minor spot of adhesive residue to rear cover, trace of foxing to fore edge, a near-fine copy in fine, unclipped jacket. Jeremy Treglown, Roald Dahl, 1994.

London: Collins,, [1944]. First British edition, first impression, of the author's first book. The book was first published in the US in 1943. Writing in 2006, the Disney historian Leonard Maltin described the volume as "a milestone" and a "charming book". The book was written as a promotional device for a feature-length Disney animation that was never produced, partly because the studio could not establish firm copyright in the "gremlin" characters (Dahl claimed to have invented them, although they had been common currency in the RAF and had appeared in print at least once before), and partly because the British Air Ministry wanted final approval of the script and production. It was eventually agreed that royalties would be split between the RAF Benevolent Fund and Dahl. The book is described on the title and the front cover as being "From the Walt Disney Production"; the Disney studio would write to Dahl in August 1943 after American publication cancelling any further preproduction work. Quarto.… Read More

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1981. Signed by the author First edition, first impression, signed and dated "Roald Dahl 6 March, 1982" on the front free endpaper in purple. Jeremy Treglown found that the book "owes something to a circus act or a Punch and Judy show", and notes that Quentin Blake "lightens things by visually reminding the reader both how small George is, and... how lonely and innocent". A contemporary review noted that, "For some time now Roald Dahl has been the most popular living novelist that we have for children, despite, or sometimes possibly because of, lapses in taste... George's Marvellous Medicine is a good example of this ability he has to entertain the young often at the cost of offending many of the other sort". Octavo. Original light blue boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. Illustrated throughout by Quentin Blake. A copy with notably bright contents. Minor damp staining to head of rear cover and free endpapers, foxing to top edge; some damp staining and light… Read More

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1977. Inscribed by the author First edition, first impression, inscribed by the author on the title page, "To Hywel, with love, Roald Dahl, 19 Nov. 1982". Written for a slightly older readership than his other works, the collection includes two semi-autobiographical stories, in turn based on Dahl's experience as a fighter pilot in the Second World War and exploring his motivation to become a writer. A film adaptation of "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" was released in September 2023. Directed by Wes Anderson, members of the cast include Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in gilt, beige endpapers. With dust jacket. Two pages of photographic illustrations. Gift inscription to front free endpaper dated 1977. Very slightly skewed, extremities a little bumped and sunned, minor foxing to edges, spine of dust jacket slightly sunned, extremities a little creased, price-clipped: a very good copy in a very… Read More

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1982. Uncorrected proof copy with provisional publication details on front wrapper. Dahl's fantastical tale was expanded from a short story found in his 1975 book Danny, the Champion of the World, and was described in the first edition dust jacket blurb as "Dahl's most startling and wonderful tale since Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". A film adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg, was released in 2016. Jeremy Treglown assesses Dahl's legacy in his biography and notes that not all of the author's books will last, but concludes "the best - especially The BFG - surely will" (p. 9). Octavo. Original orange wrappers, lettering in black, publisher's device repeated in black. Black and white illustrations within the text, all by Quentin Blake. Jeremy Treglown, Roald Dahl, 1994.

