Captain Ahab's Rare Books, ABAA (Over 1,100 results)

First Edition. First Impression. Octavo (20.25cm); red-orange paper-covered boards, with titling and publisher's logo stamped in gilt on spine; dustjacket; [6],7-256pp. Spine ends gently nudged, else a clean, Near Fine copy. Dustjacket is price-clipped, showing some trivial wear to extremities, a hint of sunning to spine, and a thin strip of scattered foxing along the lower edge of both panels; Near Fine. "Ariadne Oliver is cornered at a literary luncheon, by the supremely bossy Mrs. Burton-Cox, who is determined to interrogate her about Ariadne's goddaughter Celia, a young woman whose parents had died in tragic circumstances and who is engaged to be married to her son Desmond. Her prospective mother-in-law insists on discovering the truth: had Celia Ravencroft's father murdered her mother and then committed suicide or vice versa? Ariadne seeks help from Hercule Poirot for the final time" (Wagstaff & Poole, p.219). Hubin, p.80.

Seller Inventory # 7295

First American Edition. First Printing. Octavo (23.75cm); royal blue paper-covered boards and green cloth backstrip, with titles stamped in silver on spine; dustjacket; [iv],[3],4-299,[1]pp. Scattered foxing to text edges, else Near Fine in a Near Fine dustjacket, unclipped (priced $18.95), without the usual sunning to the spine panel. The author's first novel published in English, and the concluding volume in his "Trilogy of the Rat" a magical realist quasi-detective novel inspired by the works of Raymond Chandler. Rubin 3.

Seller Inventory # 7298

First Edition. Limited Issue, one of 150 numbered copies specially bound and signed by all 14 contributors, this being copy no.7. Octavo (22.5cm); full hunter green cloth, with titling and double-ruled border stamped in gilt on spine and front cover; publisher's matching cloth slipcase; [96]pp. Fine in a Fine slipcase. A collection of 14 essays on the subject of "journeys," published for a gala fundraiser on behalf of the PEN/Faulkner Awards for Fiction. Following an introduction by Patricia Browning Griffith is Octavia Butler's untitled essay on the nature of reality, aliens, alienness, and alienation; it is the only signed limited edition she would be involved with during her lifetime. Contents include contributions on the theme by James Carroll, Michael Chabon, William Kennedy, Barbara Kingsolver, Walter Mosely, Annie Proulx, and others.

Seller Inventory # 7310

First Edition. First Impression. Octavo (19.25cm); red-orange cloth, with titling and publiser's logo stamped in black on spine; dustjacket; [6],7-192pp. Trivial wear to lower board edges, hint of dust-soil to upper edge of textblock, with some faint foxing to pastedowns, else contents are clean and cloth is bright and unfaded; Near Fine. Dustjacket is unclipped (priced 10s.6d. net), gently spine-sunned and lightly edgeworn, with a few tiny nicks and tears, and some very faint foxing on verso; Very Good+. "Jane Marple goes to stay with her old friend Carrie Louise at the behest of Ruth, the novel's heroine, who is concerned for her sister's safety. The rambling Victorian mansion also hosts a home for delinquent boys run by Carrie Louise's third husband. An attempt is made to kill the husband; her stepson is murdered and someone tries to poison Carrie Louise herself. Fortunately Miss Marple is on excellent form." (Wagstaff & Poole, p.203). Hubin, p.80.

Seller Inventory # 7292

First Edition. First Printing, trade issue. Octavo (20.25cm); Currey's D binding in red boards, with titling and author's facsimile signature stamped in yellow on spine and front cover; [vi],199,[3]pp. Light wear to spine ends and lower board edges, a few pinpoint rubbed spots to upper board edges, else a fresh, very Near Fine copy, lacking the dustjacket. Sharp copy of Bradbury's best-known work, based on his 1951 short story "The Fireman." "Totalitarian state outlaws virtually all books, especially the classics; an underground form of people who memorize great books to preserve them for posterity. The plot revolves around a "fireman's" conversion from book burner to preserver" (Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 3-61). Basis for Fran�ois Truffaut's classic 1966 film, starring Oskar Werner and Julie Christie, and Ramin Bahrani's more recent adaptation for HBO, starring Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon. A highspot of the genre, seldom found signed by both author and illustrator. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, Vol.1, p.39; Sargent, p.121; Pringle 100.

