Rare books from Bookfever.com, IOBA

New York:: D. Appleton-Century, , 1933.. Hardcover -. Near fine in near fine dust jacket. The popularity of Seaman's books means that it is uncommon for the earlier titles to be found in dustjacket at all, and it is rare to find a copy with both the book and the dustjacket in such exceptional condition. Spine straight, pages white with no toning, corners sharp, the cream dust jacket with black lettering and illustration has only the very slightest of edgewear, a little rubbing on the folds. (the young lady who kept this book in such good condition did write her name and 1935 on the front endpaper.). 4th printing. Novel originally published in 1926, and set on the remote New Jersey coast. Despite the fact that this had several printings, it remains one of Seaman's more difficult to find titles in any edition. It is also an interesting and popular story which involves 2 shipwrecks - one long ago, and one 18 years before the time of the story - and a lost treasure. Illustrated by C. M.… Read More

Everett, Pennsylvania: : Fantasy Publications, , 1934. . First edition -. Both items are in good only condition with toning to the pages, some wear to the spines. The Marvel Tales has a triangular piece missing from the upper corner of the back cover; the Crawford publication, in yellow wrappers, has some dampstaining to the bottom edge (not noticeable on the front cover), previous owner's name taped onto the title page. . First printing. A very scarce and fragile issue, primarily notable for containing the first appearance of Howard's "The Garden of Fear," the first story in the James Allison series. This second issue of the short-lived Marvel Tales series, published by William L. Crawford (who also owned a printing press) had 3 variant covers - in different colors and on different paper stock: this copy is orange with a green woodcut illustration and black lettering superimposed on the illustration. Mike Ashley in his article on Marvel Tales describes the importance of… Read More

New York:: Grove Press,, (1966.). SIGNED hardcover first edition -. SIGNED by Vidal on the title page. Just about fine in a near fine dustjacket. Uncommon signed. . First printing. Includes both Vidal's rather controversial adaptation and the original play by Duerrenmatt. as well as the original cast list from the Broadway play. "Vidal has supplied a specially-written Preface for this edition of his play, in which he sets forth his reasons for the kind of adaptation he has made. At Mr. Vidal's suggestion, Duerrenmatt's Romulus the Great is given in translation from the original German by Gerhard Nellhaus for the reader who wishes to make his own judgment concerning the merits of the two plays." xv, 165 pp.

San Francisco:: Fearon Publishers,, (1957.). SIGNED hardcover first edition -. Near fine in a near fine photographic dustjacket.. First printing. An unusual work for Ruth Bernard (published just a few years after she moved to San Francisco, where she spent the rest of her life): a photo-essay on San Francisco's cable cars and the people who ride them, narrated by young cable car gripman Melvin Van, with unposed black and white photographs by Bernhard on every page. The first book (written when he was just 25) by the independent African American film director and producer, Melvin Van Peebles. SIGNED on the front endpaper by Bernhard with the words "to one who knows" and dated January 24, 1958. A rather uncommon book, and especially so signed by Bernhard. Slightly oversized format, 10 1/4 inches tall by 7 3/16 inches wide. 78 pp.

New York:: Harper & Brothers,, 1927.. First edition -. Good in illustrated wrappers (some spine slant and creasing to the spine, wear to the edges of the covers) - pencilled notation of June 1st on the first page. . Advance Reading Copy (trade paperback format. ) Very uncommon proof of the first English appearance of this classic novel of a group of Norwegian pioneers and their struggles to build a home in the desolate prairie-land of the American Midwest. Originally published in Norwegian as two books in 1924 and 1925 and translated by Lincoln Colcord and the author. Includes a foreword by Rolvaag, introduction by Lincoln Colcord. xxii, 465 pp.

Boston: : Lee and Shepard Publishers (New York: Chas T. Dillingham),, 1889.. Hardcover first edition -. Good only (some overall wear to the covers, fraying to the sides of the spine, missing rear endpaper, but still sturdy condition.) Very uncommon in the first edition with no copies currently available for sale. . First printing. Classic Civil War novel about an Andersonville prisoner-of-war John Rockwell, who reaches across the "deadline" to pluck a bunch of violets, and about the Southern soldier and prison guard, Jack Foster, who ignores regulations and does not shoot him. When this was first published, almost twenty-five years had passed since the Civil War, but sectarian feelings still ran high on the subject of how prisoners-of-war were treated, and Andersonville, especially, was an example to the North of inhumane treatment. Although there was beginning to be some recognition that neither the North nor the South were blameless, and that it was the nature of the war itself that… Read More

New York:: Dutton,, 1946.. Hardcover first edition -. Very good condition in blue cloth with black lettering on the spine and front cover in a fair dust jacket with dampstaining to the rear cover, a small chip to front cover and other edgewear. (book has gift inscription dated Christmas 1947 on front endpaper, one corner slightly bumped, but overall a tight and clean copy; dust jacket still has original price of 2.00 on flap.) Uncommon in any edition, but quite scarce in dust jacket. . First edition. Classic and very hard to find children's book, the third featuring the delightful little characters of Mr Nip (who resembles a mouse) and Mr Tuck (who looks a bit like a teddy bear and a bit like a cat). In this book, the charming illustrations are by W. C. Nims but are based (with her consent) on the original figures drawn by Lois Lenski. Our two heroes fly over the Great American desert, parachute out, land on a Navaho reservation, watch a Snake dance, visit a trading post and discover the ruins… Read More

