Hard To Find Books
Books

Search For Hard To Find Books

Advanced Search

Top 50

Showing 1 to 20 of 50 results.

$15000.00
1y68a/14

1. Crime and Punishment; A Russian Realistic Novel (Vizetelly's One-Volume Novels XIII)


DOSTOIEFFSKY, FEDOR (DOSTOEVSKY / DOSTOYEVSKY, FYODOR)

FIRST ENGLISH EDITION, price comensurate with condition and rarity. Vizetelly's one-volume novels XIII, London: Vizetelly & Co 1886. Publisher's advertisement to verso of half title with list of other one volume novels. 24 pgs of publisher's illustrated catalogue to rear dated 1885. Floral end papers with some light browning, text clean. 195mm, bound in the original blue cloth which has age appropriate scuffing/bruising to edges, lettered in red and black with four rules at the head and foot of the boards & spine, blind rule & blind stamp publisher's motif to rear board. The front and spine have old damp damage which has stained the boards, back board has only a few small spots and light wear, spine is cocked, contents clean. There are some heavy cracks to the gutters making the boards a little shaky but the boards are still firmly attached. 10cm closed tear to pgs 197/198 and there is a previous owner's name in ink (historical, not new) to the top of the full title page. There are also some light, unobtrusive folds to the lower corners of pgs 389-394 and a 12cm sharp crease/fold to pg 267/268. There is a small (8mm) closed tear to to top edge of pg5/6 of the illustrated publisher's catalogue to rear. The translation is presented anonymously but is generally believed to have been by the Russian born British novelist Frederick Wishaw. Both the English and American first editions are extremely rare and there are very few recorded sales (last recorded sale in March 2017 for NZ$25,900). This UK edition was published six months before the US edition, making this the TRUE FIRST EDITION in English, of which only seven copies are known to have advertising verso of the half title page (the earliest issue point) - this is presumably the 8th. There appears to be less than 10 copies held in libraries worldwide. Please feel free to contact us directly to discuss shipping or photographs- strongly recommended.

PUBLISHER: Vizetelly & Co 1886

KEYWORDS: Russian Russia literature modern first edition English UK translation Fedor Fyodor Dostoieffsky Dostoyevsky Dostoevsky Vizetelly's one-volume novels xiii thirteen rare Frederick Wishaw

$10450.00
1y68a/5

2. Capital: A Critical Analysis of Capitalist Production


MARX, KARL & MOORE, SAMUEL (Trans) & AVELING, EDWARD (Trans) & ENGELS, FREDERICK (Ed)

RARE! FIRST US EDITION, ORIGINAL BINDING. Super octavo, ochre textured buckram boards, gilt lettering & rule to spine, blind rule to boards, xxxi + 816pp, VG (moderate chipping & scuffing to extrems with some light surface loss, light to moderate discolouration & chafing to spine & boards, heavy tanning to page edges, small patch of discolouration to lower page edges, sl cracking to gutters/hinges) Please feel free to contact us directly for photos of this important work or to discuss shipping options.

PUBLISHER: Appleton & Co 1889

KEYWORDS: Karl Marx first US edition rare editions Russian Russia economics politics capitalism philosophy commodities money production labour labor capital accumulation literature industry

$9000.00
2s17a/9

3. Songs (2 Vol Set- Individually Boxed)


HARRISON, GEORGE & WEST, KEITH (Illus)

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING & VERY SPECIAL 2 VOL SET, signed by both George Harrison & Keith West (illustrator), limited & numbered seperately boxed set (#1644/2500), this set can usually be found with CD audio but this set comes with 2x vinyl records/EPs in their own sleeves & hidden slide out drawers at bottom of clam shell cases, making this a much more scarce edition to own. Super octavo, black buckram half leather bound boards, silver gilt lettering & raised bands to spines, black guitar illus to front boards, black keyboard illus to rear boards, all page edges silver gilt, signed (Keith West) plates affixed to ffeps, beautifully illustrated signatory pages, frontispieces- tipped in, illus prelims, vol 1- 175pp, vol 2- 175pp, illus/decorated terminals, sm illus plates to rear eps of both vols, both vols come with sm bookmarks with illus to match boards & affixed to page blocks with black ribbon, both vols also have folding illus pages to centre, FINE, vinyl records are also in FINE condition, as are clam shell cases, inner slide out drawers move effortlessly when opened & closed, there is also a sm plate affixed in to inside cases with black guitar illus to each vol. Definitely a highly desirable item for the die-hard Beatles collector!

