Gifts to Treasure

Gifts to Treasure Shapero Rare Books 1 GIFTS TO TREASURE 32 Saint George Street London W1S 2EA Tel: +44 20 7493 0876 [email protected] shapero.com CONTENTS Fiction, Poetry & Prose 07 Children’s & Illustrated 39 Visual and Performing Arts 67 History & Natural History 77 Special Interest & Sports 91 6 Shapero Rare Books Fiction, Poetry & Prose A VERY ATTRacTIVE EDITION 1. AMIS, KINGSLEY. Bright November. 2. AUSTEN, JANE; A. WALLIS MILLS, ILLUSTRATOR. [Novels]. 6 vol. The Fortune Press, London, [1947]. in 10, ‘St. Martin’s Illustrated Library of Standard Authors’ series. Chatto & Windus, London, 1908-09. An excellent copy of the first edition of the author’s scarce first published work, in the first issue binding. Volume 1 (Pride and Prejudice) contains a general introduction by R. Brimley Johnson. “Throughout his career, Amis has been a poet devoted to use of traditional formal devices in poetry; his poems rhyme 8vo., colour frontispieces, colour plates and pictorial endpapers by A. Wallis Mills, and scan, and he makes good use of terza rima and challenging a couple of hinges starting to crack but still sound, publisher’s green cloth, gilt, oval colour illustration mounted as locket on upper covers, a little rubbed at forms likes the villanelle. Sometimes critics claim membership extremities, spines very slightly faded, a few small spots to upper cover of for him in “The Movement,” a postwar trend in English poetry Northanger Abbey, otherwise a very good-plus set. that might best be defined as anti-Modernist, anti-Romantic, Gilson E117. dedicated to clarity of thought and feeling and a return to the main lines of English verse.” (Understanding Kingsley Amis, £1,200 [ref: 96547] Merritt Moseley, 1993). Thin 8vo., publisher’s black boards, spine lettered in gilt; dust jacket, price-clipped (as usual), with publisher’s “10/6” sticker affixed to front flap, spine panel and folds slightly sunned. £1,000 [ref: 95522] 8 Shapero Rare Books 3. AUSTEN, JANE; CHARLES E. BROCK, ILLUSTRATOR. [Novels]. 4. AUSTEN, JANE, H. M. BROCK, [ILLUSTRATOR] Northanger 6 vol., ‘Series of English Idylls’. Abbey. J. M. Dent & Co. & E. P. Dutton, London & New York, J. M. Dent & Co., London, 1907. 1907-09. First edition in this form, 8vo., colour frontispiece with tissue-guard, decorative title Brock originally illustrated Pride and Prejudice for Macmillan in page, a further 22 colour plates, endpapers browned, light spotting to blank verso of Frontispiece, else clean and bright, publisher’s light blue cloth, sumptuously gilt 1895, with black and white line drawings, and again with his panelled to upper cover and spine, top edge gilt and others untrimmed, top of brother H. M. Brock in an Austen set for Dent in 1898. He spine a little creased and minimal age-toning, otherwise near-fine. was commissioned by Dent again in 1907 to illustrate all the novels in colour, as here. Emma retains the dedication to the £275 [ref: 95802] Prince Regent from the first edition, omitted in many of the intervening editions. 8vo., colour frontispieces, decorative titles and plates by Charles E. Brock, original grey cloth, upper covers with central design of basket of flowers in gilt, spines gilt, top edge gilt, decorative endpapers printed in green (a little browned), a very attractive set. Gilson E114, 116, 120, 124, 127 & 129. £1,000 [ref: 96545] Shapero Rare Books 9 THE SILVER JUBILEE EDITION, SIGNED BY THE POET 5. BECKETT, SAMUEL. Whoroscope. 6. BETJEMAN, JOHN. Summoned by Bells. Hours Press, Paris, 1930. John Murray, London, 1977. The first edition of the author’s first separately published ‘Safe were those evenings of the pre-war world work, particularly scarce with the original wrap-around When firelight shone on green linoleum; announcing the young author as prize-winner of a contest I heard the church bells hollowing out the sky, sponsored by the Hours Press to compose a poem on the And turned to Archibald, my safe old bear,...’ concept of “time”. Deluxe edition, number 14 of 100 specially bound copies signed by the author, First edition, 8vo, number 93 of 100 copies signed by the author, some minor original delivery note loosely inserted, publisher’s blue morocco gilt, fading to spine spotting, light blemish to foot of colophon, publisher’s red printed wrappers, some otherwise a fine copy with original slip-case inset with a gilt bell on blue morocco minor staining and soiling, publisher’s promotional printed wrap-around. mirroring that on the front cover. £5,250 [ref: 96523] £675 [ref: 95895] 10 Shapero Rare Books CAPOTE’S CLASSIC NOVELLA, THE baSIS FOR THE MUCH-LOVED FILM 7. BROOKE, RUPERT. Poems. 