Breakfast of Champions or, Goodbye Blue Monday! - Signed -
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
1973 - Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence, New York - First Edition
A bright sharp and signed first edition of one of Vonnegut’s masterpieces.
‘ ‘In Breakfast of Champions’, one of Kurt Vonnegut’s most beloved characters, the ageing writer Kilgore Trout, finds to his horror that a Midwest car dealer is taking his fiction as truth. What follows is murderously funny satire, as Vonnegut looks at war, sex, racism, success, politics, and pollution in America and reminds us how to see the truth’. [Random House]
‘Marvelous . . . [Vonnegut] wheels out all the complaints about America and makes them seem fresh, funny, outrageous, hateful and lovable.’ – The New York Times.
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Price HK$ 8,000
1973 - Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence, New York - First Edition
A bright sharp and signed first edition of one of Vonnegut’s masterpieces.‘ ‘In Breakfast of Champions’, one of Kurt Vonnegut’s most beloved characters, the ageing writer Kilgore Trout, finds to his horror that a Midwest car dealer is taking his fiction as truth. What follows is murderously funny satire, as Vonnegut looks at war, sex, racism, success, politics, and pollution in America and reminds us how to see the truth’. [Random House]
‘Marvelous . . . [Vonnegut] wheels out all the complaints about America and makes them seem fresh, funny, outrageous, hateful and lovable.’ – The New York Times.
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Price HK$ 8,000
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater or, Pearls Before Swine -
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
1965 - Holt, New York - First Edition
‘Eliot Rosewater – drunk, volunteer fireman, and President of the fabulously rich Rosewater Foundation – is about to attempt a noble experiment with human nature . . . with a little help from writer Kilgore Trout. ‘God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater’ is Kurt Vonnegut’s funniest satire, an etched-in-acid portrayal of the greed, hypocrisy, and follies of the flesh we are all heir to’ [Random House]
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Price HK$ 5,500
1965 - Holt, New York - First Edition
‘Eliot Rosewater – drunk, volunteer fireman, and President of the fabulously rich Rosewater Foundation – is about to attempt a noble experiment with human nature . . . with a little help from writer Kilgore Trout. ‘God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater’ is Kurt Vonnegut’s funniest satire, an etched-in-acid portrayal of the greed, hypocrisy, and follies of the flesh we are all heir to’ [Random House]
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Price HK$ 5,500
Player Piano - Signed -
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
1952 - Charles Scribner's Sons, New York - First Edition
A signed first edition of Kurt Vonnegut’s first novel. A dark view of “America in the Coming Age of Electronics”, ‘the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a supercomputer and run completely by machines. Paul’s rebellion is vintage Vonnegut—wildly funny, deadly serious, and terrifyingly close to reality’ [Random House]
With bookplate signed by Vonnegut, but kindly not affixed by man or machine.
“A funny, savage appraisal of a totally automated American society of the future. It is loosely related to George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ and just as loosely to ‘Alice in Wonderland’ “ – Wiliam Hogan, San Francisco Chronicle.
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Price HK$ 15,000
1952 - Charles Scribner's Sons, New York - First Edition
A signed first edition of Kurt Vonnegut’s first novel. A dark view of “America in the Coming Age of Electronics”, ‘the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a supercomputer and run completely by machines. Paul’s rebellion is vintage Vonnegut—wildly funny, deadly serious, and terrifyingly close to reality’ [Random House]With bookplate signed by Vonnegut, but kindly not affixed by man or machine.
“A funny, savage appraisal of a totally automated American society of the future. It is loosely related to George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ and just as loosely to ‘Alice in Wonderland’ “ – Wiliam Hogan, San Francisco Chronicle.
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Price HK$ 15,000
The Clock Strikes Twelve -
Patricia Wentworth
1944 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First Edition
A scarce example of the true first edition, in bright sharp dust jacket.
Featuring Miss Maud Silver, a determinedly professional private detective who relies on logic rather than mere tuition in her work, misleading suspects with her unthreatening outward appearance and predilection for knitting and quoting Tennyson.
