Rare books from Dephen Rare Books

London 1962. Gollancz. First Edition. 8vo
Very good copy of author's acclaimed thriller set in Asia and admired by Graham Greene who endorsed later editions.
Book very good. Clean cloth bound boards. Gilt lettering on spine. Lettering somewhat faded. Internally clean. No markings except for signature and date of previous owner on first blank. Also previous sale price and "first edition" in pencil on first blank. Leaves lightly tanned.
DJ is unclipped with a little wear at extremities and small nick on flap and approx 0.5 cm missing to head and tail of spine. DJ now in removable protective sleeve
A very good copy. Rare first edition with DJ.
More images can be provided.
International order dispatched by airmail, registered with tracking. All books securely packaged.

New York 1894. The Irish National Invincible Publishing Co.
Very scarce US edition of this book on The National Invincibles which was a splinter group of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and best known for carrying out what became known as the Phoenix Park Murders in Dublin in 1882.
Book was written by a leading member of the Invincibles and was first published in USA as a revolutionary document. The later UK edition of 1894 was toned down for the British market.
Book is sound. Boards somewhat faded with some discolouring to lower part of rear board. Head and tail of spine showing sign of slight wear. Corners somewhat bumped with a tiny tear at one corner. Lower fore edge of text block is stained, perhaps water spill, with staining spreading to some leaves but this is not greatly significant.
A strong solid copy.
Provenance: First blank contains the name and address of previous owner, Sean O Lúing, who was Head of Translation section in the Irish Parliament. He was a poet, linguist and produced a… Read More

First Edition
London 1828. John Murray, Albemarle Street. 8vo.
293, 85 (i. e. 58), 41 pages. 1 unnumbered page.
Contemporary half calf.
Author was a one time MP and a London merchant who spent many years as comptroller of corn returns for the Board of Trade. He was commissioned to write a report on the Corn Trade and Corn Laws and was an advocate for the repeal of the Corn Laws.
In addition to the report on the Trade in Corn in some of the States of Northern Europe, this book includes sections on the Commerce of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azoff and also Observations on the Benefits arising from the Cultivation of Poor Soils.
Book is in very good condition with raised bands on spine and morocco label. Spine and corners in leather. Leaves are remarkably clean and no significant age toning. Edges sprinkled. No inscriptions or markings except for previous sale price in pencil on first blank and on rear pastedown. No foxing or spotting.
Armorial bookplate on front pastedown.
Imperfections: slight tear… Read More

The Hogarth Press. 1959.
True first edition of this classic of author's boyhood in the West of England. This edition has the reference to "a fire at the piano works" on p. 272 which was deleted from subsequent printings due to possible libel action.
Binding is tight. Cloth bound boards clean. Little if any signs of shelf wear. Very light spotting to fore and top edges.
Internally clean.
A previous owner wrote a few light jottings (indecipherable) on first blank (see images) Otherwise book is vg++.
DJ is not price clipped with very light chipping at head and tail of spine. It is a little dulled. Now in protective removeable sleeve.
Very good first edition.
All books securely packaged and dispatched by registered post with tracking.

London 1906. A collection of four essays written by the English philosopher John Ruskin (1819-1900) which were first published in the Cornhill Magazine. The essays are The Roots of Honour, The Veins of Wealth, Qui Judicatis Terran and Ad Valorem.
Contemporary red calf, decorative spine with raised bands, arms of Marlborough College blocked in gilt to front board, marbled endpapers and edges. Contents clean and free of markings.
Neat ink inscription on first blank reading "Cogswell A E Harrison Mathematics Prize. In divisions. Marlborough. July 1910. Signed: Frank Fletcher."
Frank Fletcher was headmaster of Marlborough College and Cogswell Harrison is thought to be the only son of Edgar Harrison the principal of Cogswell & Harrison, est. 1770 and London's oldest gunmakers.
Cogswell died tragically in an explosion in the company's powder mills and shooting grounds in Colnbrook in 1915.
A Very good copy. Sign of small wear to head and tail of spine, joints and lower corners. Slight darkening to upper… Read More

First Edition. Hamish Hamilton, London 1963
A near fine First Edition of the author's brilliant reconstruction of life in England between the wars. Mr. Blythe highlights a number of key episodes and personalities which typify the flavour of those two extraordinary decades. The essays cover diverse episodes and personalities such as the Jarrow March and The Rector of Stiffkey.
Mr. Blythe is perhaps best known for his work Akenfield (1969), an account of agricultural life in Suffolk in the first half of the 20th century.
This book is in excellent condition. Cloth bound boards with gilt lettering on spine. Contents remarkably clean with no spotting, foxing or marking except for a a previous resale price and 1st ed. written in pencil on fep. Pages very slightly toned which adds to it's charm.
A most handsome book.
The DJ is price clipped with very minor loss to head and mainly tail of spine. Tiny chipping at corners. There is a small closed tear towards head of spine (barely noticeable). Noticeable… Read More

London 1958. Collins. First edition of Christie's eerie mystery novel involving murder in a domestic setting.
Very good+ at least. Boards clean. Binding tight. Contents clean with no markings. No spotting or foxing. Any imperfections are minor. Top edge little dusty. Very slight compression to spine head. Corners a little bumped. A little spotting to front and rear pastedowns (not significant).
DJ is not price clipped. It shows price as 12s. 6d. net.
Minor chipping to head and tail of spine and to a very small degree at corners. White lettering slightly foxed and rear panel dust aged. In protective removeable sleeve.
Overall, a handsome Christie first edition.
More images can be provided.