PUBLISHER: Genesis Publications 1987-92

KEYWORDS: special signed editions The Beatles George Harrison Keith West illustrated collectables collectibles memorabilia vinyl records eps lyrics audio

$7750.00
1y33b/19

4. The Swoop! or, How Clarence Saved England : A Tale of the Great Invasion


WODEHOUSE, P G & HARRISON, C (Illus)

FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE (ONE SHILLING NETT ON FRONT COVER), RARE ESPECIALLY IN SUCH GOOD CONDITION, sm octavo, illus light card wrappers, black lettering to spine & rear cover, illus inside front cover, frontispiece, 126pp, illus, VG (light creasing & curling to cover edges, moderate creasing to spine with some minor tidy archival tape repairs & reinforcement also, moderate tanning & foxing/soiling to spine & covers, moderate tanning & foxing to page edges, sm chip & prev, bookseller's sm label to half title page, light to moderate staining & foxing to pages throughout- mostly to edges with text block unimpeded)

PUBLISHER: Alston Rivers, Limited, Brooke Street, Holborn Bars 1909

KEYWORDS: literature illustrated modern first editions fiction novels P G Wodehouse first issues

$6500.00
1m37a/12

5. The Lord of the Rings (3 vols)


TOLKIEN, J R R

THREE VOL SET. FIRST EDITION, VARYING IMPRESSIONS. Demy 8vo, pp. 423, 352, 416; red buckram bds, spine lettered in silver gilt; top edge stained red, maps to rear, illus.; VG (light to moderate scuffing & soiling to bds; light bruising to spine & board edges & extrems with sl chipping; light to moderate tanning, foxing & soiling to pg edges (moderate tanning & soiling to vols 2 & 3); light tanning & foxing to eps, prelims & terminals (moderate tanning & foxing to vols 2 & 3); sm tear to front hinge at head and mild separation of spine from textblock (vol. 1) bindiing still sound; prev ownership inscription to ffep; some foxing throughout); in d/w, VG- (moderate scuffing & soiling; moderate to heavy bruising & creasing to edges & extrems with moderate to heavy chipping, esp to spine extrems; light to moderate tanning & foxing; moderate red staining (vol. 1); lg closed tear rear flap at fold (vol. 1)). Vol. 1, fourth impression; vol. 2, second impression; vol. 3, first impression; all of the first edition, all dated 1955.

PUBLISHER: George Allen & Unwin 1955

KEYWORDS: J R R Tolkien Lord of the Rings 20th century fantasy fiction epic adventure modern first edition

$4750.00
250314fs1

6. Wrestling With the Angel; A Time For Sowing; The Cradle & the Egg (ASSOCIATION COPY)


SARGESON, FRANK ( FRAME, JANET)

first edition octavo black cloth boards with red lettering to spine, 120pp, VG+ (light tanning primarily to eps) in VG d/w ( suntanning to spine, light wear to extremities, small closed tear to tail of spine) ASSOCIATION COPY, warmly INSCRIBED, SIGNED (initials) and DATED march 1965 by Frank Sargeson to Janet Frame. Sargeson was a huge influence on Frame, and the title of this book by him was used as the title for the biography of Frame written by Michael King. A UNIQUE and important piece of New Zealand Literary history

PUBLISHER: caxton press 1964

KEYWORDS: new zealand literature drama modern first edition frank sargeson signed janet frame

$4750.00
s18/23

7. A History of the Families of Adams and Peers / A Genealogical History of the Family of Peers of Alveston in Warwickshire [2 vols.bound as 1]


ADAMS,BENJAMIN WILLIAM; PEERS,MAXWELL RICHARD WILLIAM PEERS

first edition author's copy [Maxwell Richard William Peers Adams] [possibly a proof copy] 195pp [hand-numbered with many pp hand-written] ills.[b/w original photos mounted on prelims.] VG (full black leather w.gilt ruled borders,raised/gilt bands to spine,mod.rubbed and soiled,sl.wear to extrems.,marbled eps w.author/owner's armorial bookplate to front pastedown,content edges sl.soiled,many pages handwritten with [author's ?] annotations,many related pieces of ephemera loosely inserted incl.contemporary newspaper clippings,many blank pp bound in) a unique copy of what may well be the author's [Maxwell Richard William Peers Adams] bound proof copy - scans available on request

PUBLISHER: traill calcutta 1891 / simla [np] 1892

KEYWORDS: history biography peers adams alveston warwickshire proof copy genealogy

$4750.00
1y38a/16

8. Practical Geometry: Applied to the Useful Arts of Building, Surveying, Gardening and Mensuration; Calculated for the Service of Gentlemen as well as Artisans, and set to View In Four Parts


