Search Results: Titles starting with B from B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA

London: Macmillan, 1960 First edition, first printing. Publisher's blue boards with titles in gilt to spine; dust jacket with front panel nightlife illustration by Victor Reinganum. Near fine copy with light toning to board edges and spine, a slight lean to spine, previous owner's signature on front free endpaper, and notes in pencil to rear free endpaper; very good unclipped dust jacket with light wear to extremities, light toning to spine, a few tiny closed tears to head of spine and rear inner flap, and small nicks to top corners of front and rear panels. Overall, an attractive copy. In The Ballad of Peckham Rye, Dougal Douglas, a Scottish migrant who may or may not be the devil himself, takes up residence in Peckham and is hired by a textile company to conduct "human research" into the lives of the area's citizens. His meddling into their affairs creates mayhem throughout the neighborhood, culminating in a groom saying "No" at the altar. The Ballad of Peckham Rye… Read More

Cincinnati: Press of Johnson & Hardin, 1907 First edition. One of 500 numbered copies, this being number 73. Original publisher's pale mint cloth, lettered in red with illustration in red to the front cover. Very good, with light rubbing to spine ends and corners, binding slightly cocked, front hinge starting, two cut-outs of cricket players affixed to front free endpaper with some a small pen notation to the lower front endpaper, and some light soiling to pages. Overall, a solid copy of a very scarce baseball title. Base Ball in Cincinnati: A History is an early account of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team. Harry Ellard was the son of George Ellard, one of the original members of the 1866 Cincinnati Baseball club. Ellard recounts the history and evolution of the Red Stockings in the 1860s, as well as the history and rules of baseball. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine.

Cincinnati: Press of Johnson & Hardin, 1908 Second edition. Publisher's black cloth, lettered in red with illustration in red to the front cover. Near fine, with light fraying to head of spine and corners, some light marks and staining to rear board, a touch of toning to spine, light soiling to front free endpaper and front flyleaf, and bookseller's stamp to rear pastedown. Overall, a bright and sturdy copy. Base Ball in Cincinnati: A History is an early account of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team. Harry Ellard was the son of George Ellard, one of the original members of the 1866 Cincinnati Baseball club. Ellard recounts the history and evolution of the Red Stockings in the 1860s, as well as the history and rules of baseball. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good.

Philadelphia: The Athletic Publishing Company, 1888 First edition. Publisher's yellow wrappers, lettered in black. Near fine, with light toning to spine, very light soiling to wrappers, black marker line to fore edge of text block, light chipping to spine ends, top left corner of rear wrapper missing and some tears to top corners of a few pages at back of book, small closed tear to bottom of rear panel, and gift inscription to verso of frontis. Overall, an exceptional copy of a very scarce book. In Base-Ball: How to Become a Player, baseball Hall of Famer John Montgomery Ward explains the history, theory, and positions of the game. The book is notable for being one of the first instructional baseball books. As a player, Ward's most notable achievement was pitching the second perfect game in major league history in 1880. Yet his playing career was just a one part of his illustrious baseball career - he was also a manager, executive, author, and union organizer. A passionate supporter of… Read More

New York: De Witt, 1883 First edition, first printing. Rebound in custom brown cloth with titles in black to spine, with publisher’s yellow wrappers bound in, printed in black with illustration of mustached pitcher to front wrapper, Peck & Snyder advertisement to rear wrapper. Good with some rubbing to wrappers, light edgewear, a bit of soiling to rear wrapper, some tape repair to frontispiece, and minor spotting to pages. Overall, a pleasing copy. Scarce. The De Witt's Base-Ball Guide, published annually from 1868 to 1885, was the official publication of the Amateur and Professional Association, and stands as one of the first and most comprehensive guides to baseball ever published. New York Herald baseball reporter M. J. Kelly edited the guide in its first year, and subsequent editions were edited by the so-called "father of baseball", Henry Chadwick (1824-1908). The guide was aimed at both players and fans; it included lists of player averages, detailed explanations of… Read More

