Search Results: Authors starting with D from Peter Harrington

Edinburgh., 1850. Large and accurate map of Asia in two parts, north and south. Although aspects of the map are in a copperplate style, the degree of detail and the date suggest this is a steel engraving. Lizars illustrated natural history books, and also engraved bank notes Steel engraving. Original colour. Very good condition, good margins Size: 87 x 77 cm. MacKenzie, British Prints

Paris: Rigaud,, 1716. The first female translator of Homer First Dacier edition, in a beautiful contemporary French binding decorated with small gilt shell tools. Dacier's celebrated translation into French of the Odyssey is considered her "crowning achievement" (Folger, p. 34) alongside her equally successful translation of the Iliad (1711). The only daughter of the noted Hellenist Tanneguy Lefèvre, Anne Dacier (c.1654-1720) began translating classical works from an early age, beginning with Callimachus and progressing to versions of the poems of Anacreon and Sappho. She was a staunch champion of Homer in the Ancients and Moderns debate, in which she defended his works against what she saw as the contemporary decline in standards of taste. Despite literary feuds with Antoine Houdar de la Motte and Thémiseul de Saint-Hyacinthe, and her differences in particular with Alexander Pope, with whom she fundamentally disagreed on how best to approach translating Homer, Dacier was held in high regard by her… Read More

Paris: Denys Thierry,, 1681. When I look at you even for a short time, it is no longer possible for me to speak First edition of the first translation of Sappho by a woman, paired with her version of Anacreon, in a contemporary binding and complete with the often-lacking frontispiece. Prior to Dacier, Louise Labé in France and Gaspara Stampa in Italy published poetic imitations of Sappho, but Dacier was the first woman to translate the poems themselves into any modern language. The only daughter of the noted Hellenist Tanneguy Lefèvre, Anne Dacier (c.1654-1720) translated classical works from an early age, beginning with Callimachus and progressing to Anacreon and Sappho. "By choosing to translate Anacreon and Sappho into French, instead of presenting them with a Latin translation, as her father did, Anne Le Fèvre was seeking to introduce these two authors to a larger audience. That is indeed what she says in her preface to Anacreon, specifying that she is particularly thinking about women: 'By… Read More

Kansas City: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Company,, 1903. The Boxer Rebellion, as recounted by America's last Union general First edition, first printing, familial association copy, with the ownership signature of the author's daughter Helen Daggett Patterson (1881-1970) on the front free endpaper. Patterson subsequently passed this copy to Trevor Washington Swett Jr, a US Army colonel; his ownership inscription is below her signature. Aaron Daggett (1837-1938) was appointed brivet brigadier general by Andrew Johnson in February 1866, having served with distinction during the Civil War. Following service in the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War, he was appointed brigadier general in the regular army in 1900, leading the 14th Infantry Regiment during the Boxer Rebellion. By his death, he was the last surviving high-ranking officer to have fought on the Union side. His account describes American and allied troop movements in China, as well as day-to-day experiences of battle and the conduct of key… Read More

Harmondsworth: Viking,, 1986. Presentation copy First edition, first impression. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Colin, Love Roald". The recipient was Colin Ross-Munro. Colin's wife, Jan, was an old friend of Dahl's second wife, Liccy. Two Fables was published in honour of Dahl's 70th birthday. Octavo. Original black boards, titles to spine gilt. With dust jacket. Colour frontispiece and black and white illustrations in the text. Small bump to spine, small mark to foot of rear endpapers, an excellent copy in the jacket with slight rubbing to extremities, small crease to front panel near spine, small mark to foot of rear panel.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1984. First Quentin Blake edition, first impression, following the edition which was illustrated by Rosemary Fawcett the year prior. This Dahl collection of poetry about animals comprises "The Pig", "The Crocodile", "The Lion", "The Scorpion", "The Ant-Eater", "The Porcupine", "The Cow", "The Toad and the Snail", and "The Tummy Beast". Quarto. Original illustrated boards lettered in black and brown, blue endpapers. No dust jacket issued. Colour illustrations by Quentin Blake. A fine copy.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1981. Uncorrected proof copy with provisional publication details on the front wrapper. Proof copies of Dahl's books published by Cape are becoming scarce. Jeremy Treglown found that the book "owes something to a circus act or a Punch and Judy show" and notes that Quentin Blake "lightens things by visually reminding the reader both how small George is, and... how lonely and innocent" (p. 229). A contemporary review noted that, "For some time now Roald Dahl has been the most popular living novelist that we have for children, despite, or sometimes possibly because of, lapses in taste... George's Marvellous Medicine is a good example of this ability he has to entertain the young often at the cost of offending many of the other sort". Octavo. Original orange wrappers, lettering in black, publisher's device repeated in black. Illustrated throughout by Quentin Blake. Spine slightly rubbed, minor closed tear to front wrapper: a very good copy. Times Literary Supplement, 24 July 1981,… Read More

