Search Results: Titles starting with A from Quercus Rare Books

New York & London: The Macaulay Company, 1904. Issued in three parts over several years, Hardy considered this drama his masterpiece. Unfortunately, the world did not agree; the first printings were quite small, and remains uncommon. These are Very Good (Plus) copies of the First Editions. Green cloth bindings with gilt titling on the spine and front covers; top edges gilt, others rough-cut. Volume One is the Second Issue of about 1000 copies (the First Issue, from 1903, was miniscule). Clean text save a few penciled notations; xxii, 228 pages, v (a preview), with three pages of publisher's adverts. Light rub to the margins and with a small tear/chip affecting a few pages around page 10. Volume Two (1906), which was about 1500 copies, also has some pencil notations but is generally clean. xiii, 302 pages, with two pages of reviews of previous volume. There is a bump to the lower corner of the front cover; the front hinge is cracked but holding; a few pages have been creased from reading..… Read More

New York: Dodd, Mead & Co, 1916. Literary biography of an important Irish literary figure by another one! This is a Near Fine copy of the First American Edition, rather scarce, particularly in collectible condition. Published in the same year in the UK. Blue cloth binding, decoratively blindstamped, with gilt lettering on the spine. 159 pages. Minimal shelf-rub. Some foxing to the fore-edge, else Fine. No dustjacket; in an archival plastic protector. Size: 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. First American Edition.. Hard Cover. Near Fine/No Jacket.

Dublin & London: Maunsel & Co., Limited, 1916. A literary biography of one of the most influential figures of the Irish Literary Renaissanc; the same might be said of the author. This is a Near Fine copy of the first UK Edition (Ireland was still a colony of England at this time); it was published in America by Dodd, Mead in the same year. Dark blur cloth binding. Stamped on the front cover with "A.E>" and the Maunsel logo and "Irishmen of To-Day." Clean text; 159 pages; very fresh, just some spotting to the page-edges. Lightly rubbed. A very solid copy.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

John Heywood Ltd., 1924. This is a celebration of the end of the Irish civil war and the establishment of the Free State in 1922, a Very Good copy. A scarce book. It is massive, weighing in at more than five pounds, obviously needing more postage than usual. Green cloth binding, ruled along the edges; titling in gilt on the spine and front cover. Clean text; XIX, 612 pages. Colour frontis illustration by Sir John Lavery; numerous sepia illustrations throughout. This is a Review Copy, so stamped on the FFEP and tissue guard. The title page has a blindstamped chop for a personal library.There is occasional spotting throughout, but it does not affect reading of the text in any way. The corners are bumped and the spine has faded to a brown colour; the gilt remains bright. There are three splits to the edges of the spine, but the result is cosmetic rather than structural. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.

[East Aurora, New York]: S. Hyde, 1736. George Walker's account of the 105-day seige of Derry in 1689 is a prime historical resource. This is a Very Good copy of the First Edition, published in 1736. Marbled paper-covered boards with dark brown leather spine and tips.; titling on the spine in gilt. This has only Walker's work; it does not include "The Whole Proceedngs of the Siege of Drogheda" [by Nicholas Bernard] which is usually seen paired with it. There is no Title Page. It has the Dedication Page to William and Mary; the text then begins with page 114 and continues to page 178; followed by a two-page publisher'scatalog. Some of the interesting reports are the officers killed, the clergy who stayed, and the number of bombs thrown into Derry. The text is clean and unfoxed; there is very occasional spotting and the paper is a bit stiff. There is a previous-owner and address [1932] on the front paste-down. "Printed 1737" - which is incorrect, inked to the first free… Read More

London: Chatto & Windus, 1900. This is a Very Good (Minus) copy of the First Edition in English. Translated from the French and with an Introduction by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly. Blue decorative cloth binding, with a design of hearts and thorna in black and red. Titling on the cover in red, gilt on the spine. Clean text; x, 305 pages, with a 32-page publisher's catalog dated Jan. 1900 in the rear. Corners bumpe, a bit of a lean, spine faded to a tan colour This is an ex-libris copy, with a pocket on the FFEP, catalog numbers on the title page and on its reverse. . First UK Edition. Decorative Cloth. Very Good (Minus)/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

