BLOOD MERIDIAN, INSCRIBED BY CORMAC MCCARTHY

MCCARTHY, Cormac. Blood Meridian. New York, 1985.

First edition of McCarthy’s mythic vision of the American West, inscribed by him on the title page, "For G— V— with best wishes Cormac McCarthy." $35,000.

“THE HIGHEST POINT IN ENGLISH BIBLE PRINTING”

(BIBLE). Holy Bible Containing the Old Testament and the New. Cambridge, 1763.

First Baskerville edition, one of only 1250 copies, this copy extra-illustrated with eight plates from the 1769 Baskerville edition, in a striking contemporary binding with green morocco onlays to the boards. $20,000.

INSCRIBED BY ROWLING

ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. London, 1998.

First edition, first printing, of the second book in the phenomenally successful Harry Potter series, inscribed by J.K. Rowling on the dedication page, "to Ben (again!) hope you like this as much—happy reading anyway! J.K. Rowling." $16,000.

"ENDEAVOR TO IMITATE THE WISE"

CONFUCIUS. Morals of Confucius, a Chinese Philosopher. London, 1691.

Scarce true first edition in English of any of Confucius' writings, in a handsome mottled calf binding. $15,000.

“SOCRATES WAS THE FIRST TO CALL PHILOSOPHY DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS” (CICERO)

(SOCRATES) XENOPHON. Memorable Things of Socrates. London, 1712.

First edition in English of Xenophon’s “extensive and valuable” Memorabilia of Socrates, a work of seminal impact on philosophy and America’s Founding Fathers, with Jefferson praising it as absolutely “genuine” in its view of Socrates, and Franklin emphasizing its influence in his Autobiography where he writes, at about age 16, of discovering the Socratic Method when he “procur’d Xenophon’s Memorable Things of Socrates.” $12,500.

"A GREAT SLOB OF A MAN IN VIOLENT REVOLT AGAINST THE ENTIRE 20TH CENTURY"

TOOLE, John Kennedy. Confederacy of Dunces. Baton Rouge and London, 1980.

First edition of Toole's posthumously published, Pulitzer Prize-winning satirical novel—"nothing less than a grand comic fugue"—one of only 2500 copies printed, signed on the title page by novelist Walker Percy, who was instrumental in bringing the work to publication and who wrote the foreword. $9200.

“THE SAME RELIGIOUS FORCE AS THE BIBLE ITSELF”

CHAGALL, Marc. Drawings for the Bible. New York, 1960.

Rare first American edition of Chagall’s second series of illustrations for the Bible, with 96 black-and-white heliogravures, as well as 24 color lithographs prepared by Chagall especially for the present work and printed by Mourlot Frères. $7500.

"CREDITORS HAVE BETTER MEMORIES THAN DEBTORS"

FRANKLIN, Benj[amin]. Way to Wealth. Paris, 1795.

Rare Paris printing of one of Franklin's most famous works, the first edition in English of Franklin's Way to Wealth to be published in France, featuring a frontispiece portrait of Franklin engraved by Tardieu after Duplessis. $7500.

“A REVELATION OF WHAT AN HISTORICAL NOVEL COULD BE”

HUGO, Victor. Hunchback of Notre Dame. London, 1833.

Second edition in English, published within months of the first edition, and the first edition with the title of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with engraved frontispiece portrait and additional engraved title page. $6500.

"JUST ABOUT PERFECT, AND JUST MAGICAL IN THE WAY IT IS DONE" (EUDORA WELTY)

WHITE, E.B. Charlotte's Web. New York, 1952.

First edition of one of the most delightful and beloved children's books, a cornerstone of any collection of modern children's literature. $6500.

"ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS 20TH-CENTURY BOOKS OF ALL… A MUST"

ELIOT, T.S. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. London, 1939.

First edition of one of T.S. Eliot's most popular books, one of only 3005 copies printed, in the original dust jacket designed and drawn by Eliot. $6000.

MANDEVILLE'S TRAVELS, 1725

MANDEVILLE, John. Travels of Sir John Mandeville. London, 1725.

First edition, first issue, large paper copy, one of only 350 copies printed, of the definitive English translation of a fantastical medieval travel narrative that helped shape European thought on the Near, Middle and Far East. $5000.

THE SUNDIAL, INSCRIBED BY SHIRLEY JACKSON

JACKSON, Shirley. Sundial. New York, 1958.

First edition of Jackson’s bleakly satirical novel, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper: "For Eleanor and Franklin, affectionately, Shirley." $4200.

LE GALLIENNE'S RUBAIYAT, IN A LAVISH BUMPUS BINDING

(LE GALLIENNE, Richard) KHAYYAM, Omar. Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. London, 1908.

Early edition of Le Gallienne's reworking of the Fitzgerald translation, beautifully bound by Bumpus. $3800.

"BUT THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES IN HUMAN MISERY AND THINGS CAN ALWAYS GET WORSE"

MCCARTHY, Cormac. Suttree. New York, 1979.