Seller Inventory # 7281

Limited Edition. One of 1,500 numbered copies signed by typographer and binder Frederic Warde on the colophon, this being copy no.295. This copy is one of a smaller complement (ca.500 copies) signed by Alice Hargreaves (the "original Alice") on a preliminary leaf. Octavo (22.5cm); full dark red morocco, with titling and decorative elements stamped in gilt on spine and covers; all edges gilt; [iii],xiv,182,[6]pp; illus. Hint of sunning to spine, a few lightly rubbed spots toward spine ends, a gentle bump to crown, resulting in a 1.25cm crack to upper front joint; contents fresh; about Near Fine, lacking the publisher's original slipcase. An attractive production of Carroll's beloved novel, signed by the woman who was the inspiration for the main character. Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by The Limited Editions Club, No.36.

Seller Inventory # 7302

Black & white photo printed on white medium-weight stock, measuring 10 1/8" x 8.5". Boldly signed by Butler in black Sharpie along the lower margin beneath her image. Mild handling, some offsetting from the marker on verso; Near Fine. A striking portrait of Butler taken in her home, standing in front of a shelf full of books, with three volumes in her "Patternist" series visible above her left elbow. The image was published in Patti Perret's 1984 book The Faces of Science Fiction: Intimate Portraits of the Men and Women who Shape the Way We Look at the Future. 82 science fiction authors were photographer for the project, with a personal statement appearing opposite their portraits. John Varley's statement appears on the verso of this image, apparently an unbound overrun page. Suitable for framing.

Seller Inventory # 7327

First Edition. First Impression. Octavo (21.5cm); red-orange paper-covered boards, with titling and publisher's logo stamped in gilt on spine; dustjacket; [7],8-138,[2]pp. Base of spine gently nudged, else Fine in a very Near Fine dustjacket, unclipped (priced �4.50 net), with some of the usual (inevitable) yellowing to the rear panel. "The book contains six Miss Marple short stories and two others, all of which had appeared in the USA in collections of detective stories and in the UK in serial form. This was their first appearance in the UK as a collection in book form" (Wagstaff & Poole, p.221). Hubin, p.80.

Seller Inventory # 7296

First Edition. First Impression. Octavo (20.5cm); red-orange paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in gilt on spine; dustjacket; [6],7-255,[1]pp. Spine ends nudged, touch of dust-soil and a few tiny stains to text edges; Very Good+. Dustjacket is unclipped (priced �1.25 net / 25s. net), showing moderate external wear, a little dust-soil, with a few small tears and attendant creases; Very Good+. A late Christie novel set in a Halloween party, where a famous mystery novelist, Ariadne Oliver, and Hercule Poirot are in attendance. "When the guests learn that they have a famous crime writer among them, they ply Ariadne with questions. One difficult adolescent called Joyce complains that Ariadne's last book didn't have enough blood in it and remarks that she observed a murder once. Nobody believes her and Joyce storms off. While the party is in full swing in the drawing-room, Joyce is drowned in the apple-bobbing tub" (Wagstaff & Poole, p.217). Naturally, Poirot invesitages. Basis for Kenneth Branagh's 2023 film A Haunting in Venice. Hubin, p.80.

Seller Inventory # 7294

First Edition. First Impression, cloth issue. Octavo (24.25cm); black paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in black on spine; decorative endpapers; dustjacket; [viii],309,[5]pp. Signed and dated (24/11/23) by the author on the title page. Fine in a Near Fine dustjacket, unclipped (priced �16.99), with a 2.5cm closed tear and attendant crease to lower front joint. The Irish author's fifth novel, recounting a mother's struggle to saver her family as the Republic of Ireland descends into totalitarianism. Winner of the Booker Prize in 2023.

Seller Inventory # 7300

First Trade Edition. First Printing. Octavo (21.75cm); black paper-covered boards and black cloth backstrip, with titling and author's facsimile signature stamped in gilt on spine and front cover; dustjacket; [xiv],[3],4-273,[1]pp. Signed by the author on the title page. Fine in the second state dustjacket, with the spine lettering perfectly centered; unclipped (priced $19.95), with the only flaw being a thin diagonal razor cut toward the lower spine panel; Near Fine. The National Book Award-winning author's fourth novel and fifth book, a collection of interconnected stories centered around a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War.