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1983. First edition, first impression. This volume collects 14 of Roald Dahl's favourite ghost stories, including "W.S." by L. P. Hartley, "The Corner Shop" by Cynthia Asquith, "Afterward" by Edith Wharton, "On the Brighton Road" by Richard Middleton, and "The Upper Berth" by F. Marion Crawford. Octavo. Original black boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. Slight foxing to edges; head and foot of jacket spine a little rubbed, issued without printed price; a near-fine jacket in like jacket.

London: Michael Joseph,, 1979. Presentation copy First edition, first impression. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "Jan & Colin, Love Roald 1979". The recipients were Jan and Colin Ross-Munro. Jan, an art historian who regularly lectured at the Victoria and Albert Museum, was a close friend of Dahl's second wife, Liccy. Octavo. Original dark blue boards, spine lettered gilt. With dust jacket. Spine gently rolled, small bump to lower fore tip of front board, an excellent copy in the jacket with slight creasing to extremities, small nick to foot of front flap.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf,, 1961. A signed copy of the author's first book for children First edition, first printing, with the five-line colophon, signed by the author on the front free endpaper. An early advert for the book stated "one is tempted to say that not since Alice has there been such a wonderland. The difference is that James is all boy and what transpires in the story is anything but Victorian". The publisher wrote to Dahl on 5 July 1960 stating "If this doesn't become a little classic, I can only say that I think you will not have been dealt with justly" (Treglown, p. 124). Described as "rude, naughty, anti-adult, creepy, and sometimes cruel" (ODNB), James and the Giant Peach was adapted into a film of the same name in 1996, which was nominated for the Academy Award for "Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score" the following year. There have been numerous stage adaptations and one musical version of the book. Quarto. Original red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, design to front cover… Read More

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1989. Uncorrected proof copy with provisional details on front wrappers, signed by Quentin Blake on a slip laid down to the title page. Proof copies of Dahl's books published by Cape are becoming scarce. The proof features the poems in a different order to the published first edition, together with a different dedication ("For Clover and Luke"). "The marvellously dastardly Dahl has joined forces with that bounder Blake to plunder a wealth of nursery heritage for the delight of the older reader in this wonderful addition to the literature of the absurd" (first edition jacket blurb). Octavo. Original orange wrappers, lettering in black, publisher's device repeated in black. Illustrated throughout by Quentin Blake. Extremities a little worn, some minor soiling to wrappers, spine a little sunned: a very good copy.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1981. First edition, first impression. Jeremy Treglown found that the book "owes something to a circus act or a Punch and Judy show" and notes that Quentin Blake "lightens things by visually reminding the reader both how small George is, and... how lonely and innocent" (p. 229). A contemporary review noted that, "For some time now Roald Dahl has been the most popular living novelist that we have for children, despite, or sometimes possibly because of, lapses in taste... George's Marvellous Medicine is a good example of this ability he has to entertain the young often at the cost of offending many of the other sort". Octavo. Original light blue boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. Illustrated throughout by Quentin Blake. Head of spine very slightly bumped, minor foxing to fore edge; light surface scoring and creases to clipped jacket, some corners rubbed: a near-fine copy in a very good jacket. Times Literary Supplement, 24 July 1981, p. 839; Jeremy Treglown, Roald… Read More

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1984. First edition, first impression. In his autobiographical collection of stories from childhood, Dahl comments on his fondness for confectionery, his Norwegian ancestry, and his loathing for most schoolteachers. Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in gilt, photographic collage endpapers. With dust jacket. Line drawings and photographic illustrations in the text. Bump to spine ends; unclipped, lightly creased jacket with occasional nick: a near-fine copy in very good jacket.