‘Miss Silver has her place in detective fiction as surely as Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot’ – Manchester Evening News.
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Price HK$ 3,800
1944 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First Edition
A scarce example of the true first edition, in bright sharp dust jacket.Featuring Miss Maud Silver, a determinedly professional private detective who relies on logic rather than mere tuition in her work, misleading suspects with her unthreatening outward appearance and predilection for knitting and quoting Tennyson.
‘Miss Silver has her place in detective fiction as surely as Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot’ – Manchester Evening News.
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Price HK$ 3,800
Red Shadow -
Patricia Wentworth
1932 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First American Edition
“They are letting me say good-bye. I’m to be shot to-morrow. It will be over by the time you get this…”
‘Laura stood, pale and trembling, in the veiled dress she was to have worn as Jim Mackenzie’s bride, and gave her word to marry Basil Stevens, a man she scarcely knew. In his unexpected visit Basil had made three things clear: Laura was the heiress of the great Hallingdon fortune; Jim faced a Soviet firing squad; and only this marriage would save Jim. Why? What was the plot that threatened to destroy him?’ [Dean Street Press]
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Price HK$ 3,500
1932 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First American Edition
“They are letting me say good-bye. I’m to be shot to-morrow. It will be over by the time you get this…”‘Laura stood, pale and trembling, in the veiled dress she was to have worn as Jim Mackenzie’s bride, and gave her word to marry Basil Stevens, a man she scarcely knew. In his unexpected visit Basil had made three things clear: Laura was the heiress of the great Hallingdon fortune; Jim faced a Soviet firing squad; and only this marriage would save Jim. Why? What was the plot that threatened to destroy him?’ [Dean Street Press]
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Price HK$ 3,500
They Found Atlantis - Inscribed -
Dennis Wheatley
1936 - Hutchinson & Co. (Publishers), London - Third impression
A nice example of the first book in the ‘Lost World’ series, inscribed ‘For Edmund Pike, With every good wish from Dennis Wheatley, April 15th 36’
‘The documentation of the legend of Atlantis, the detail of the underwater explorations and the grotesquerie of fabulous deep-sea monsters, hostile to human invaders, make this book worth reading.’ – Beatrice Sherman, The New York Times.
‘Dennis Wheatley has conceived one of the most amazing tales since the days of Jules Verne and Wells... boredom vanishes with the wave of Wheatley's magic pen.’ – Los Angeles Times.
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Price HK$ 1,400
1936 - Hutchinson & Co. (Publishers), London - Third impression
A nice example of the first book in the ‘Lost World’ series, inscribed ‘For Edmund Pike, With every good wish from Dennis Wheatley, April 15th 36’‘The documentation of the legend of Atlantis, the detail of the underwater explorations and the grotesquerie of fabulous deep-sea monsters, hostile to human invaders, make this book worth reading.’ – Beatrice Sherman, The New York Times.
‘Dennis Wheatley has conceived one of the most amazing tales since the days of Jules Verne and Wells... boredom vanishes with the wave of Wheatley's magic pen.’ – Los Angeles Times.
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Price HK$ 1,400
The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne in the County of Southampton -
Gilbert White
1900 - Macmillan and Co. Limited, London - Library of English Classics Edition
A Bayntun-Riviere bound edition of Gilbert White’s best known work – Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne – his compilation of letters written to Thomas Pennant and Daines Barrington, both leading naturalists of their day, in which he discusses his observations and theories regarding the local flora and fauna in a charming, thoughtful, and immediate style.
One of the most published books in the English language, it ‘delighted both Virginia Woolf and Charles Darwin’ and has never been out of print since its first appearance in 1789.
‘An enthusiastic gardener, Gilbert White (1720-1793) grew many flowers, vegetables and fruits at a time when many new kinds were being introduced. He was thus the first person in the area to grow crops such as potatoes. He experimented, observed and recorded everything to do with his garden. These interests led him to his insights into natural history.