Seller Inventory # 7301

First Edition. First Printing. Octavo (19.5cm); black cloth, with titling and publisher's logo stamped in red on spine and front cover; dustjacket; viii,288pp. Scattered foxing to text edges, with a faint circular rubbed spot to upper front cover; Near Fine. In the dustjacket designed by E. McKnight Kauffer; unclipped (priced $2.00), showing subtle toning, some light dust-soil, several small tears, and a few faint spots of soil (noticeable chiefly on verso); Very Good+ King's first novel to feature his recurring character Lieutenant Valcour, a French Canadian in the New York Police Department "who solves cases with a blend of Gallic intuition and Anglo-Saxon logic" (Bourgeu, The Mystery Lover's Companion, p.60). A Haycraft-Queen Cornerstone title, basis for Edward Sloman's 1931 pre-Code film adaptation, starring William "Stage" Boyd, Lilyan Tashman, and Regis Toomey. Nehr, Doubleday Crime Club Compendium, p.13; Barzun & Taylor 2049. Provenance: From the library of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts.

Seller Inventory # 7107

First U.K. Edition. First Impression. Octavo (20.25cm); maroon paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in gilt on spine; dustjacket; [4],5-288pp. Tiny indentation to upper rear board edge, just a hint of foxing to upper edge of textblock, else internally fresh; very Near Fine. Dustjacket is unclipped (priced �1.90 net), with a faint wrinkle at upper spine panel, else a bright, Fine example. First hardcover edition of Niven's best-known work, originally published as a Ballantine paperback original in 1970. "An exploration team consisting of an exotic mix of humans and aliens investigates a huge artifact [the Ringworld] occupying a planetary orbit around a sun. A novel of imaginary tourism; its real hero is the artifact, whose nature is further explored and explained in Ringworld Engineers (Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4-392). A highspot of the genre, winning the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards in 1971.

Seller Inventory # 7038

Original color photo on Kodak paper, measuring 23cm x 15.5cm (9 1/8" x 6 1/8"). Thin mounting strip along the upper edge on verso, else Fine. Original photograph of Charles Bukowski taken by photographer Michael Montfort for the 1982 Black Sparrow Press publication of Horsemeat, a celebration in verse and prose of one of the poet's great loves the racetrack. This was one of 20 full-color photographs taken by Montfort for the project, which captured Bukowski prowling the various racetracks of Southern California, like Santa Anita and Del Mar (this image appearing on p.21 in the book, depicting Bukowski, newspaper in hand, waiting to place a bet). An unused image, from the collection of Earle and Larry Gray (of the Earle Gray Bookbinding Company), who bound most of the Black Sparrow Press titles produced between 1967-2001, as well as works by Capricorn, Turtle Island, and various other small presses. 7279.

Seller Inventory # 7279

Original color photo on Kodak paper, measuring 23cm x 18.25cm (9" x 7 1/8"). Thin mounting strip along the upper edge on verso, else Fine. Original photograph of Charles Bukowski taken by photographer Michael Montfort for the 1982 Black Sparrow Press publication of Horsemeat, a celebration in verse and prose of one of the poet's great loves the racetrack. This was one of 20 full-color photographs taken by Montfort for the project, which captured Bukowski prowling the various racetracks of Southern California, like Santa Anita and Del Mar (this image appearing on p.13 in the book, depicting Bukowski, newspaper in hand, sipping a cup of coffee on the way to his seat). An unused image, from the collection of Earle and Larry Gray (of the Earle Gray Bookbinding Company), who bound most of the Black Sparrow Press titles produced between 1967-2001, as well as works by Capricorn, Turtle Island, and various other small presses. 7278.

Seller Inventory # 7278

Original color photo on Kodak paper, measuring 23cm x 16.5cm (9" x 6.5"). Thin mounting strip along the upper edge on verso, else Fine. Original photograph of Charles Bukowski taken by photographer Michael Montfort for the 1982 Black Sparrow Press publication of Horsemeat, a celebration in verse and prose of one of the poet's great loves the racetrack. This was one of 20 full-color photographs taken by Montfort for the project, which captured Bukowski prowling the various racetracks of Southern California, like Santa Anita and Del Mar (this image appearing on p.33 in the book, depicting Bukowski, newspaper in hand, admiring a horse as it passes by). An unused image, from the collection of Earle and Larry Gray (of the Earle Gray Bookbinding Company), who bound most of the Black Sparrow Press titles produced between 1967-2001, as well as works by Capricorn, Turtle Island, and various other small presses. 7280.