London: Hamish Hamilton,, 1946. The author's first adult book First UK edition, first impression, presentation copy, inscribed "E. K. / [diagonal line] / R. D. / March '47" on front free endpaper. This collection of stories, based on his experiences in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, was Dahl's second book, his first of short stories and his first for adults. The US edition was published earlier the same year. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. Bookplate to front pastedown. Extremities a little bumped, spine lightly sunned; some minor loss to extremities of slightly toned dust jacket, unclipped, a few adhesive tape repairs to reverse: a very good copy in a very good dust jacket.

London: Michael Joseph,, 1989. First edition, first impression, collecting seven stories written in the Buckinghamshire countryside setting that Dahl called home. He notes in his preface that the stories were composed in the late 1940s and that "rereading them again now fills me with acute nostalgia and with vivid memories of those sweet days many years ago". Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in silver. With dust jacket. Line drawings by John Lawrence. Spine ends bumped, foxing to edges, text mildly toned; bright, price-clipped jacket with occasional crease: a very good copy in near-fine jacket.

London: Michael Joseph,, 1960. First UK edition, first impression. Kiss Kiss was originally published in the US earlier the same year and contains 11 of Dahl's short stories for adults, including "The Champion of the World", which the author would later develop into Danny, The Champion of the World. Octavo. Original green cloth, spine lettered in gilt, top edge pink. With dust jacket. Extremities a little bumped and sunned, slight foxing to edges; extremities of unclipped jacket worn with minor loss, spine toned: a very good copy in like jacket.

London: Puffin Books,, 2004. First edition, first impression, of this alphabetical primer to Dahl's life and books by Wendy Cooling, the founder of the children's reading charity Bookstart. Square octavo. Original dark purple boards, spine lettered in silver, red endpapers. With dust jacket. Line drawings by Quentin Blake. Unclipped jacket spine partially sunned, panels and flaps bright, light edge creasing: a fine copy in very good jacket.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf,, 1964. First edition, finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery with multi-coloured title onlay to front board First edition, first printing, with the six-line colophon on the last page (this was cut to five in all subsequent printings). This US edition precedes the English by three years. Octavo. Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in purple morocco, spine lettered in gilt, decorative multi-coloured title and chocolate bar inlay to front board, twin rule to turn-ins, dark green endpapers, edges gilt. A fine copy. Grolier Children's 100, 98.

London: George Allen & Unwin Limited,, 1970. First UK edition, first impression. The US edition was published earlier the same year as the UK edition. The present edition was issued without a dust jacket. Fantastic Mr Fox formed the basis for Wes Anderson's 2009 film of the same name and has been successfully adapted into both a stage play and an opera. Octavo. Original laminated pictorial boards, titles to spine and front cover in red and black. With numerous in-text and full-page illustrations by Donald Chaffin. Gift inscription to front free endpaper dated Christmas 1971. Head of spine slightly bumped, covers bright, occasional foxing: a very good copy.

London: George Allen & Unwin Limited,, 1970. First UK edition, first impression. The US edition was published earlier the same year. Fantastic Mr Fox formed the basis for Wes Anderson's 2009 film of the same name and has been successfully adapted into both a stage play and an opera. Octavo. Original laminated pictorial boards, titles to front cover and spine in red and black. Without dust jacket, as issued. With numerous in-text and full-page illustrations by Donald Chaffin. Head and foot of spine slightly bumped, corners bumped, crease to rear cover, minor dents to top edge of covers, corner of front free endpaper excised, some minor soiling but generally clean: a very good copy.