Harmondsworth: Viking,, 1986. Presentation copy First edition, first impression. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Colin, Love Roald". The recipient was Colin Ross-Munro. Colin's wife, Jan, was an old friend of Dahl's second wife, Liccy. Two Fables was published in honour of Dahl's 70th birthday. Octavo. Original black boards, titles to spine gilt. With dust jacket. Colour frontispiece and black and white illustrations in the text. Small bump to spine, small mark to foot of rear endpapers, an excellent copy in the jacket with slight rubbing to extremities, small crease to front panel near spine, small mark to foot of rear panel.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1989. Later impression, inscribed by the author on front free endpaper, "To Adam, Love Roald Dahl". The title was first published in 1983 and first featured illustrations by Quentin Blake in 1984. This is the third reprint of the Blake edition. The book presents Dahl's nine poem on animals, including "The Tummy Beast". Large octavo. Original illustrated boards, spine and front cover lettered in black and brown, covers with colour illustrations, blue endpapers. Issued without jacket. With numerous full page and other colour illustrations within the text by Quentin Blake. Bookseller's ticket on front pastedown from Dahl's local bookshop (The Abbey Bookshop, Great Missenden). Head and foot of spine slightly bumped; a near-fine copy.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1989. Inscribed by the author First edition, first impression, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper: "To Anna Love Roald Dahl 1990". Inscribed copies of this title are not common and this copy is dated in the year of the author's death. As noted on the dust jacket blurb, "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". Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. With numerous full page and illustrations within the text by Quentin Blake. Foot of spine very slightly bumped; a fine copy in the like dust jacket.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1975. An inscribed copy First UK edition, first impression, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper: "To Clare, with love, from Roald Dahl". The recipient, Clare A. Shapland, has inserted her bookplate on the front pastedown. As noted by one of Dahl's biographers, "Danny... is perhaps Dahl's most straightforward and lyrical children's book" (Sturrock, p. 467). Inscribed copies are not common. The novel is based on the short story "The Champion of the World", which was first published in The New Yorker Magazine on 23 January 1959. It would be collected within Kiss Kiss (published in 1960). As noted by the dust jacket blurb, the novel is "full of absorbing action and heart-stopping suspense, it is fabulous, irresistible fun". The work was the basis for the 1989 film of the same title starring Jeremy Irons, with his son Samuel in the title role. In the 2023 BBC's poll of "The 100 Greatest Children's Books of All Time", the novel was ranked at number 92. Octavo.… Read More

London: Michael Joseph,, 1979. Presentation copy inscribed by the author to his half-sister and brother-in-law First edition, first impression, presentation copy, inscribed by the author to his half-sister and brother-in-law on the front free endpaper, "Ellen & Ashley Love Roald 1979". Ellen Marguerite Dahl (1903-1988) was the first of two children born to Harald Dahl and Marie Beaurin-Gresser. Her mother died in 1907 and her father remarried in 1911. Working as a medical laboratory technician she married Arnold Ashley Miles (1904-1988) in 1930. Later Director of the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine and Professor of Experimental Pathology in the University of London, Ashley Miles received a knighthood in 1966. The novel stars Uncle Oswald, a character who previously appeared in "The Visitor" and "Bitch", two short stories also written by Roald Dahl (both of which were published in Switch Bitch). Octavo. Original dark blue cloth, titles to spine gilt. With dust jacket. Head and foot of spine… Read More

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1985. Later impression, inscribed by the author on half-title, "To Adam, Love Roald Dahl". The book was first published in 1984; this is the first reprint. In his autobiographical collection of stories from childhood, Dahl includes his fondness for confectionery, his Norwegian ancestry, and his loathing for most schoolteachers. Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. With black and white photographic illustrations throughout the text and on illustrated endpapers. Extremities a little bumped and soiled, minor foxing to edges; jacket a little rubbed at extremities, price-clipped but with publisher's price sticker (£7.95): a very good copy in a near-fine jacket.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1984. First Quentin Blake edition, first impression, following the edition which was illustrated by Rosemary Fawcett the year prior. This Dahl collection of poetry about animals comprises "The Pig", "The Crocodile", "The Lion", "The Scorpion", "The Ant-Eater", "The Porcupine", "The Cow", "The Toad and the Snail", and "The Tummy Beast". Quarto. Original illustrated boards lettered in black and brown, blue endpapers. No dust jacket issued. Colour illustrations by Quentin Blake. A fine copy.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1981. Uncorrected proof copy with provisional publication details on the front wrapper. Proof copies of Dahl's books published by Cape are becoming scarce. Jeremy Treglown found that the book "owes something to a circus act or a Punch and Judy show" and notes that Quentin Blake "lightens things by visually reminding the reader both how small George is, and... how lonely and innocent" (p. 229). A contemporary review noted that, "For some time now Roald Dahl has been the most popular living novelist that we have for children, despite, or sometimes possibly because of, lapses in taste... George's Marvellous Medicine is a good example of this ability he has to entertain the young often at the cost of offending many of the other sort". Octavo. Original orange wrappers, lettering in black, publisher's device repeated in black. Illustrated throughout by Quentin Blake. Spine slightly rubbed, minor closed tear to front wrapper: a very good copy. Times Literary Supplement, 24 July 1981,… Read More