Seller Inventory # 7280

Original color photo on Kodak paper, measuring 17.25cm x 25.25cm (6.75" x 10"). Thin mounting strip along the upper edge on verso, else Fine. Original photograph of Charles Bukowski taken by photographer Michael Montfort for the 1982 Black Sparrow Press publication of Horsemeat, a celebration in verse and prose of one of the poet's great loves the racetrack. This was one of 20 full-color photographs taken by Montfort for the project, which captured Bukowski prowling the various racetracks of Southern California, like Santa Anita and Del Mar (this image appearing on p.23 in the book, depicting Bukowski in his suede blazer at the "Cash & Bet" window). An unused image, from the collection of Earle and Larry Gray (of the Earle Gray Bookbinding Company), who bound most of the Black Sparrow Press titles produced between 1967-2001, as well as works by Capricorn, Turtle Island, and various other small presses. 7277.

Seller Inventory # 7277

First Edition. Limited Issue, one of 250 numbered copies specially bound and signed by the author, this being copy no.23. Octavo (23.5cm); printed paper-covered boards and black cloth backstrip, with title label mounted to spine; publisher's original acetate dustjacket; [10],11-111,[4]pp. Light foxing to text edges and upper and lower board edges, a little musty; Near Fine, lacking the acetate dustjacket. Reznikoff's poetic response to the Holocaust drawn from the Nuremberg trials and Eichmann trials. Morrow & Cooney 206b.

Seller Inventory # 6762

First Edition. Limited Issue, one of 75 numbered copies specially bound and signed copies, this being copy no.23. Octavo (23.5cm); pictorial paper-covered boards and dark beige cloth backstrip, with title label mounted to spine; publisher's original acetate dustjacket; [14],15-219,[5]pp. Light foxing to upper and lower board edges, else Near Fine, in a lightly rubbed, Near Fine dutjacket. The gay Bay Area poet's first book, chronicling his youth and coming of age in the 1970s.

Seller Inventory # 6795

First Edition. Deluxe Issue, one of five copies specially bound and designated for members within the inner circle of the press, this one marked "Binder's Copy" and signed by the author on the colophon. Small octavo (21cm); decorated paper-covered boards and leaf patterned cloth backstrip; publisher's unprinted orange paper dustjacket; [16]pp. Fine in a very Near Fine dustjacket. This was published as a New Year's Greeting and distributed gratis to friends of the press. Morrow & Cooney 286d.

Seller Inventory # 6859

First Edition. Limited Issue, one of 250 numbered copies specially bound and signed by the author, this being copy no.23. Octavo (23.5cm); decorative paper-covered boards and yellow woven cloth backstrip, with title label mounted to spine; [28],29-173,[7]pp. Light foxing to text edges and upper board edges, a tad musty; Near Fine, lacking the acetate dustjacket. Edited with an introduction by Seamus Cooney. Morrow & Cooney 186b.

Seller Inventory # 6780

First Edition. Limited Issue, one of 100 numbered copies specially bound and signed by the author, this being copy no.23. Octavo (23.5cm); pictorial paper-covered boards and green cloth backstrip, with title label mounted to spine; publisher's original acetate dustjacket; 239,[5]pp. A handful of small foxing spots to front board and upper edge of textblock, and one small spot on rear board, Near Fine in a lightly rubbed, Near Fine dustjacket. A collection of autobiographical poems.

Seller Inventory # 6793

First Edition. First Printing, Advance Issue. Thick octavo (23.5cm); publisher's pictorial card wrappers; [x],[2],3-1079,[1]pp. Signed by the author on the preliminary leaf. Some trivial spotting to lower edge of textblock, and to upper right edge of same; very Near Fine, with the publisher's response card loosely laid in. Advance copy Wallace's second novel and magnum opus, a lengthy and complex work which takes place in a North American dystopia, centering on a junior tennis academy and a substance-abuse recovery center. The advance copy was preceded by proof copies constituting a significant state of the text a reduced version of Wallace's typed, double-spaced manuscript, bound in two volumes, and bearing his holograph corrections and additions in photocopy throughout. For both the signed advance copies as well as the trade edition, Wallace's editor, Michael Pietsch, ultimately shortened his original text by 366 pages; the novel was released to great fanfare in January, 1996, drawing significant reviews by Don DeLillo, William Vollmann, Rick Moody, Jonathan Franzen, and Jeffrey Eugenides, among others.