LANGLEY, BATTY

RARE FIRST EDITION, large quarto, brown wave-patterned buckram boards, half bound in brown leather, gilt lettering + gilt tooling to spine, blind stamped decoration to binding, unpaginated illus prelims + 136pp + 38 plates (some foldouts, interspersed and to rear), VG- (moderate-heavy bruising to spine + extrems w/ some surface loss to leather and fraying to buckram, 2cm tear at head of spine, light-moderate rubbing + mild staining to boards, heavy foxing + moderate tanning to page edges, crack running length of front gutter, moderate foxing + prev owner's name in blue pencil to fep, moderate discolouration + light creasing to pages throughout, light to moderately heavy foxing throughout, sporadic mild-moderate staining to margins, occasional unobtrusive notes & figures in pencil to margins throughout, 3cm crack to foot of rear gutter)

PUBLISHER: W. and J. Innys, J. Osborn and T. Longman, B. Lintot, J. Woodman and D. Lyons, C. King, E. Symon, and W, Bell 1726

KEYWORDS: geometry landscape architecutre surveying batty langley mathematics architectural history britain british gardening

$4750.00
gc1i42/19

9. The Story of the Love and Death of Cornet Christopher Rilke


RILKE, RAINER MARIA; MORSE, B. J. [TRANSL.]

first edition numbered/limited and signed by translator [#2 of 3] 24pp VERY GOOD (patterned paper boards w.blue cloth spine and corners,mod.rubbed and stained,splits to upper hinge,mod.wear and chipping to extrems.,bookplate of Castello di Duino to front pastedown,small number label to ffep,prelims.and untrimmed content edges sl.foxed,translator's sign.and date to numbered colophon at rear) three typed copies of this edition were made - this copy belonged to His Highness, The Prince of Thurn and Taxis - bookplate of Castello di Duino, near Trieste, a residence of the Princes von Thurn and Taxis, the inspiration for Rilke's Duino elegies, conceived while he was visiting Princess Maria von Thurn and Taxis, one of his major patrons - scans available on request

PUBLISHER: privately printed osnabruck 1927

KEYWORDS: literature rainer maria rilke morse

$4600.00
1y50/4

10. Essai Sur Les Cryptogames des Ecorces Exotiques Officinales, Precede D'Une Methode Lichenographique, et D'Un Genera, Avec des Considerations Sur la Reproduction des Agames


FEE, Par A.- L. A.

COMPLETE ORIGINAL 1824 FIRST EDITION TOGETHER WITH MATCHING 1837 SUPPLEMENTAL VOLUME, quarto, leather quarter bound marbled boards (rebound), gilt lettering & raised bands to spines, marbled eps, coloured plates with tissue guards to prelims, civ + 167pp + colourd plates with tissue guards to rear (178pp + plates to rear of supplemental volume), VG (moderate sun fading to spines, light scuffing to board edges, moderate age appropriate tanning & foxing to page edges, owner's name in ink to eps of both vols, light cracking to gutters of prelims, sporadic closed tearing to verso of half title page of supplmental vol with subtle tape repairs, moderate water staining to bottom corners of first 24 pgs of supp vol, pg xxxv of intro completely loose with pgs xxxvi & xxxvii of intro completely missing, age appropriate foxing & tanning to pages throughout both vols)

PUBLISHER: Firmin Didot Pere et Fils 1824

KEYWORDS: TEXT IN FRENCH first edition lichens cryptogams botany hidden reproduction spore plants thallus thallophytes illustrated supplement essays literature lichenography

$4500.00
ak1/16B/2778

11. The Franco-German War, 1870-1871 [5 volume set with 5 volumes of maps]


CLARKE, CAPTAIN F. C. H. (transl.)

5x VOLUME SET, WITH A FURTHER 5x VOLUMES OF MAPS (10x VOUMES TOTAL, VERY HEAVY); DESCRIPTION: super octavo red cloth boards with gilt lettering to spine (with part 1 vol's 1 & 2, and part 2 vol. 1 only, rebound in library bindings, red cloth also); DETAILS: First Part (2 vol's): History of the War to the Downfall of the Empire, comprising vol. 1: From the Outbreak of Hostilities to the Battle of Gravelotte, viii+439pp+143pp appendices, illus.; vol. 2: From the Battle of Gravelotte to the Downfall of the Empire, vi+543pp+120pp appendices, illus. / Second Part (3 vol's): History of the War against the Republic, comprising: vol. 1: From the Investment of Paris to the Re-Occupation of Orleans by the Germans, viii+390pp+182pp appendices, illus.; vol. 2: Events in Northern France From the End of November, in the North-West from the Beginning of December..., viii+390pp+232pp appendices, illus.; vol. 3: Twentieth Section: General Retrospect of the War From The Beginning of... / Events in South-East France From the Middle of Janurary to.... ix+248pp+111pp+4pp appendices; 5x map volumes comprise copious large fold-out maps in draw-cases accompanying each main vol. of the text, with the map volumes to part 1 (vol's 1 & 2) and part 2 vol 1. only being library rebinds (brown leather, raised bands), the rest in red cloth with gilt lettering and gilt arms to front; CONDITION: VG to VG+: tidy ex-library, usual stamps and markings; light scuffing to boards, light tanning soiling and occasional light foxing within, with the occasional vol. with heavier scuffing rubbing and sl. chipping, also occasional minor tears within, part 1 vol. 2 has two pages of appendices loose; part 2 vol. 2 has heavier chipping and scuffing to spine and v. minor crack to front hinge; part 2 vol's 1 & 2 have rear flyleaf cut - a tidy set overall; HEAVY, EXPECT COMMENSURATE SHIPPING

