Rub -
Omar Khayy
Circa 1909 - Hodder and Stoughton, London - First Dulac Illustrated Edition, trade issue.
A fine example of this large and intricately decorated edition of the Persian poem of life, in the scarce original presentation box, by the renowned 11th century philosopher, poet, mathematician, and astronomer Omar Khayyám, beautifully illustrated with twenty tipped-in colour plates by Edmund Dulac.
Come fill the cup, and in the fire of spring
Your winter garment of repentance fling:
The bird of time has but a little way
To flutter – and the bird is on the wing.
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Price HK$ 6,000
Circa 1909 - Hodder and Stoughton, London - First Dulac Illustrated Edition, trade issue.
A fine example of this large and intricately decorated edition of the Persian poem of life, in the scarce original presentation box, by the renowned 11th century philosopher, poet, mathematician, and astronomer Omar Khayyám, beautifully illustrated with twenty tipped-in colour plates by Edmund Dulac.Come fill the cup, and in the fire of spring
Your winter garment of repentance fling:
The bird of time has but a little way
To flutter – and the bird is on the wing.
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Price HK$ 6,000
Rewards and Fairies - containing If -
Rudyard Kipling, Frank Craig (illustrator)
1910 - Macmillan and Co., London - First Edition
‘If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too.....
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, and – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!’
A bright and superior first edition, the first appearance of Kipling’s beloved poem, ‘If’, together with a charming collection of (occasionally fantastical and supernatural) stories and verse. Many are set in the surroundings of Kipling’s Sussex home, and perfectly capture the myth and mystery of the English countryside. Includes the tales ‘The Marklake Witches’ and ‘Simple Simon’.
With four full page black and white illustrations by Frank Craig.
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Price HK$ 7,000
1910 - Macmillan and Co., London - First Edition
‘If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too.....
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, and – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!’
A bright and superior first edition, the first appearance of Kipling’s beloved poem, ‘If’, together with a charming collection of (occasionally fantastical and supernatural) stories and verse. Many are set in the surroundings of Kipling’s Sussex home, and perfectly capture the myth and mystery of the English countryside. Includes the tales ‘The Marklake Witches’ and ‘Simple Simon’.
With four full page black and white illustrations by Frank Craig.
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Price HK$ 7,000
Seven Pillars Of Wisdom. A Triumph -
T. E. Lawrence
1935 - Jonathan Cape, London - First Trade Edition
A finely bound example of this autobiographical and legendary account of the experiences of T. E. Lawrence ('Lawrence of Arabia') while serving as a liaison officer with rebel forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks of 1916 to 1918. Illustrated with 54 plates, and four folding maps.
Winston Churchill stated that this ‘ranks with the greatest books ever written in the European Language’.
‘With its richly detailed evocation of the land and the people Lawrence passionately believed in, its incisive portraits of key players, from Faisal ibn Hussein, the future Hashemite king of Syria and Iraq, to General Sir Edmund Allenby and other members of the British imperial forces, Seven Pillars of Wisdom is an indispensable primary historical source. It helps us to understand today’s Middle East, while giving us thrilling accounts of military exploits (including the liberation of Aqaba and Damascus), clandestine activities, and human foibles.’ [Penguin]
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Price HK$ 6,500
1935 - Jonathan Cape, London - First Trade Edition
A finely bound example of this autobiographical and legendary account of the experiences of T. E. Lawrence ('Lawrence of Arabia') while serving as a liaison officer with rebel forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks of 1916 to 1918. Illustrated with 54 plates, and four folding maps.Winston Churchill stated that this ‘ranks with the greatest books ever written in the European Language’.
‘With its richly detailed evocation of the land and the people Lawrence passionately believed in, its incisive portraits of key players, from Faisal ibn Hussein, the future Hashemite king of Syria and Iraq, to General Sir Edmund Allenby and other members of the British imperial forces, Seven Pillars of Wisdom is an indispensable primary historical source. It helps us to understand today’s Middle East, while giving us thrilling accounts of military exploits (including the liberation of Aqaba and Damascus), clandestine activities, and human foibles.’ [Penguin]
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Price HK$ 6,500
The Letters of T. E. Lawrence -
T. E. Lawrence, David Garnett (editor)
1938 - Jonathan Cape, London - First Edition
First edition in sharp bright dust jacket.
The more personal side of Lawrence is revealed best in this large volume of letters. Separated chronologically into sections of Lawrence’s life and wonderfully edited by the great David Garnett who provides descriptive introductions to each section.
With two folding maps and two route maps sketched by Lawrence, and illustrated with photographs, sketches and facsimiles.
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Price HK$ 2,000
1938 - Jonathan Cape, London - First Edition
First edition in sharp bright dust jacket. The more personal side of Lawrence is revealed best in this large volume of letters. Separated chronologically into sections of Lawrence’s life and wonderfully edited by the great David Garnett who provides descriptive introductions to each section.
With two folding maps and two route maps sketched by Lawrence, and illustrated with photographs, sketches and facsimiles.
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Price HK$ 2,000
The Story of Ferdinand -
Munro Leaf, Robert Lawson (illustrator)
1936 - The Viking Press, New York - First Edition
A superior first edition of this high point in 20th century children's literature, in a better than usually encountered first issue dust jacket.
Ferdinand, the Bull who preferred to smell the flowers, quickly became popular, striking a chord of anti-fight in a world infected by war. Banned by Franco and burned in Nazi Germany. Translated into over 60 languages and made into an Oscar winning animated film by Disney in 1938.
‘Once upon a time in Spain there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand.’