First edition of McCarthy’s celebrated, searing, semi-autobiographical novel—"like a good, long scream in the ear." $3500.

“IT IS AN ISLE UNDER IONIAN SKIES, BEAUTIFUL AS A WRECK OF PARADISE…”

SHELLEY, Percy Bysshe. Poems of Shelley. London, 1900.

Lovely volume of Shelley’s poems, in a delicately beautiful floral binding by Ramage. $3200.

"WITH ALL MY NUTCRACKING LOVE!"

LANES, Selma G. Art of Maurice Sendak. New York, 1980.

First edition of the first major retrospective of the acclaimed artist-author’s career, with 261 illustrations, including 94 color plates and an original Sendak pop-up, inscribed by him: “With all my nutcracking love! Maurice Nov. 84," with a superb original sketch of the nutcracker from his well-known illustrations for E.T.A. Hoffman's classic tale. $3200.

"IF THERE IS ANY REAL SIN IN THE CULINARY UNIVERSE, IT IS THE SIN OF SNOBBERY"

BOURDAIN, Anthony; MEIRELLES, Jose de; LAJAUNIE, Philippe. Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook. New York, 2004.

First edition of the chef, author and travel documentarian's Les Halles Cookbook, detailing techniques of more than 100 recipes for fundamental French dishes from soup au vin to foie de veau Lyonnaise, boldly inscribed on the title page by Bourdain: "To Rosemary, Anthony Bourdain," with the author's signature kitchen knife sketch. $2200.

“HE FELL IN OCTOBER 1918, ON A DAY THAT WAS SO QUIET AND SO STILL… THAT THE ARMY REPORT CONFINED ITSELF TO THE SINGLE SENTENCE”

REMARQUE, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. Boston, 1929.

First American edition, published in the same year as the first German book edition and the first London edition, of Remarque's starkly realistic classic, a landmark novel of the 20th century. $2200.

“…FOR THEN WE WOULD KNOW THE MIND OF GOD”

HAWKING, Stephen. Brief History of Time. London, (1988).

First edition, first British issue, of Hawking’s popular treatment of quantum physics. $2000.

SIGNED BY TONI MORRISON

MORRISON, Toni. Beloved. New York, 1987.

First edition of Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning story of escaped slave Sethe and her relationship with a "disturbing, mesmerizing intruder who calls herself Beloved," signed on the half title by Morrison. $1700.

ALIEN, SIGNED BY ALAN DEAN FOSTER

FOSTER, Alan Dean. Alien. New York, 1979.

First hardcover edition (this Science Fiction Book Club edition preceded the trade edition), signed on the title page by Alan Dean Foster. $1500.

"THEY'RE HERE": NOVELIZATION OF POLTERGEIST, SIGNED BY AUTHOR JAMES KAHN

KAHN, James. Poltergeist. (New York), (1982).

First hardcover edition of the novelization of Poltergeist, based on the screenplay by Steven Spielberg, signed by author James Kahn on the title page. $1500.

“HOW CAN WE KNOW THE DANCER FROM THE DANCE?”

YEATS, William Butler. Tower. London, 1928.

First edition of this "peak in English poetry," one of only 2000 copies printed, in handsome publisher's pictorial gilt-stamped cloth. $1400.

"IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BUTLER, YOU DON'T YET UNDERSTAND HOW RICH THE POSSIBILITIES OF SCIENCE FICTION CAN BE"

BUTLER, Octavia. Bloodchild. New York and London, 1995.

First edition of this collection of short stories from the award-winning author of Kindred, signed on the title page by Octavia Butler. $1400.

"IN THIS MUSIC THE WORLD WAS BEGUN…"

TOLKIEN, J.R.R. Silmarillion. London, 1977.

First edition of "the work of Tolkien's heart," his monumental presentation of the personal mythology undergirding his epic adventure The Lord of the Rings, illustrated with a folding map of Tolkien's fantastic lands. $900.

SIGNED BY JULIA CHILD

CHILD, Julia with NUSSBAUM, David. Julia's Kitchen Wisdom. New York, 2000.

First edition of this delicious guide to the culinary wisdom of Julia Child, with 12 color and black-and-white illustrations, signed on the half title by the legendary chef and television personality. $850.

A FOUNDATIONAL CRYPTOZOOLOGICAL TEXT

SANDERSON, Ivan T. Abominable Snowmen. Philadelphia and New York, (1961).

First edition of this pioneering work on Yeti, Sasquatches, Bigfeet and other "sub-humans," written by the scientist who coined the term cryptozoology. $750.

INSCRIBED BY MAYA ANGELOU

ANGELOU, Maya. Singin' and swingin' and gettin' merry like Christmas. New York, 1976.

First edition of the third volume in Angelou's powerful memoir that began with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, boldly inscribed by the author on the half title, "J— V—, Joy! Maya Angelou 5/87." $700.