White's original emphasis was on the study of birds. From his pioneering work in bird observation, he expanded into other areas of natural science. He primarily believed in studying birds and other creatures in the field. This was an unusual approach at a time when most naturalists preferred to carry out detailed examinations of dead specimens in their study. White was thus the first to distinguish the willow wren as three species - chiffchaff, willow warbler and wood warbler - largely on the basis of their songs. He was the first to accurately describe the harvest mouse and the noctule bat. White spent much time observing crickets and other small creatures, recognising that all had a role to play.
White's brother Benjamin was a publisher of many volumes on natural history. Benjamin introduced Gilbert to Thomas Pennant (one of the foremost zoologists of the time) and Daines Barrington. Gilbert corresponded with them and other naturalists, such as Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander. Later, Darwin used White's observations as the basis for some of his own work.
White's writings inspired many other naturalists. His legacy as an accurate and systematic recorder of the natural world lives to this day.’
References: Natural History Museum, web. GrrlScientist, ‘Natural History of Selborne by Gilbert White’ The Guardian 2013. Mabey, Gilbert White: A biography of the author of The Natural History of Selborne 1986.
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Price HK$ 1,200
1900 - Macmillan and Co. Limited, London - Library of English Classics Edition
A Bayntun-Riviere bound edition of Gilbert White’s best known work – Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne – his compilation of letters written to Thomas Pennant and Daines Barrington, both leading naturalists of their day, in which he discusses his observations and theories regarding the local flora and fauna in a charming, thoughtful, and immediate style.One of the most published books in the English language, it ‘delighted both Virginia Woolf and Charles Darwin’ and has never been out of print since its first appearance in 1789.
‘An enthusiastic gardener, Gilbert White (1720-1793) grew many flowers, vegetables and fruits at a time when many new kinds were being introduced. He was thus the first person in the area to grow crops such as potatoes. He experimented, observed and recorded everything to do with his garden. These interests led him to his insights into natural history.
White's original emphasis was on the study of birds. From his pioneering work in bird observation, he expanded into other areas of natural science. He primarily believed in studying birds and other creatures in the field. This was an unusual approach at a time when most naturalists preferred to carry out detailed examinations of dead specimens in their study. White was thus the first to distinguish the willow wren as three species - chiffchaff, willow warbler and wood warbler - largely on the basis of their songs. He was the first to accurately describe the harvest mouse and the noctule bat. White spent much time observing crickets and other small creatures, recognising that all had a role to play.
White's brother Benjamin was a publisher of many volumes on natural history. Benjamin introduced Gilbert to Thomas Pennant (one of the foremost zoologists of the time) and Daines Barrington. Gilbert corresponded with them and other naturalists, such as Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander. Later, Darwin used White's observations as the basis for some of his own work.
White's writings inspired many other naturalists. His legacy as an accurate and systematic recorder of the natural world lives to this day.’
References: Natural History Museum, web. GrrlScientist, ‘Natural History of Selborne by Gilbert White’ The Guardian 2013. Mabey, Gilbert White: A biography of the author of The Natural History of Selborne 1986.
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Price HK$ 1,200
The Eastern or Turkish Bath -
Erasmus Wilson, F.R.S.
1861 - John Churchill, London - First Edition
An interesting little work by the English surgeon and dermatologist Sir Erasmus Wilson (1809-84), for whom we can owe in great measure the habit of a daily bath. In 1869 he founded the chair and museum of dermatology in the Royal College of Surgeons, of which he was chosen president in 1881. Wilson also paid to bring the landmark Egyptian obelisk to London, after the Government refused to do so citing high transport costs.
With seven engravings in the introduction.
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Price HK$ 1,800
1861 - John Churchill, London - First Edition
An interesting little work by the English surgeon and dermatologist Sir Erasmus Wilson (1809-84), for whom we can owe in great measure the habit of a daily bath. In 1869 he founded the chair and museum of dermatology in the Royal College of Surgeons, of which he was chosen president in 1881. Wilson also paid to bring the landmark Egyptian obelisk to London, after the Government refused to do so citing high transport costs.With seven engravings in the introduction.
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Price HK$ 1,800