New York: Robert M. De Witt, 1874 First edition. Publisher’s yellow wrappers printed in black with illustration of mustached pitcher to front wrapper, Peck & Snyder advertisement to rear wrapper. Good copy with triangular chip to top right corner of front wrapper (loss of “Price 10 Cents” statement), some shallow chipping to bottom edge of front wrapper, a few small closed tears to wrappers, light wear to spine, partially erased “$3.00” in pencil to front and rear wrappers, and some spotting to text block edges and a few pages at the front and rear of the book. Overall, a bright and attractive copy. Very scarce. The De Witt's Base-Ball Guide, published annually from 1868 to 1885, was the official publication of the Amateur and Professional Association, and stands as one of the first and most comprehensive guides to baseball ever published. New York Herald baseball reporter M. J. Kelly edited the guide in its first year, and subsequent editions were edited by the… Read More

Chicago: Forbes and Company, 1912 First edition. 8vo. Publisher's tan boards, titles and border in blue to front board, illustration of two hands holding a bat with green background to front board, small illustrations throughout text leaves; dust jacket with identical layout. Near fine book with previous owner's inscription to front free endpaper and a bit of offsetting from page illustrations; very good dust jacket with some shallow chipping to edges, small closed tear to top of front panel, and some toning. Overall, a bright and sturdy copy. Baseballogy is a collection of 24 humorous poems about America's favorite pastime. In the book's introductory poem, "Preliminary," the author playfully draws parallels between baseball and Ancient Greek philosophy, writing, "Philosophy was much the same / To Greeks as is our later game." Edmund Vance Cooke was an early 20th century Canadian poet known as the "poet laureate of childhood." He published sixteen… Read More

Westminster: The Beaumont Press, 1919 Illustrated with hand colored woodcuts by Anne Estelle Rice. First edition, limited issue of 200 numbered copies, this being one of 50 copies printed on cartridge paper. Publisher's green cloth and yellow patterned boards, lettered in gilt. About fine, corners very lightly bumped, former owner's bookplate to the front pastedown, fresh interior. A beautiful copy. Roberts A12.b. An exceedingly rare publication, Bay was first published in several short print runs. This first edition is one of 200 copies, and only 50 copies, like this copy, are printed on cartridge paper with hand colored illustrations. According to the publisher, roughly 25 of the 50 cartridge paper copies were not sold due to an accident, lowering the total number of obtainable copies of Bay to 175 (63 of which are housed in institutional libraries' special collections) and making these copies the scarcest of the three variants. The remaining 150 copies are comprised of 120 copies… Read More

New York: Beadle and Adams, 1876 First edition. Publisher's orange wrappers printed in black with batting illustration to front wrapper, Peck & Snyder advertisement to rear wrapper, hand-colored ads to interior. About very good book with tears along spine, including a 2" split along front wrapper hinge and a small chip at spine foot, corners shallowly chipped, light rubbing to wrappers, interior clean and without marks. Overall, an attractive copy. Scarcely found in original wrappers and in collectible condition. Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player is recognized as the earliest published baseball guide. Published annually between 1860 and 1881, the guide provided the public with recaps of previous seasons, rules, and basic game instructions. The guides were edited by Henry Chadwick, the "Father of Baseball," who made substantial and enduring innovations to baseball box scores and statistics. The guide was no longer published when Chadwick took a job as editor for A. G.… Read More

New York: Beadle and Adams, 1875 First edition. Publisher's orange wrappers printed in black with batting illustration to front wrapper, Peck & Snyder advertisement to rear wrapper, hand-colored ads to interior. Good plus book with tears along spine, a 1/2" chip to spine head and 1" chip to spine foot, minute chipping to wrapper edges and corners, wrappers bright but with pinpoint spots to front wrapper, a few pencil lines to interior, otherwise clean. Overall, a clean copy that presents well. Scarcely found in original wrappers and in collectible condition. Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player is recognized as the earliest published baseball guide. Published annually between 1860 and 1881, the guide provided the public with recaps of previous seasons, rules, and basic game instructions. The guides were edited by Henry Chadwick, the "Father of Baseball," who made substantial and enduring innovations to baseball box scores and statistics. The guide was no longer published when… Read More

New York: Beadle and Adams, 1873 First edition. Publisher's orange wrappers printed in black with batting illustration to front wrapper, Peck & Snyder advertisement to rear wrapper, hand-colored ads to interior. Very good or better book with light wear to spine, bookseller's stamp to last page. Overall, an excellent copy. Scarcely found in original wrappers and in collectible condition. Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player is recognized as the earliest published baseball guide. Published annually between 1860 and 1881, the guide provided the public with recaps of previous seasons, rules, and basic game instructions. The guides were edited by Henry Chadwick, the "Father of Baseball," who made substantial and enduring innovations to baseball box scores and statistics. The guide was no longer published when Chadwick took a job as editor for A. G. Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide.. First Edition. Original Wraps. Very Good.