8. CAPOTE, TRUMAN. Breakfast at Tiffany’s: A Short Novel Sidgwick & Jackson, London, 1911. and Three Stories. Random House, New York, 1958. A superb example of this highly influential collection of poetry published when Brooke was only 23, which together Stated First Printing on the copyright page and date of 10/58 with ‘1914 And Other Poems’ cemented Brooke’s reputation on upper flap of dust-jacket. as one of the key poets of the First World War. First edition, ‘First Printing’, 8vo., contemporary Ex Libris plate on front free First edition, 8vo., Ex-Libris to upper pastedown, publisher’s black cloth, printed endpaper, publisher’s cloth, a little bumped on upper corners, else near-fine, paper label, in exceptionally fine state, preserved in folding chemise and custom dust-jacket, price clipped, professionally closed tear to lower panel not affecting slip-case. illustration of Capote, slight fading to spine with minor chips to extremities and corners but primarily a very good copy and internally near fine. £2,500 [ref: 95631] £1,400 [ref: 95523] Shapero Rare Books 11 ONE OF 50 SPECIAL COPIES FOR PRESENTATION 9. CAPOTE, TRUMAN. Music For Chameleons: new writing... 10. CHARTERIS, LESLIE. The Saint in New York. Random House, New York, [1980]. Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1935. Inscribed by the author: “This is one of fifty copies designed An excellent example of one of the most visually stunning and printed for friends of the author. No. 17 Truman Capote” ‘Saint’ first editions, the best copy we’ve ever seen and additionally enhanced by the presentation inscription from “Music for Chameleons is a continuation of Mr. Capote’s Charteris and the presence of the original wrap-around, concern with developing the artistic possibilities of journalism.” asking ‘Is this one of the Saint stories you haven’t read?’ with repeated Saint motif in the background. First edition, first impression (with Random House’s standard number line commencing with ‘2’), number 17 of 50 special copies for presentation, signed & The inscription from the author is on the half-title, and reads inscribed by the author, 8vo, original cloth, slightly dulled at spine but otherwise very good, plastic jacket and slip-case. “To H.W. Brown With all good wishes & thanks for his efforts to sell it. Sincerely - Leslie Charteris”. £950 [ref: 96739] The Saint in New York is the 15th book chronicling the adventures of Simon Templar (aka The Saint), Charteris’ most enduring character, whose exploits were brought to the small screen and the big screen by, most famously, Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy and Val Kilmer respectively. The book is considered the most popular Saint title and was the first “bestseller” of the Simon Templar series, establishing Charteris as a literary celebrity in America and Britain. Due to the book’s popularity, it became the first Simon Templar story to be adapted for film (1938), starring Louis Hayward. First edition, 8vo., signed presentation copy from the author, 8pp. advertisements, publisher’s blue cloth, spine slightly dulled, otherwise very good, dust-jacket by Stead, an excellent example, with the publisher’s original promotional wrap-around also present. £7,000 [ref: 96534] 12 Shapero Rare Books 11. CHATWIN, BRUCE. In Patagonia. 12. CHRISTIE, AGATHA. Evil under the sun. Jonathan Cape, London, 1977. Collins, The Crime Club, London, 1941. First edition, 8vo., frontispiece map, plates, map endpapers, original boards, “This is one of the prettier jackets from the 1940s, with its dust-jacket, mercifully spared any of the fading to the spine that plagues most mysterious sunset and colouring of the front cover and spine.” copies, a very good copy. (Wagstaff & Poole, Agatha Christie: A Reader’s Companion). £480 [ref: 96286] First edition (without price to front flap, for international or colonial edition), 8vo., 3 pp. advertisements at end, original red/orange cloth (slight fading to extremities), dust jacket, small creases and one or two nicks at spine ends, otherwise unusually good and clean. £1,650 [ref: 96525] Please also see number 102 for related item. Shapero Rare Books 13 RARE IN SUCH A BRIGHT DUST-jackET 13. CHRISTIE, AGATHA. The Hound of Death. 14. CHRISTIE, Agatha. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas. Odhams Press, London, 1933. Collins, for The Crime Club, London, 1939. A collection of twelve stories, only ever published together Motives for Murder: A fortune in uncut diamonds, hidden by thus in the UK, with this edition published by Odhams an eccentric old man; a woman’s love, too freely given; a preceding that issued by Christie’s normal publishers Collins. business empire built on ruthlessness; each of them may have Many of the stories involve an element of the supernatural been a motive for a brutal murder. They present Hercule or paranormal, strikingly intimated by the suitably macabre Poirot with a baffling challenge, one that the astute detective dust-jacket design. solves only through his uncanny ability to see “the little things”. First edition, 8vo., original burgundy cloth, usual slight dulling to spine lettering, First edition, 8vo., 3pp., advertisements, modern full green morocco with maroon dust-jacket, some rubbing and creasing to lower edge of upper panel and spine letting pieces, gilt panelled, all edges gilt, in fine condition.

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