PUBLISHER: Her Majesty's Stationary Office 1874, 1876, 1880, 1883, 1884

KEYWORDS: franco-prussian franco prussian war napoleon 2nd second empire paris commune france prussia german germany unification moltke military history war european europe map maps her majesty's stationary office official translation french

$4500.00
2a18c/1

12. Journals of the Polynesian Society Vols 1-81 (1892-1972) + Index Vols 1-50


N/A

A VERY HEAVY SET THAT FILLS 3X BANANA BOXES! Please email us directly to ask about extra shipping (required). All original printings except some occasional Johnson reprints & facsimiles- some pre-1923 vols & issues only, vol 27 has a complete run except issue #3 (1918) is blank, all vols are either octavo or super octavo in size, maroon buckram boards, gilt lettering to spines, various pagination, folding maps to some vols, VG (most vols have some minor bruising to extrems, some light soiling to boards of some vols, all vols have prev. owner's name in ink to ffeps, all vols have some degree of minor tanning & foxing to the page edges, some sl adhesion to some pages of some vols- sporadic, light soiling to boards of some vols, occasional minor insect damage to some page edges, occasional yellowing tape repairs, occasional minor water staining to some pages) a very heavy but very tidy set, please feel free to ask for photos.

PUBLISHER: Thomas Avery (originally printed by) 1892-1972

KEYWORDS: journals Polynesia Polynesian society issues culture transactions proceedings pacific islands anthropology native people

$4500.00
ak2/19/3423

13. The Metamorphosis


KAFKA, FRANZ & LLOYD, A. L. (transl.)

FIRST ENGLISH EDITION, octavo quarter bound grey heavy card boards, blue cloth to spine with black lettering, 74pp, VG+ (light scuffing to boards, prev. owner's details in ink to front pastedown and in pencil to fep., light tanning and occasional sl. soiling within)

PUBLISHER: Parton Press 1937

KEYWORDS: modern first edition translation german literature kafka franz

$4500.00
ak2/19/3424

14. The Birthday Party


PINTER, HAROLD

SIGNED, FIRST EDITION, with Pinter's With Compliments card loosley enclosed; octavo black illus. stapled light card wrappers, 57pp, VG+ (light scuffing to wrappers, light soiling to wrappers and within, light tanning within, some light pen annotations to advert. at rear only)

PUBLISHER: Encore Publishing Co. 1959

KEYWORDS: signed modern first edition british drama stage theatre play birthday party harold pinter

$4450.00
2s17b/3

15. Fifty Years Adrift


TAYLOR, DEREK & HARRISON, GEORGE (Ed)

SIGNED BY DEREK TAYLOR & GEORGE HARRISON, LIMITED NUMBERED EDITION (#486/2000), super octavo, brown buckram half leather bound boards, gilt lettering to title plate on spine with gilt lettering & tooling/decoration with raised bands to spine, gilt rule with gilt & red illus to front board, gilt rule & author signature to rear board, aeg, illus eps, frontispiece with tissue guard, x + 541pp + 3pp to rear, illus/photos, VG+ (light fading to spine, minor discolouration to leatherwork- otherwise a beautiful specimen) in slipcase, Near FINE (sl soiling to title plate)

PUBLISHER: Genesis Publications 1984

KEYWORDS: signed special editions Derek Taylor George Harrison The Beatles memorabilia British pop bands press agents officer media history Britpop tours

$3950.00
ak4/1a/21

16. Biblia Hebraica, Sine Punctis


Accurante NATH. FORSTER

FIRST EDITION (1750), HEBREW TEXT, imperial octavo, brown leather boards, gilt lettering to brown leather title plate, raised bands & blind decoration to spine, gilt rule to board edges, red speckling to page edges, G+ (rear/front board detached but present, heavy scuffing/bruising & surface loss to spine & boards/edges, heavy tanning/soiling to page edges, moderate tanning to eps, ex-libris plates to front/rear eps, age appropriate tanning/foxing/soiling throughout, binding still very sound)

PUBLISHER: Oxonii, E Typographeo Clarendoniano, Typis et Sumtibus Academicis, MDCCL (1750)

KEYWORDS: TEXT IN HEBREW first editions antiquarian books theology religion religious Hebrew bibles bible scripture

$3750.00
1u26a/3

17. The Hobbit; or There and Back Again


TOLKIEN, J. R. R.