New York: Souvenir Publishing & Distributing Co., 1964 Designed and photographed by Robert Freeman. First edition. Signed on front wrapper by Les Paul in gold marker. Publisher's wrappers with purple and black photo of The Beatles members to front wrapper, title lettered in green, in-concert photo to rear wrapper, illustrated with black and white photos throughout. Very good or better copy with light edgewear and a few light nicks and scratches to wrappers. Overall, an excellent copy with clean pages. This concert tour program was released during the Beatles' 1964 North American Tour. After first coming to the US in February of 1964 and making their famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the group returned to the US in August for a 25-city tour. The tour spawned a lot of significant events in the Beatles' storied history, including the recording of what would later be released as The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, and their legendary encounter with Bob Dylan and marijuana. This… Read More

London: The Nonesuch Press, 1926 Illustrated by E. McKnight Kauffer. First edition thus, limited edition, one of 1650 copies, of which this is number 1566. Folio. Publisher's red cloth with title in gilt to spine, Knopf president William A. Koshland's bookplate to front pastedown; original dust jacket stamped in blue. Very good book with tiny chip to head of spine, hint of toning to extremities, light spotting to top of rear board, and a small spot of dampstaining to top left corner of bookplate; fair unclipped dust jacket with some toning to spine, a handful of small chips to edges, front panel separated at hinge, rear jacket flap separated, front jacket flap cracked and with light dampstaining, some tears and chips to spine partially obscuring "Melville" on lower spine. Overall, an excellent copy with bright illustrations, in its scarce original dust jacket. In Benito Cereno, Captain Amaso Delano, heading an American ship, senses that another ship on the sea might be in distress… Read More

New York: Simon and Schuster, 1955 First American edition, first printing. Publisher's blue paper-covered boards, lettered in gilt and brown; original orange wraparound pictorial dust jacket, lettered in black and white, designed by Dick Dodge. Near fine book, with light toning to head of spine and top edges of boards, light spotting to front endpapers, and small closed tear to fore edge of p. 55; very good unclipped dust jacket with light spotting to rear panel and front flap, a few light nicks and small closed tears to edges, pen squiggle to right margin of rear panel, and a tiny chip to foot of spine. Overall, an attractive copy. In Bertie Wooster Sees it Through, Bertie grows a mustache, and Florence Craye, a woman whom he was formerly engaged to, loves it. The two go to a nightclub together, and when her new fiancé, "Stilton" Cheesewright, finds out he becomes enraged and comes to Brinkley Court, home of Bertie's Aunt Dahlia, to have it out with Bertie. Meanwhile,… Read More

New York: Gotham Book Mart, 1973 First edition, first printing. Signed by Gorey on title page. Publisher's light gray paper wrappers; in the original black paper dust jacket, white paper label with Gorey's illustration of a black armless doll laid onto the front wrapper. About fine book with just a tiny crease to rear wrapper; fine unclipped dust jacket. Overall, an attractive and crisp copy. The Black Doll is Gorey's screenplay for an unproduced silent film. Like many of his works, the plot is set in a Victorian-esque setting. It tells the story of the black doll, a "PRO," or priceless ritual object, from the ancient Asian city of Glub (or Blug), which is sought after by various groups of people. The black doll figure is a recurring figure in Gorey's books, and makes appearances in The Listing Attic (1954), The Willowdale Handcar (1962), The Tunnel Calamity (1984), and The Raging Tide (1987). Gorey, a film buff particularly inspired by the works of Louis Feuillade,… Read More

