A Short History of Nearly Everything
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£300.00
A Short History of Nearly Everything
By Bill Bryson
First edition, first impression (Doubleday, 2003). Signed and inscribed by the author to the title page.
Publisher’s original black cloth with lettering to spine in gilt and pictorial endpapers and paste-downs. A fine copy, with mild toning to edges, in a fine dust jacket. Rare inscribed.
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Categories: First Edition, Modern First Editions, Non-Fiction, Signed First Editions
A Short History of Nearly Everything
By Bill Bryson
Signed First Edition


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The Snail and the Whale
Children's Fiction, First Edition, Modern First Editions, Signed First Editions
The Snail and the Whale
By Julia Donaldson
First edition, first impression. Signed and dedicated by the author and illustrator to the title page with a small sketch of a snail. Original pictorial boards. A hint of rubbing to corners, else near fine, in a very good or better unclipped dust jacket with moderate edge wear to the top and a couple of nicks to edges with some associated creasing to lower panel. Rarely found double-signed.
£950.00
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The Harry Palmer Books: Ipcress File, Horse Under Water, Funeral in Berlin, Billion Dollar Brain
Crime and Thriller, First Edition, Modern First Editions, Showcase, Signed First Editions
The Harry Palmer Books
By Len Deighton
Four Volumes. All first editions, first impressions, published between 1962-1966. Vol I is the correct first issue, without the reviews. Vol II contains the rare crossword competition insert (here blank). Volume I is inscribed by the author to the title page with the note from the author “there are not many copies of this edition!”
Orange, red, black and blue boards, consecutively; lettered in gilt to spines with publisher’s devices to foot; Vol II and III with classification stamp in colour and blind to upper board; Vol IV with white brail design to upper cover, and in the iconic silver dust jacket; all dust jackets unclipped, and designed by Raymond Hawkey; decorative endpapers in all but Vol I; the books generally very good to near-fine, clean, with some mild pushing to spine tips and marking to outer edges of the text block; small stain to p. 11 of Vol I; the wrappers with some darkening to edges and pushing to spine tips; a couple of small creases, nicks and closed tears; front flap of Vol II with paper flaw causing crease and particularly obscuring the price; Vol III a little more rubbed to spine ends, and faint spotting to inside flap; Vol IV a little more creased to the flaps, and lightly rubbed to rear panel.
Deighton’s pinnacle works, and the books which “challenged the nature of British spy fiction”. The series follows protagonist Harry Palmer through a variety of challenges and settings, which include Cold War brainwashing, atomic weapons tests, ice-melting technology, secret plots, murders, and eggs contaminated with a deadly virus.
Inspired by his experiences working for an advertising agency (when he was the only employee not to have been educated at Eton), Deighton wrote a novel based around a gritty, nameless, working-class protagonist who he later named Harry Palmer. The character proved hugely popular with the British public, the success of which the author (modestly) puts down to the fact that The Ipcress File was published in the same year as Fleming’s Dr. No. As well as this series, Palmer also featured in a series of later novels, including An Expensive Place to Die (1967) and Spy Story (1972). Of the present four books, Horse Under Water was the only one not to be adapted to film. The others all starred Michael Caine in the lead role.
Deighton famously avoids book signings, interviews and literary festivals, making signed copies of his works rare indeed.
£2,750.00


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The Mars Trilogy: Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars
First Edition, Modern First Editions, Science Fiction
The Mars Trilogy
By Kim Stanley Robinson
A set of first editions, first impressions of the three books comprising 'The Mars Trilogy'. 'Red Mars' received the BSFA Award in 1992 and the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1993. 'Green Mars' won the Hugo Award for Best Novel and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 1994, and 'Blue Mars' was given the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1997.
'The Mars Trilogy' explores humanity's ambitious project to terraform Mars. Spanning nearly two centuries, the series contrasts a utopian vision of Martian society marked by egalitarianism and scientific innovation with a dystopian Earth grappling with overpopulation and environmental collapse.
Publisher's original cloth. Some toning to edges of 'Blue Mars' with a few faint spots to the top edge of 'Green Mars', else near fine. A little edge wear to the bottom edge of the original and unclipped dust jackets, with a very small nick to the bottom edge of 'Red Mars', otherwise near fine.
£600.00


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Acastos
First Edition, Iris Murdoch, Modern First Editions, Signed First Editions
Acastos: Two Platonic Dialogues
By Iris Murdoch
First US edition, first impression. Signed and inscribed by the author to the artist and publisher, Rolando Pieraccini to the title page: 'for Rolando Pierraccini with all my best wishes and greetings Iris Murdoch'.
Quarter-bound in cream cloth over light purple boards with gilt lettering to spine. A fine copy in a fine dust jacket.
£100.00