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Price HK$ 56,000
1936 - The Viking Press, New York - First Edition
A superior first edition of this high point in 20th century children's literature, in a better than usually encountered first issue dust jacket.Ferdinand, the Bull who preferred to smell the flowers, quickly became popular, striking a chord of anti-fight in a world infected by war. Banned by Franco and burned in Nazi Germany. Translated into over 60 languages and made into an Oscar winning animated film by Disney in 1938.
‘Once upon a time in Spain there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand.’
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Price HK$ 56,000
Across East African Glaciers -
Dr. Hans Meyer, E. H. S. Caulder (translator)
1891 - George Philip &, London - First Edition in English
A superb example of the first edition, in the publisher’s original and first state illustrated cover highlighting the snow in white and additional colour to the tents and clearing, described by Neate as ‘a most handsome volume’. With mounted chromolithographed frontispiece, three folding colour maps, eight mounted photographic plates, and twelve photogravures.
‘Hans Meyer was a geologist and experienced climber who made four trips to the Kilimanjaro region in 1887-1889 culminating in his successful ascent – the first undisputed summit of Kibo, 19,340 feet, the highest of the mountain's three peaks – in 1889.
In an earlier attempt, Meyer and his companion Oscar Baumann had the misfortune to arrive in the midst of an Arab revolt against German traders on the East African coast. They were captured and held hostage until a substantial ransom was paid.
Meyer's ultimate success has been attributed to his recognition that the greatest obstacle to achieving the summit was the lack of food in the upper regions. He brought a sizeable and well organised party and established several camps on the mountain, allowing him to make multiple attempts at the summit without descending to the base.
His lively and highly readable account of the expedition is arguably the most important work on African mountaineering.’ - Walkabout Books.
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Price HK$ 40,000
1891 - George Philip &, London - First Edition in English
A superb example of the first edition, in the publisher’s original and first state illustrated cover highlighting the snow in white and additional colour to the tents and clearing, described by Neate as ‘a most handsome volume’. With mounted chromolithographed frontispiece, three folding colour maps, eight mounted photographic plates, and twelve photogravures.‘Hans Meyer was a geologist and experienced climber who made four trips to the Kilimanjaro region in 1887-1889 culminating in his successful ascent – the first undisputed summit of Kibo, 19,340 feet, the highest of the mountain's three peaks – in 1889.
In an earlier attempt, Meyer and his companion Oscar Baumann had the misfortune to arrive in the midst of an Arab revolt against German traders on the East African coast. They were captured and held hostage until a substantial ransom was paid.
Meyer's ultimate success has been attributed to his recognition that the greatest obstacle to achieving the summit was the lack of food in the upper regions. He brought a sizeable and well organised party and established several camps on the mountain, allowing him to make multiple attempts at the summit without descending to the base.
His lively and highly readable account of the expedition is arguably the most important work on African mountaineering.’ - Walkabout Books.
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Price HK$ 40,000
The Paper Chase -
John Jay Osborn
1971 - Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston - First Edition
John Jay Osborn’s ‘Paper Chase’ is the story of a young midwesterner, James Hart, who finds himself in the great classrooms of Langdell Hall at Harvard Law School, locked in a zero-sum game with a dominating, omniscient deity: Professor Kingsfield. Osborn wrote this, his first novel, whilst studying at Harvard Law School. It was made into a movie starring John Houseman and Timothy Bottoms. Houseman won an Oscar for his performance as contracts professor Kingsfield, it was also turned into a television series.
Included with this copy is the HUL (News Notes of the Harvard University Library) dated September 1971, it contains a rather critical review of the novel.
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Price HK$ 3,200
1971 - Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston - First Edition
John Jay Osborn’s ‘Paper Chase’ is the story of a young midwesterner, James Hart, who finds himself in the great classrooms of Langdell Hall at Harvard Law School, locked in a zero-sum game with a dominating, omniscient deity: Professor Kingsfield. Osborn wrote this, his first novel, whilst studying at Harvard Law School. It was made into a movie starring John Houseman and Timothy Bottoms. Houseman won an Oscar for his performance as contracts professor Kingsfield, it was also turned into a television series.Included with this copy is the HUL (News Notes of the Harvard University Library) dated September 1971, it contains a rather critical review of the novel.
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Price HK$ 3,200
After Claude -
Iris Owens
1973 - Farrar, New York - First Edition
Rare in first edition, even more so in dust jacket, and here you have a fine and signed first edition.
Cult classic and the first of only two books published under the author’s own name. The rest of her career was spent writing pornography as ‘Harriet Daimler’ for the Olympia Press in Paris.
‘After Claude’ features Harriet one of the first anti-heroines, it is ‘a foulmouthed comic tour de force, still capable of offending the offendable and casting a blue-streaked spell of hilarity over everyone else.’ [Gerald Howard]
There is too much written about Iris Owens and ‘After Claude’ to do either justice in this short note, below are a few short reviews, and extracts from articles.
‘If there’s one thing on this earth that irritates me, it’s when a dumpy, frigid, former nymphomaniac assumes that my tongue is hanging out, thirsting for marital bliss.’
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Price HK$ 7,900
1973 - Farrar, New York - First Edition
Rare in first edition, even more so in dust jacket, and here you have a fine and signed first edition.Cult classic and the first of only two books published under the author’s own name. The rest of her career was spent writing pornography as ‘Harriet Daimler’ for the Olympia Press in Paris.
‘After Claude’ features Harriet one of the first anti-heroines, it is ‘a foulmouthed comic tour de force, still capable of offending the offendable and casting a blue-streaked spell of hilarity over everyone else.’ [Gerald Howard]
There is too much written about Iris Owens and ‘After Claude’ to do either justice in this short note, below are a few short reviews, and extracts from articles.
‘If there’s one thing on this earth that irritates me, it’s when a dumpy, frigid, former nymphomaniac assumes that my tongue is hanging out, thirsting for marital bliss.’
More details
Price HK$ 7,900