MY EARLY LIFE. A Roving Commission by CHURCHILL. WINSTON. S

Ernest Nister. London. Printed in Nuremberg. ND. 1888. FIRST, AND ONLY, PRINTING OF THIS EDITION. Folio. (15 x 11.7 inches). Illustrated with six stunning full colour chromolithographic plates and twenty-seven sepia vignettes throughout the text. The artist is Julius Höppner, a master of fairy and fantasy illustration. Original white cloth with elaborate full gilt decoration to spine and front board, which also has a sunken panel, with a bevelled gilt tooled edge, where a full colour illustration is placed. Silk patterned paper endpapers. All edges gilt. Binding a bit loose. The board edges are rubbed and marked & there is some minor foxing to most pages but overall this is a near to very good copy of a truly beautiful book.

Cassell. London. 1961. FIRST SEPARATE EDITION. 8vo. (8.8 x 5.8 inches). Illustrated with 6 maps & 31 fascinating mono photographs taken during the war. Fine copy in recent fine leather binding of full red morocco, spine with five raised bands, gilt. Single gilt ruled border to boards. Top edge gilt. --- Originally published as a part of Churchill's great four volume work; A History of the English speaking peoples - Vol.4. The great democracies, in 1958. This is the first printing of this history in its own right. Woods A138(b).

Heinemann. London. 1908. FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. 4to. (10.1 x 7.7 inches). Colour frontis and thirty nine tipped-in colour plates, each with a printed tissue paper guard, and 30 fine line drawings by Rackham throughout the text, some full page. Finely bound in recent full tan morocco. Spine with raised bands, the compartments ruled, decorated and lettered in gilt. Red title label, gilt. Some light foxing throughout but still a very good copy of this beautiful book in an attractive leather binding. Rackham at his very best.

Hodder and Stoughton, London. No Date. 1913. FIRST RENE BULL EDITION. 4to. (11.2 x 8.8 inches). First issue tan cloth binding with full decorative gilt and blue lettering and decoration to the front board. Spine lettered and decorated in gilt. Text translated into English verse by Edward Fitzgerald. 10 full colour tipped-in plates, each with tissue guards, 19 smaller full colour plates, and numerous line drawings throughout. A little foxing to the first and last few pages and some light rubbing to the extremities of the binding with one small spot to the spine, but overall a bright, clean copy in near fine condition. A superior copy of one of the most beautifully illustrated Rubaiyat editions.

William Blackwood and Sons. Edinburgh and London. 1915. FIRST EDITION. (7.5 x 5 inches). Some minor browning to page edges, as is often the case with this title, but less so than usually found. Finely bound in recent full dark blue morocco, raised bands, gilt. Single gilt ruled border on boards. Top edge gilt. Overall a very good, bright copy in attractive leather binding.

Printed for J. Johnson, C. Dilly, G. C and J. Robinson, etc......London. 1799. TWO VOLUMES. 4to. (11.3 x 9.8 inches). Eighth edition, corrected and Revised. Portrait frontispiece in volume one engraved by Heath after the painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds and dated January 1st, 1799. A very good clean set. Finely bound in period style mid twentieth century full brown calf. Boards with single gilt ruled borders. Spines with double ruled gilt bands and lettering. Gilt inner dentelles. Marbled endpapers with a neat previous owners bookplate mounted in each volume. All edges marbled. An attractive copy.

Philip Lee Warner, Publisher to the Medici Society, for the Riccardi Press, London. 1914. LIMITED EDITION. Large 8vo. (9.3 x 6.6 inches). One of 1000 hand-numbered copies printed in the Riccardi Fount on handmade Riccardi Paper. Fine leather binding of recent full deep red morocco. Spine with five raised bands, ruled in gilt. Compartments ruled, lettered and decorated with March Hare and Playing cards motifs in gilt, with floral gilt surrounds. Ruled gilt border on boards. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. A bright and clean copy of this lovely edition, beautifully printed on fine quality hand made paper and in a decorative leather binding. ----- This edition was published by arrangement with Macmillan and Company using Carroll's revised text of 1896. The wonderful Tenniel illustrations are printed from fresh electros taken from the original wood-blocks, with four being slightly enlarged from the original block designs.

William Heinemann Ltd. London. 1953. FIRST EDITION. THREE VOLUMES. 8vo. (8.1 x 5.4 inches). Fine set in attractive leather bindings of recent full red morocco, the spines with five raised bands. The compartments are ruled, lettered and decorated in gilt. Top edges gilt. A finely bound set of this important collection.

William Heinemann Ltd. London. 1961. THREE VOLUMES. Reprint of the 1951 Edition. 8vo. (8 x 5.4 inches). Fine and clean set in the rare Publishers delux leather bindings of full red Morocco. Spines with blind ruled bands and lettered in gilt. Gilt stamped Author's symbol device to the front boards. Blue marbled endpapers. Top edges gilt. Each volume with a red silk page marker. Housed in a red cloth covered slip case with marbled paper lining. The spines are a bit rubbed and there are a couple of small scratches but overall this is an attractive set of this important collection. Only a few sets were issued in these publishers delux leather bindings and they seldom turn up on the market.

J. Maisonneuve et Ch. Leclerc. Paris. 1889. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (9.9 x 6.4 inches). vii, 300pp. A very good copy in a fine early leather binding of full dark green morocco. Spine with gilt ruled lines, floral design and lettering. Front board with ruled panels and floral designs, all in gilt Single gilt ruled border to the rear board and board edges. Gilt inner dentelles. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt. Armorial bookplate of noted author of books on folklore and topography, Sir George Laurence Gomme (1853 - 1916) on the front pastedown. Some offsetting to the endpapers from the leather turn-ins. A little rubbing to the extremities and the spine faded to an attractive brown but overall still a lovely copy of this scarce work in a fine quality binding. The binding is unsigned but is certainly the work of a master bookbinder.