Search Results: Authors starting with M from The Plantagenet King

Cassell and Company Ltd.  London: Cassell and Company, Limited, 1932 8vo., original publisher's black cloth, ruled, decorated and lettered in gilt to spine; pp. [vi], vii-xi, [i], 587, [i]; together with black and white photograph frontispiece portrait; a few light spots and marks to edges and margins; corners and spine ends pushed; a very good copy, otherwise.  First edition.  Compton Mackenzie was a celebrated writer at the start of the Great War when he was recruited by the British Secret Services to run the Aegean Intelligence component of what later became known as MI6. These Greek Memories, a memoir of his time in the country, were published in 1932, and quickly sparked outrage for his exposure of secret documents naming agents in the field. Mackenzie was prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act, and the book was swiftly recalled, with all remaining copies destroyed. By the time it was republished, a number of dangerous passages had been omitted, making this, the… Read More

Ebury Press. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse [and] The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse. The Animated Story.  London: Ebury Press, 2019 [and] London: Ebury Press, 2022 4to., 2 vols. The first bound in decorative boards backed in maroon cloth; lettered in gilt to spine with pale gold marker; decorative musical stave endpapers; printed and illustrated throughout with drawings in line and colour by Macksey; [unpaginated]; a couple of very small marks and dents to boards, internally clean, a near-fine copy; Vol II in decorative boards lettered in gilt; similar musical endpapers, and new illustration in full colour by the author; also [unpaginated]; a couple of small scratches to lower board, else fine.  First editions both. Volume I is the true first, specially printed for Waterstones, with Maroon spine and full number line 1-10. Volume II is the first edition of the Animated Story, first impression, signed by the author with a kiss to the ffep. Loosely laid in are several… Read More

Harper / Voyager. London: Harper / Voyager (1996-2011). A complete run of first UK editions. all volumes uniformally large 8vo., 1) A Game of Thrones (1996) original red cloth boards, with gilt lettering to the spine, with the original dust jacket; pp. [viii] 694 [i]; A very good or better copy. Mild rubbing to the spine ends. Pages have started to yellow to the edges. A smart copy. 2) A Clash of Kings (1998) blue cloth with gilt to spine; pp [x] 741; a near fine copy. only very mild handling wear. 3) A Storm of Swords (2000) blue cloth with gilt to the spine; pp. [xvi] 973 [ii]; A very good or better copy. The corner of the upper spine has been pushed. A handful of the preliminary pages have a crease to the side text block. 4) A Feast for Crows (2005) red boards, with gilt; pp. [x] 753 [xxi]; A fine copy. 5) A Dance with Dragons (2011)  Black boards with silver on the spine; pp 1016; a near fine copy. The text block has bowed forward due to the weight of the… Read More

David Bruce& Watson. The UK first edition published by David Bruce & Watson in 1974. This is a very good or better copy. The jacket has scuff marks to the top of the spine and some edge wear to the top of the front panel. The Bill Botten designed jacket is not price clipped. The book is excellent with no obvious wear to speak of.  Post Apocalyptic horror that was first published in the US in 1954. This UK first edition published later, is also rare. Influential in the development of Zombie and Vampire fiction, a number of films have been adapted based on the novel, including in 2007 a film of the same name starring Will Smith.   . Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 1974.

William Heinemann. First edition published by William Heinemann in 1932. This is a stunning very near fine copy. The remarkable jacket, illustrated by Youngman Carter has very little wear at all. There is a tiny amount of wear to the bottom of the spine, the spine is toned and there are a couple of light creases to the inside flap. The book has a smattering of foxing marks but otherwise is in excellent condition. There is a very small previous booksellers label on the inside board. The book is in exceptional condition and for this reason is very rare.   . Near Fine. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 1932.

William Heinemann. First trade edition published by William Heinemann in 1912. The play made its debut on the stage in 1903. Maugham got 150 copies of his play printed in 1903 to give it out on opening night and as working copies for the actors. This first trade edition appeared in 1912 in wraps and this hardback edition. This copy is in very good condition. The boards have a couple of bumps along the right hand side edge of the front board. The spine is faded. There is a light mark to the front board. Otherwise the boards and pages are clean and there are no other marks, bookplates, foxing or ink. It is at least a very good copy overall. The author, W. Somerset Maugham has inscribed to the front free end paper "For Robert Loraine, from his friend the author". Robert Bilcliffe Loraine was a stage actor and producer. He appeared in one of Somerset Maugham's plays "Smith" in 1909 and from the inscription seemed to be on very good terms with him. Loraine would also go on… Read More

Methuen. First edition published by Methuen in 1929. A near fine copy. The wrapper is complete with no loss. It is not price clipped with the correct price displayed on the spine of 5/- net. There is the odd dirt mark to the front panel but overall it is remarkably clean and more so than is usually found. The spine is without any browning at all. The book has a neat contemporary inscription. There is the odd foxing mark and patch of browning but again overall it is in excellent condition.  Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne's play based on The Wind in the Willows. On the inside flap Milne says "Theres enough of Kenneth Grahame in it to appease his many admirers, and enough of me in it to justify my name on the title page". Toad, Mole, Rat and Badger all make an appearance.   . Near Fine. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 1929.

