Strictly Personal ( Gore Vidal's Copy ) by Maugham, W. Somerset - 1941

Leipzig: Bernard Tauchnitz, 1891. Hardcover. Fine condition.. The Tauchnitz Edition published in 27 volumes over a six year period between the years 1885 -1891. This set is beautifully bound in the publisher's uncommon half tan calf with marbled boards and end papers. Condition is excellent. Occupies 21 inches (53 cm) on the shelf. Height of each volume is 6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm). Picture available on request.

London: Brandbury & Evans, 1857. 1st. Paperback. Very Good. W. M. Thackeray. 1857-59. The original twenty-four numbered parts in the original yellow wrappers in publisher's crushed morocco solander case. Illustrated yellow paper covers, with the fourty-eight etched plates and woodcut vignettes in the text, all after drawings by the author; the original yellow pictorial wrappers a little soiled and frayed, otherwise very good condition.

London: James R. Osgood McIlvaine, 1891.. Small quarto. Gilt green cloth backed cream cloth over boards, elaborately decorated in gilt and red. Plates, illustrations and decorated endsheets. Binding a bit darkened, with some pale discolorations at edge, 1895 ownership signature on preliminary blank, corners a trifle worn, the plates by Shannon somewhat faded (as usual) but still legible, a few small nicks and a short tear to the edges of the front free endsheet but a good, sound copy, a few leaves unopened. First edition. Design, illustrations and decorations by C. Ricketts and C. Shannon, with plates by the latter. One of one thousand copies printed. Mason/Millard gives an account of the circumstances which led to the faint state of the Shannon plates. Contains four short stories: "The Young King" (which first appeared in THE LADY'S PICTORIAL, Christmas Number, 1888), "The Birthday of the Infanta" (which first appeared in PARIS ILLUSTRÉ, March 30, 1889), "The Fisherman and His Soul," and "The… Read More

London: A.H.Baily and Co., 83 Cornhill, 1834. 1st Edition . Half leather. Very Good. First edition, octavo, three volumes; xx, 288; 311; 308pp. In contemporary half calf over marbled boards (with light wear only), spines divided into five compartments by double gilt fillets, gilt lettered titles and volume numbers to second and fourth compartments respectively, all page edges marbled, half titles present, small bookselller's and early ownership labels to front pastedowns, very minor loss to front pastedown of volume three probably through label removal, light creasing to first few pages of volume three, unobtrusive spotting to opening and closing leaves of each volume, overall a very good clean copy. Hood's only novel was published the same year as the abolition of slavery and is centered on Walter Tyrell, born in St.Kitts and raised in Georgian society by Sir Mark Tyrell with all the trials and tribulations of racial prejudice this brings. An attractive copy in uncommon first edition of this… Read More

Longmans, Green, and Co. London and Bombay. 1902. FIRST EDITION. Colonial Issue. 8vo. (7.4 x 5.3 inches). Illustrated with sixteen mono plates by Sidney Paget. Tisue guard to the frontispiece. A few of the plates are bound in different places than listed on the contents page but all are present. 4 pages of publishers adverts for the colonial library at the rear of the book. The text and illustrations are fine, clean and bright throughout and look unread. Publishers decorative green cloth which has dark blue illustration to the front board and spine. Gilt lettering to the spine. Decorative light blue and white floral endpapers with ship and swan designs. There are a couple of small closed tears to the spine and the cloth is a bit rubbed and bumped and has a few small marks but is generally in very good condition with the gilt on the spine still quite bright. Previous owner's small typed name label on the plain verso of the front free endpaper, reading H. B. Rattray. This is almost certainly Captain… Read More

Geneva: Apud Eustache Vignon, 1596.. Hardcover. Good. Thick quarto. Four volumes bound in one. With no separate title-pages to volumes II-IV. I: [iv]ff., 436cols.; II: 958cols.; III: 636cols.; IV: 714cols.; Index and Privilege - 40ff. I: 4, A4-O4, P2; II : aa8-zz8, Aa8-Gg8; III: a8-v8; IV: Aa8-Yy8, Zz4 ; Index & Privilege: A8-E8. Last leaf, E8, is blank and lacking. Engraved title-page. In a contemporary vellum binding.

London: James R. Osgood McIlvaine, 1891.. Small quarto. Gilt green cloth backed cream cloth over boards, elaborately decorated in gilt and red. Plates, illustrations and decorated endsheets. Binding a bit darkened, with some pale discolorations at edge, 1895 ownership signature on preliminary blank, corners a trifle worn, the plates by Shannon somewhat faded (as usual) but still legible, a few small nicks and a short tear to the edges of the front free endsheet but a good, sound copy, a few leaves unopened. First edition. Design, illustrations and decorations by C. Ricketts and C. Shannon, with plates by the latter. One of one thousand copies printed. Mason/Millard gives an account of the circumstances which led to the faint state of the Shannon plates. Contains four short stories: "The Young King" (which first appeared in THE LADY'S PICTORIAL, Christmas Number, 1888), "The Birthday of the Infanta" (which first appeared in PARIS ILLUSTRÉ, March 30, 1889), "The Fisherman and His Soul," and "The… Read More

LONDON, H PLAYFORD, 1694. THE SECOND EDITION, 58 PAGES. ...AS IS ACTED AT THE THEATRE ROYAL, BY HIS MAJESTY'S SERVANTS. VERY NICELY BOUND IN MODERN (1934) FULL BROWN LEATHER. NEW ENDPAPERS, BOOKPLATE TO FRONT PASTEDOWN. BROWNING OF PAGES COMENSURATE WITH THE AGE. FINE BINDING WITH A FEW MARKS TO THE LEATHER. VERY SCARCE.

London: A.H.Baily and Co., 83 Cornhill, 1834. 1st Edition . Half leather. Very Good. First edition, octavo, three volumes; xx, 288; 311; 308pp. In contemporary half calf over marbled boards (with light wear only), spines divided into five compartments by double gilt fillets, gilt lettered titles and volume numbers to second and fourth compartments respectively, all page edges marbled, half titles present, small bookselller's and early ownership labels to front pastedowns, very minor loss to front pastedown of volume three probably through label removal, light creasing to first few pages of volume three, unobtrusive spotting to opening and closing leaves of each volume, overall a very good clean copy. Hood's only novel was published the same year as the abolition of slavery and is centered on Walter Tyrell, born in St.Kitts and raised in Georgian society by Sir Mark Tyrell with all the trials and tribulations of racial prejudice this brings. An attractive copy in uncommon first edition of this… Read More

Longmans, Green, and Co. London and Bombay. 1902. FIRST EDITION. Colonial Issue. 8vo. (7.4 x 5.3 inches). Illustrated with sixteen mono plates by Sidney Paget. Tisue guard to the frontispiece. A few of the plates are bound in different places than listed on the contents page but all are present. 4 pages of publishers adverts for the colonial library at the rear of the book. The text and illustrations are fine, clean and bright throughout and look unread. Publishers decorative green cloth which has dark blue illustration to the front board and spine. Gilt lettering to the spine. Decorative light blue and white floral endpapers with ship and swan designs. There are a couple of small closed tears to the spine and the cloth is a bit rubbed and bumped and has a few small marks but is generally in very good condition with the gilt on the spine still quite bright. Previous owner's small typed name label on the plain verso of the front free endpaper, reading H. B. Rattray. This is almost certainly Captain… Read More