VERY EARLY EDITION, EX-LIBRARY; Lacks d/w. Sm. octavo, green cloth boards, black lettering to spine, mountain & dragon motifs to boards, illus eps - maps, frontispiece: The Hill, Hobbiton-across-the-Water, 310pp, illus, VG- (moderate rubbing & soiling to spine incl. a couple of small ink stains, light bruising to board corners/extrems, moderate cracking to front hinge, light cracking to rear hinge with light fraying to spine extrems, moderate sun-fading to spine, boards slightly cocked, two prelim pages coming slightly loose due to closed tears near spine, light foxing/discolouration to pages/page edges throughout, library stamps/markings to eps, blank prelims, colophon, top of first page of text, & spine, 2 fragments of d/w pasted in blank prelims)

PUBLISHER: George Allen & Unwin Ltd 1942

KEYWORDS: ex library jrr tolkien the hobbit lord of the rings fiction novels literature literary fantasy adventure

$3750.00
t14/45

18. Isadora of Milan


HOLSTEIN, ANTHONY FREDERICK

First edition 5 volume set contemporary quarterbound brown leather with marbled boards and gilt spine 202pp+2pp adverts, 204pp, 211pp, 202pp +2pp adverts, 212pp (final volume includes 2pp addenda by editor, claiming authorship for one Walter, Lord St Aubin) Very Good (rubbing and mild fading to spines, with labels clear and intact, small tears to heads and tails, moderate rubbing and wear to extremities, mild to moderate foxing and occassional very light page creasing throughout, two previous owners names on all title pages) A nice, relatively tidy and complete set of a VERY RARE classic of English Gothic Fiction by an unknown author (despite the various names given, it is not even known if the author was a man or a woman)

PUBLISHER: Henry Colburn New Bond Street 1811

KEYWORDS: first edition literature classic gothic english

$3750.00
os1/65

19. New Zealand: Graphic and Descriptive


BARRAUD, C. D. (Illus) & TRAVERS, W. T. L. (Ed)

FIRST EDITION, elephant folio, half leather bound terracotta buckram boards, decorative gilt lettering & tooling to front board, beautiful hand decorated gift/presentation plate, frontispiece, 40pp, 31 chromo- & plain lithographs with 31 woodcuts- all seemingly present, VG- (heavy scuffing to spine & extrems with some surface loss & soiling/staining, moderate scuffing & soiling to boards, minor wrinkling to buckram on boards, light to moderate tanning & foxing to page edges, light soiling & wrinkling to eps with minor foxing, light to moderate tanning & foxing to prelims, heavy crack to gutter of dedication page, moderate closed tearing to some page & plate edges, light sporadic soiling & tanning/foxing to pages throughout) in protective heavy boarded folder, leather spine & clasps, VG- (heavy tanning & foxing with moderate scuffing & chafing)

PUBLISHER: Samson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington 1877

KEYWORDS: New Zealand first editions illustrated townships lakes history historical drawings illustrations

$3750.00
2i48b/3

20. On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life


DARWIN, CHARLES

Third edition. Post 8vo, pp. xix + 538 + [2 (advts)]; green buck bds paneled in blind; spine lettered & decorated in gilt; top & fore edge deckled; VG- (moderate scuffing & soiling to bds; moderate bruising to spine & board edges & extrems with moderate chipping; moderate tanning & soiling to pg edges; light to moderate tanning, soiling & foxing to eps, prelims & terminals; heavy cracking to front hinge, detatched from text block, ffep & ht loose, tape repair attempt; prev ownership inscriptions in pencil to ffep verso & in black ink to ht; heavy cracking to central & rear gutters, final pg loose; moderate cracking to rear hinge with tape repair attempt; binder's sticker to rear pastedown (Edmonds & Remnants)).

PUBLISHER: John Murray 1861

KEYWORDS: Charles Darwin 19th century science biology evolution natural selection animals wildlife

site powered by - Turboweb :: Simple Web Manager