Seller Inventory # 7267

First Edition. First Printing. Octavo (24cm); dark green and navy blue paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in silver on spine; dustjacket; [vi],329,[1]pp. Signed by Wallace above his crossed-out name on the title page. Some trivial wear to base of spine, upper right corner of front board gently tapped (though still sharp); very Near Fine in a very Near Fine dustjacket, unclipped (priced $25.95), showing some trivial external wear. Wallace's third collection of short fiction, collecting 8 stories, versions of which previously appeared in the pages of AGNI, Black Clock, Colorado Review, Conjunctions, Esquire, and McSweeney's.

Seller Inventory # 7262

Original color photo on Kodak paper, measuring 20.25cm x 25.25cm (8" x 9 7/8"). Faint crease to lower left corner, thin mounting strip along the upper edge on verso; Near Fine. A striking original portrait of Charles Bukowski taken by photographer Michael Montfort for the 1982 Black Sparrow Press publication of Horsemeat, a celebration in verse and prose of one of the poet's great loves the racetrack. This was one of 20 full-color photographs taken by Montfort for the project (this image appearing on p.39 in the book), which captured Bukowski prowling the various racetracks of Southern California, like Santa Anita and Del Mar. An unused image, from the collection of Earle and Larry Gray (of the Earle Gray Bookbinding Company), who bound most of the Black Sparrow Press titles produced between 1967-2001, as well as works by Capricorn, Turtle Island, and various other small presses. 7275.

Seller Inventory # 7275

Original color photo on Kodak paper, measuring 20.25cm x 25.25cm (8" x 9 7/8"). Thin mounting strip along the upper edge on verso, else Fine. A striking original portrait of Charles Bukowski taken by photographer Michael Montfort for the 1982 Black Sparrow Press publication of Horsemeat, a celebration in verse and prose of one of the poet's great loves the racetrack. This was one of 20 full-color photographs taken by Montfort for the project, which captured Bukowski prowling the various racetracks of Southern California, like Santa Anita and Del Mar (this image appearing on p.27 in the book, depicting Bukowski in his suede blazer, holding a newspaper, captured in beatific light). An unused image, from the collection of Earle and Larry Gray (of the Earle Gray Bookbinding Company), who bound most of the Black Sparrow Press titles produced between 1967-2001, as well as works by Capricorn, Turtle Island, and various other small presses. 7276.

Seller Inventory # 7276

First Edition. First Printing. Octavo (23.5cm); original light blue printed card wrappers; [xiv],0-273pp. Inscribed by the author on the title page in blue marker: "For Jeremy / with manly affection / David F. Wallace." Slight backward lean, with a tiny scuff and three tiny spots on rear wrapper; Near Fine. The author's second collection of short fiction, collecting 23 stories, which first appeared in various forms in the pages of Conjunctions, Esquire, Fiction International, Grand Street, Harper's, and The Paris Review, et al.

Seller Inventory # 7266

First Edition. First Printing. Octavo (23.5cm); original glossy pictorial card wrappers; [viii],[2],3-343,[3]pp. Signed by Wallace above his crossed-out name on the title page. Some trivial surface wear, tiny rubbed spot to upper left corner of spine, with a touch of dustiness to lower edge of textblock; very Near Fine. Advance copy of Wallace's final collection of essays published before his tragic death in 2008. Among his most beloved works, collecting 10 pieces which were originally published in "edited, heavily edited, or (in at least one instance) bowdlerized form" in various journals and literary magazines.

Seller Inventory # 7263

First Edition. First Printing, limited issue, one of 100 numbered copies signed by the author on a preliminary leaf, this being copy no.10. Octavo (24cm); light blue and pale yellow paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in red on spine; dustjacket; [vi],353,[9]pp. Some trivial crinkling to paper at crown, else Fine in a Fine, unclipped dustjacket (priced $23.95). Wallace's first collection of non-fiction writings, touching on a range of subjects ranging from personal narratives, film, tennis, and philosophy to postmodern literary theory.

Seller Inventory # 7268

First Edition. First Printing. Octavo (23.5cm); original glossy printed card wrappers; [vi],[3],4-328,[2]pp. Signed by Wallace above his crossed-out name on the title page. Some trivial dustiness to lower edge of textblock, else Fine. Advance copy of Wallace's third collection of short fiction, collecting 8 stories, versions of which previously appeared in the pages of AGNI, Black Clock, Colorado Review, Conjunctions, Esquire, and McSweeney's.

Seller Inventory # 7261