Methuen. First edition published by Methuen & Co. Ltd in 1927. This is a near fine copy. The wrapper is in great shape and displays the correct price on the spine of 7/6 net. The spine is toned however not as much as is usually found. The is very little if any loss but there are small tears to the top left hand corner of the front panel and to the bottom of the lower fold corner. The boards of the book are bright and clean with no marks. The gilt motif to the panel and the lettering on the spine are bright. The pages are clean and without marks. It is a highly collectible copy and rare with these attributes. The third title from author Milne to feature Winnie the Pooh with decorations from Ernest Shepard.  . Near Fine. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 1927.

Sceptre. London: Sceptre (2004) large 8vo., Dark red publisher's boards lettered in light blue to spine; unclipped dust wrapper (£16.99); pp. 340; a near fine copy. The spine of the dust wrapper is a shade faded with very minor handling wear. A lovely copy. First edition. Signed by David Mitchell without dedication to the title page. The author's third and most well known novel. Adapted into a film in 2012 starring Tom Hanks. . Near Fine. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 2004.

Kaye & Ward. First edition published by Kaye & Ward in 1982. This is a very good copy. Issued without a dust wrapper and rare as quite a few of the first print copies went to libraries. This copy has a small bump to the top corner of the upper board. The back board has two chips to the laminate where a previous owner has attempted to take the price sticker off. The pages are very clean, without marks, ink or stamps. Overall a collectible copy.  Cover design by Victor Ambrus. The classic great war story about a young horse called Joey being sent to the western front in France. It was adapted to the big screen by Steven Spielberg in 2011.  . Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 1982.

Jonathan Cape. 8vo., two-tone cloth, spine in green, lettered in gilt with publisher's device to foot; upper edge stained red; textured endpapers; in the printed dust jacket (30s. net), with a photograph of the author to the lower panel; pp. [vi], 7-252, [iv]; a fine copy, the foot of spine perhaps a fraction knocked; in the very good dust jacket which is a little rubbed to spine tips. First edition of the author's first book, this copy complete with a card signed by the author in blue ink, with his photograph pasted to the lower corner. A previous owner has written a short bio in pencil to the verso. Morris, formally the curator of Mammals at London Zoo, first published The Naked Ape as a series of articles in The Daily Mirror. Because of its focus on man's sexual selection in human evolution, the book was perhaps unsurprisingly banned by certain schools in America, and even became the subject of a U.S. Supreme Court Case. The work has since been translated into 23 languages. .… Read More

The Cresset Press. London: The Cresset Press, 1947 8vo., red publisher's cloth, titles gilt to spine and upper board; preserved in the pictorial dust jacket (12/6 net); pp. [iv], v-x, [ii], 3-224, [ii]; with frontis and a further 14 black and white photographs of various scenes around Japan; a very good copy, slight dulling to title and small damp mark to lower corner of both boards, causing minor discolouration to the cloth; a couple of small spots internally, the jacket slightly browned along backstrip, with minor shelf wear, marking, and nicking; also very good.  First edition. A handsome presentation copy, inscribed to Sir Philip Gibbs: "To Sir  Philip Gibbs - from a life-long admirer of 'The Street of Adventure' - John Morris 27.7.57 '' Also loosely tipped-in is a letter, presumably sent at the same time, from Morris to Gibbs. Written on Broadcasting House headed newspaper (although sent from his home address as written below) Morris refers ro a lunch… Read More

Barrie & Jenkins. Large 8vo., blue publisher's boards, backstrip lettered in gilt with publisher's device to foot; unclipped pictorial dust jacket (£12.95 net) designed by David Fordham, with an illustration by Terry Pastor; [vi], 7-207, [i]; a couple of small spots to prelims and upper edge, else a fine copy in like jacket, perhaps a touch sunned, with a couple of miniscule marks to the lower flap. First edition, signed and dated by the author in blue ink to the title page. A series of short essays exploring the numerous experiences of this much-celebrated writer, and encompassing biography, travel, history and much more. Described by some as her second volume of autobiography following the success of Conundrum (1974), and with the former concentrating on gender identity and her transition from James to Jan, this book focuses on her passions, desires, and idiosyncrasies, with subjects ranging from the smell of books to her imaginary affair with a long-dead Admiral and, of… Read More

Faber & Faber. 8vo., red cloth with gilt device to upper board, and lettered in gilt to spine; blue printed dust jacket (price clipped); pp. [viii], 9-337, [iii]; frontis drawings of various boats by Gerry Facey, proliferated throughout with black and white photographs of the city, as well as two maps; a fine copy, lightly compressed at spine ends; in very good dust jacket, creased and rubbed along the spine and folds, with very slight loss of colour in places. First edition. The rare first issue, in the correct first issue jacket, without the later publisher's reviews. Described by the publisher as 'A Love Letter to Italy's most iconic city', and arguably Morris' most famous work, Venice is part historical guide, part memoir, and part essay. Morris first visited Venice during the second world war with the British Army, and for two months was responsible for running all of the requisitioned motor boats out of the city before continuing on with the regiment to Egypt and… Read More

Faber & Faber. First editions published by Faber and Faber between 1968 to 1978. The first volume published is the second in the series : Pax Britannica (1968), the first in the series is : Heavens Command (1973) followed by Farewell the Trumpets (1978). This is a near fine set.  Jan Morris' masterworks - a three volume epic run through of the history of the British Empire including an in depth look at the East India Company and post colonialism. Highly regarded works, they are becoming increasingly rare to find as first editions and as a set. . Near Fine. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 1968.