New York & London: Harper & Bros, 1927. Nichols (1891-1966) supposedly wrote her incredibly successful play (it ran for 5 years on Broadway) in about 3 hours. A comedy of interfaith marriage, trite but celebrating tolerance, was "universally loathed by the critics. Robert Benchly.nursed a particular hatred for it." The book preceded the film of 1928. This is a Very Good (Plus) to Near Fine copy of the First Edition, quite a scarce title despite its popularity. Blue cloth binding with titling on the spine and front cover in black. Clean text; 324 pages, with a four-page publisher's catalog in the rear. Tiny bit of rub to the tips; spine slightly darkened. Neat previous-owner signature in pencil on the FFEP. Lacking the dustjacket; in an archival plastic protector. . First Edition.. Hard Cover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: The Bodley Head, 1963. An anthology of true crime essays by one of the great twentieth-century masters of intrigue. This is a Fine copy of the Second issue of the First Edition, lacking one chapter that was removed due to concerns that it was actionable as libel (an important consideration under English law). Bright red cloth binding with gilt lettering on the spine. Fresh and clean text; 222 pages. The striking dustwrapper design features a drawing by Don Higgins. The wrapper has been clipped, else Fine. In a protective plastic cover. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First UK Edition.. Hard Cover. Fine/Good Plus.

New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1903. Journalist and war correspondent Davis used his position as Harper's editor and produced several lovely travel books. First published in 1895; this is a Near Fine copy of a Later Printing from eight years later. Blue cloth binding with titling andd decorations in gilt and red on the spine. Clean text; 219 page; very fresh and clear. A lovely book that is also distinguished by the pen-and-ink drawings by Charles Dana Gibson. Enjoy Edwardian Paris from the comfort of your reading chair!. Later Printing. Hard Cover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1931. Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole {1884-1941) was highly thought of by Henry James and Joseph Conrad; his work is worth a revisit. This is a Very Good (Plus) to Near Fine copy of an edition that was LIMITED to 200 copies [stated "This is one of two hundred large paper copies printed in February 1931"] and SIGNED by Walpole on the Limitation page. [This title issued in America as "Above the Dark Tumult"] Large octavo with blue cloth binding; tan cloth spine with a paper titling label. Clean text; 972 pages, with an extra label in the rear. Rubbed at the corners; else, a close to Fine copy. In an archival plastic protector.. Signed by Author. Limited. Hard Cover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

New York: Harcourt, Brace & Co, 1939. Four-volume set of poet Sandburg's classic study of the wartime Lincoln, one of the great works of American history writing. Although this is a Book Club edition (1960), its quality is of the highest and a worthy addition to any library. Blue-gray cloth with embossed Lincoln signature and gold stamping; only the slightest of bumping to corners. No dustjackets. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Book Club (BCE/BOMC).. Hard Cover. Near Fine/No Jacket.

Westport: Hyperion Press, Inc., 1974. Originally published serially in 1922, this is a dystopian satire, with religious fervor somehow released by nuclear fission. Capek, a master of dystopia, eventually would write "War With the Newts," considered one of the greatest speculative fiction novels of the XXth Century. This is a Fine copy of a reprint of the 1927 Macmillan edition, part of the "Classics of Science Fiction" series. Gray cloth binding, decorated and lettered in black. Clean text; v, 242 pages. The Introduction is by William E. Harkins. No dustjacket; in an archival plastic protector.. Reprint Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Boston, New York, London: Little, Brown, and Company, 2013. This is a Fine copy of the First Edition (stated). Red paper-covered boards with a black cloth spine; titled in gilt. Clean text; 455 pages. The dustjacket is unclipped; Fine. In an archival plastic protector.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2004. Le Carre (pseudonym for David Cornwell, 1931-2020) is rightfully considered to be one of the greatest of the 20th Century spy novelists. This is a Fine copy of the First English Edition. Bright red cloth binding with titling in black on the spine. Clean text; 383 pages; ribbon marker. This copy has been SIGNED by the author on the Title Page. The dustwrapper is also Fine, unclipped. In an archival plastic protector.. Signed by Author. First UK Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Toronto: Bell & Cockburn, 1913. This is a Very Good (Minus) copy of the First Canadian Edition, published at the same time as the American version ("May, 1913"); identical, with the exception of the publisher name on the Title Page and spine. Less common than the American. Olive green cloth binding, decorated in black and with yellow titling on the front cover. Clean text; 169 pages, with the last page having a publisher advert on the reverse. Frontis illustration by Gordon Grant. Bumped, spine darkened and the lettering somewhat rubbed. Previous-owned signature on the TP; faint evidence of erasures on the FFEP; several spots on the front cover. . First American Edition.. Hard Cover. Very Good (Minus)/No Jacket. Illus. by Gordon Grant. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