London: Chapman & Hall, 1932 First edition, first issue. Publisher's marble patterned red and black cloth, spine lettered in gilt; in the original cream dust jacket, lettered in black and red. Near fine, some light spotting to the page edges, else bright and clean; unclipped dust jacket, with some light toning to the spine, minor soiling to the otherwise clean wrappers, some light spotting to the flaps. Overall a, fresh and unsophisticated copy. Inspired by Waugh's own excursions to Ethiopia, Black Mischief is an imperialist satire set in Azania, a fictional island nation off of the southeastern coast of Africa. Specifically, it tells of a young emperor's attempt to modernize his home nation after returning from England where he attended Oxford. Not only do his modernization efforts not only fail utterly, however, but they also cause the nation to regress into cannibalism and ultimately become a protectorate of the United Nations. Notably, Black Mischief features Waugh's popular… Read More

New York: McGraw Hill, 2001 First edition, seventh printing. Signed by Feller in blue pen on title page. Publisher's black paper covered boards, titles in gilt to spine, black endpapers; in its original black dust jacket, with photo of Feller pitching to front panel, lettered in tan and white, jacket designed by Nick Panos. Fine book; in a fine unclipped dust jacket with a hint of creasing to the spine ends. Overall, a lovely, bright copy. In this pocket-sized volume, Bob Feller gives wonderful insight into his Hall of Fame career and philosophy of life. The book is divided into five parts, and features bite-sized chapters, like "Backyard Games I Played with my Dad," "The Day I Struck Out Eighteen Batters," "My Love of Flying Planes," and "Loyalty in Sports: Is There Any?" There is also a short section at the end with "Feller Family Sayings" - quotes that Feller's dad used to repeat to him, like "The man who knows how will always have a… Read More

New York: W. W. Norton and Compan, 2009 Illustrated by Robert Crumb. First limited edition, first printing. One of 250 copies signed and numbered by Crumb, this being number 18. Publisher’s black cloth with titles stamped in gilt to front board and spine, serpent illustration in gilt to rear board; housed in publisher’s black slipcase with illustration of Adam and Eve being expelled from Eden to front board. Fine book; fine slipcase. Includes signed print of Chapter 1 illustration of God creating the universe in fine condition. Overall, a crisp and pristine copy. In this book, Robert Crumb illustrates all 50 chapters of The Book of Genesis in his inimitable style. Originally intending to exaggerate the text for humorous effect, Crumb ultimately decided to present the language of The Book of Genesis faithfully, using Robert Alter’s 1996 translation as his primary source. According to Crumb, the text is “so great and strange that it lends itself readily to graphic… Read More

New York: Albert & Charles Boni, 1927 Illustrated by Amy Drevenstedt, with frontispiece and nine illustrations. First edition, first printing. Inscribed by Wilder on title page: "Eliz. and Ina / devotedly / Thornton / New York 1959." Publisher's light brown cloth, front board decorated in green, lettered in black, pictorial endpapers illustrated with a decorative map of Peru. Good or better book, with significant damage and toning to head of spine, light rubbing to corners, a couple of light bumps to board edges, previous owner's bookplate tipped in between front flyleaf verso and half-title page, and a touch of soiling to front free endpaper, pages otherwise fresh and clean; good unclipped dust jacket, with some toning to spine and extremities, some chipping to panel edges and head of spine, tape reinforcement to jacket verso, light chipping along front flap fold, and a small mark on pen to rear panel. Overall, a bright inscribed copy of Wilder's classic novel. Winner of… Read More

London: The Alpine Club, no date [circa 1962] From the library of mountaineer George Lowe. Single white leaf, lettered in black. Fine, with only some faint creasing to the extremities, otherwise clean and completely unused. A fresh piece of Himalayan mountaineering ephemera. This piece of letterhead stationery is an example of the sheets used for the 1962 British-Soviet Pamirs Expedition, a collaborative effort sported by the Alpine Club, the Scottish Mountaineering Club, and the Mountaineering Federation of the U.S.S.R. After the successful 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition, George Lowe, along with his former climbing teammate Wilfrid Noyce, again followed expedition leader John Hunt into the Himalayas for this expedition. Unfortunately, the British-Soviet Pamirs Expedition was the final excursion for Noyce and fellow Ian Smith, who fell to their deaths while descending form the summit of Mt. Garmo.. Fine.