New York:: Fleet Publishing Corporation, , (1964.). SIGNED hardcover first edition -. Fair condition only in a fair dustjacket (bumped at several corners, also bumped and dented at bottom center of front cover - hard enough to have created a short split in the board; jacket is price-clipped and has several ragged tears and associated creasing along the bottom edge of the front panel, along with internal tape repairs. . First printing. SIGNED by the book's subject with his birth name, "Cassius Clay" -- a rare signature and especially so in this rather hard-to-find book, the first published biography of the great heavyweight champion. Issued later in the same year in which Clay took the heavyweight crown away from Sonny Liston (in their February 1964 bout), the book includes an account of the turbulent months that followed -- including the new champ's relationship with Malcolm X and his conversion to Islam, the controversy over his draft status, his much-publicized trip to… Read More

New York:: St Martin's,, 1994.. SIGNED hardcover first edition -. Fine in fine dust jacket (appears unread.). First US printing. The hard to find third Rebus mystery, one of the best police detective series currently being written, and notable for its wonderful evocation of Edinburgh. SIGNED by Rankin on the title page. 269 pp.

London:: Macmillan,, (1999). SIGNED hardcover first edition -. Fine in fine dust jacket (appears unread.). First printing. The true first printing of this Kinsey Milhone mystery, issued in a very small hardcover printing in the UK (reportedly only 800 copies) and so quite uncommon. SIGNED on the title page. 351 pp.

New York:: Hudson Hills Press, , (1992). SIGNED hardcover first edition -. Fine in fine dust jackets in a very near fine slipcase. Brochure is near fine. . First printing. Two volume set in a royal blue slipcase. Volume I includes an introductory essay by Ruth E. Fine, color reproductions of 285 lithographs, and 50 color reproductions of self-portrait lithographs, along with detailed information regarding each print. Volume II contains color reproductions of 115 intaglio prints, 21 screen prints, and 8 posters. Volume One is SIGNED by both the artist Sam Francis (on the half title page) and the author (on the title page.) Chronology, selected exhibition history, bibliography, glossary, concordances, and index. Volume I, 412 pp. Volume II, 200 pp. Laid in is a four-fold brochure for the show "The Last Works" held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1995.

Geneva: : Societe Anonyme des editions Sonor, 1922.. First edition -. Fair condition only in the original wrappers (rear cover missing, front cover detached but present, beginning to separate at signatures, stamp of previous owner and underlining on a few pages.) . First edition. Recueil indispensable d'articles de base dus ˆ Ferdinand de Saussure, auteur du fameux Cours de linguistique generale, et dont le role dans l'evolution de la linguistique moderne a ete dŽterminant. En Francais (Text in French) The essential writings by the Swiss scholar who is considered the father of modern linguistics and of semiotics, with a preface by Charles Bailly et LŽopold Gautier, two of his students who were instrumental in publishing posthumously his "Cours de linguistique generale." This work includes papers dating back to 1879 (Memoire sur le systeme primitif des voyelles dans les langues indo-europeennes) and continuing throughout his career. Quite scarce in the first edition.… Read More

London:: Victor Gollancz, Ltd.,, 1946.. Hardcover first edition -. Near fine in a very good dust jacket (some rubbing to the lettering on the spine of the book, tape reinforcement to bottom of dj spine on the interior of the dj, slight chipping to top of spine) Uncommon in the first edition, and especially so in this condition. . First printing. A classic mystery, the third featuring Oxford don Gervase. A Haycraft-Queen Cornerstone title, this is generally considered one of the best mysteries of all time, In 2006 it was named by P. D. James as one of the 5 "most riveting" British mysteries - she commented that "Edmund Crispin is one of the few mystery writers able to combine situation comedy and high spirits with detection." 150 pp.

New York:: Random House,, (1982). SIGNED hardcover -. Near fine in near fine dust jacket (light foxing to fore-edge of textblock, endpapers, and interior of dj, price-clipped) Books signed by Page are quite scarce. . 2nd printing. A reissue of a classic by one of the most famous landscape gardeners of the 20th century. This describes the author's training and the development of his many celebrated gardens. . . he designed gardens all over the world, from Leeds Castle in Kent to the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Garden at the Pepsi Cola Headquarters in New York, as well as in France, his home for many years. Page was considered the great English garden designer of the 20th century, known for mastering the art of conjuring vast spaces, and creating formal gardens within informal contexts. Originally published in 1962 this edition includes a new preface, and some unpublished pictures from Page's files. Illustrated. SIGNED on the half title page and dated in 1983. Illustrated. Index 382 pp.

New York:: Thomas Y. Crowell,, 1974.. Hardcover first edition -. Very near fine in orange boards over a black spine in a near fine dustjacket (original price of $4.95 still present on dj).. First US printing. A hard to find first edition of this delightful book on the art of ikebana (which Munari translates as "a flower with love"). It is written for children, but appealing to all ages, giving instructions and ideas for creating your own arrangements from simple natural objects selected with care and put together with love. Illustrated with full-page full color photographs and small sketches showing the items used in each arrangement. Translated by Patricia Tracy Lowe. Small square quarto, unpaginated.