New York: Viking, 1987. Anglo-Irish author Iris Murdoch (1919-1999), a Booker Prize winner, often based her art on the complexities of morality, faith, and philosophy. Here she presents her Platonic dialogue in theatrical form. This is a Fine copy of the First American Edition (stated), rather uncommon. Plum paper-covered boards with white linen spine and gilt lettering.130 pages; clean and fresh text. The dustjacket is also unclipped and Fine; in a plastic protector. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First American Edition.. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine.

London: Mirror Books, 2019. The story of the American spy for the FBI and Britain who helped take down the leadership of the "Real IRA" (formed as a split with the "Provisional IRA"). This is a Near Fine copy of the First Edition. Bright blue paper-covered boards with silver titling on the spine. Clean text; 321 pages, with a one-page publisher advert in the rear. The dustwrapper is unclipped, Fine; in an archival plastic protector.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

London & Dublin: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy; and Hodges and M'Arthur, 1821. This important account and interpretation of the typhus outbreak [1817-19] in Ireland was written by Francis Barker (1775-1859), a professor of chemistry at Trinity College Dublin and John Cheyne (1771-1836) who had been appointed Physician General in the previous year. A scarce work of medical history. The epidemic caused 65,000 deaths from about 1.5 million cases, and was not taken seriously untill it affected the wealthier classes of the population.This is a Very Good set (two volumes) of the First Edition. Marbled paper-covered boards with leather spine and tips. Clean text, very bright and supple. Volume I has XV, 499 pages; Volume II has VIII, 387 pages. This is an ex-libris copy, with the bookplate of the John Crerar Research Library of Chicago. Other than that, the treatments are minimal. The spine has been covered with brown tape with the new titling in gilt. The original tips are worn and the endpapers tend to… Read More

London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1957. An historically significant work. The poet Alfred Noyes (1880-1958) worked in the British foreign office during the Casement affair; he later became convinced that the "evidence" of Casement's depravity had been forged, and this is his mea culpa. This is a Fine copy of the First English Edition with an interesting ASSOCIATION. Attached to the FFEP is a slip "With compliments of James A. Healy, New York" - most likely the noted collector of Irish works whose archive is at Stanford University. Bright red cloth binding with gilt spine lettering. 191 pages (indexed). No dustwrapper; in an archival plastic protector. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First UK Edition.. Hard Cover. Fine/No Jacket.

Philadelphia, Springfield, Chicago, et.al.: Hubbard Brothers, Et.al., 1878. Joel T. Headley (1813-1897), clergyman and newspaperman (he edited Horace Greeley's New York "Tribune"), wrote several popular histories, including works on the American Civil War and another, later volume on Stanley. This is a Very Good copy of the First Edition. The Title Page gives a bit of a summary of English imperial exploration: "Comprising all the late and really great achievements won in the exploration of the vast unknown region of equatorial Africa; chief among which are the finding of the lost Livingstone by Stanley, the explorations of the great lakes, the wonderful experiences of Sir Samuel W. Baker, in his remarkable expediation, with a small army, under royal authority, to the Central Lake Region by way of the Nile; the discoveries of Lieut. Cameron in his memorable overland journey across the entire continent from east to west; and the crowning triumph of all, won by the daring and intrepid… Read More