Sceptre, London 2004.
First edition, first printing of author's 2004 novel which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
It is the author's highly regarded third novel. Book is near fine. Binding tight. Clean cloth bound boards. Blue lettering on spine.
Internally clean. No markings, inscriptions or foxing.
Some yellowing of edges, mainly top edge. Not affecting the leaves.
The DJ is Fine with no imperfections. Now in a removable protective sleeve.
A lovely first edition.

London 1925. Macmillan.
Three attractive uniform leather bound volumes. All 1925 reprints. Burgundy colour. Decorative gilt spines and decorative logo blocked in gilt to front boards. Top edges in gilt. Publisher describes as "Pocket Size".
Contents of each volume clean and free of markings except for previous sale price marked in pencil on first blank.
Three lovely near fine volumes. More images can be provided.

London 1906 A H Bullen and Maunsell Dublin.
First Edition.
Very good copy. Original dark blue cloth on laid paper. Decorative gilt on spine and gilt lettering on front panel.
Boards clean with very slight wear at tips. Spine ends slightly pinched. Binding tight. Edges untrimmed. Top edge a little dusty.
Internally clean. No foxing or spotting.
Minor inscriptions in pencil on first blank dated 1906.
A lovely copy. Includes works such as On Baile's Strand, In The Seven Woods and The Shadowy Waters with a Preface by Yeats dated 18 May 1906.
More images available on request.

First Edition. London 1937. Scarce copy of the personal perspective of the Irish journalist and war correspondent Francis McCullagh (1874-1956) on the Spanish Civil War which was raging as he wrote.
In his account, he is unashamedly sympathetic to Franco and the Fascist cause and includes commentary on the Irish and Blueshirt involvement in the war.
The binding is tight. Book has age related shelf wear but boards are sound with slight soiling to rear cover and spine.
Gilt lettering on spine (a little faded). Spine extremities a little rubbed.
Text block is very good+.
Very light occasional spotting, otherwise leaves clean with no markings. Small black mark on lower edge not affecting leaves.
A very good copy. Very scarce.
More photos available on request.

First Edition. Bloomsbury London 2007.
True First edition.Book very good plus. Boards clean. No bumping or rubbing. Internally clean. No inscriptions or markings. Leaves a little toned. Edges of text block a little yellowed in places. Else fine.
DJ is Fine. Not price clipped and has no loss. No chipping or creasing. Now in a protective removeable sleeve.

First Edition. Collins. London 1953
A Miss Marple novel
Binding very good.
Book has red cloth boards. Clean with a little fading to top and a lesser extent tail of spine. Top and tail of spine a little rubbed. Top corner of front board slightly pinched. No markings or inscriptions. Internally clean except for some browning to half title and free end paper. Edges of text block toned with a hint of toning to leaves.
DJ is good with some loss to head a little loss to tail of spine. Also some loss to top of front panel ( see photo). Closed tear at fold of rear panel. Somewhat dust dulled. Now in a protective removeable sleeve.
A collectible First Edition for Christie collectors

George Newnes Ltd., London. No date but clearly early reprint. C. 1925. Printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney. 251 pages with 2 pages of adverts at rear(1 leaf).
Book is solid. Binding tight.
Boards are clean but somewhat faded particularly spine. Some peeling at one joint (approx. 1 inch at head and 2.5 inches at tail) with a little netting exposed. Not greatly significant. A little wear at corners.
Leaves are generally clean with light to moderate foxing to early and last few leaves only. No markings except for previous sale price and brief description in pencil on front pastedown.
A solid copy of a scarce Wodehouse title.
More images can be provided.

First Edition (Third Impression)
Edward Arnold, London 1906
An excellent copy of M.R. James first collection of ghost stories in the publisher's original beige cloth binding. The third impression of the 1904 first edition with four illustrations, including frontispiece, by James McBryde who died leaving illustrations for the book unfinished.
The stories are: Canon Alberic's Scrapbook, Lost Hearts, The Mezzotint, The Ash-Tree, Number 13, Count Magnus, Oh, Whistle And I'll Come To You, My Lad and The Treasure Of Abbot Thomas.
Book is very good plus.
Boards are sturdy and are stamped in red and black. There are 2 red smudges on front board and a tiny tear to cloth at bottom corner of front board (barely perceptible when book is closed). Otherwise boards are Fine. Binding is sound.
Fore and bottom edges are untrimmed. Leaves are lightly age toned. Light age related brown spots to very early leaves and end papers. Otherwise, the leaves are remarkably clean.
Front pastedown has light age related brown… Read More