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The Sheltering Sky -
Paul Bowles
1949 - John Lehmann, London - First Edition
First edition of Bowles’ most celebrated work, the unravelling of a young, sophisticated and adventurous American couple as they make their way into the Sahara.
‘I suspect that a good many people will read this book and be enthralled by it without once suspecting that it contains a mirror of what is most terrifying and cryptic within the Sahara of moral nihilism, into which the race of man now seems to be wandering blindly’ – Tennessee Williams, The New York Times.
‘One of the most original, even visionary, works of fiction to appear in this century’ – Tobias Wolff.
‘His art far exceeds that of the greatest American writers of our day’ – Gore Vidal.
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Price HK$ 16,000
1949 - John Lehmann, London - First Edition
First edition of Bowles’ most celebrated work, the unravelling of a young, sophisticated and adventurous American couple as they make their way into the Sahara.‘I suspect that a good many people will read this book and be enthralled by it without once suspecting that it contains a mirror of what is most terrifying and cryptic within the Sahara of moral nihilism, into which the race of man now seems to be wandering blindly’ – Tennessee Williams, The New York Times.
‘One of the most original, even visionary, works of fiction to appear in this century’ – Tobias Wolff.
‘His art far exceeds that of the greatest American writers of our day’ – Gore Vidal.
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Price HK$ 16,000
Drums -
James Boyd, N. C. Wyeth (Illustrator)
1928 - Charles Scribner's Sons, New York - First Edition, Second Issue
Finely bound copy of Boyd’s epic novel of the American Revolution, finely bound, and highlighted by N. C. Wyeth’s iconic illustrations, black and white pen drawings, colour title page and fourteen full-page colour plates.
One of Life magazine’s 100 most outstanding books for 1924-1944.
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Price HK$ 4,000
1928 - Charles Scribner's Sons, New York - First Edition, Second Issue
Finely bound copy of Boyd’s epic novel of the American Revolution, finely bound, and highlighted by N. C. Wyeth’s iconic illustrations, black and white pen drawings, colour title page and fourteen full-page colour plates.One of Life magazine’s 100 most outstanding books for 1924-1944.
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Price HK$ 4,000
Fahrenheit 451 - Signed -
Ray Bradbury
1953 - Ballantine Books, New York - First edition
One of the Most Desirable Rarities in Modern Science Fiction.
First edition, one of 200 copies, of which this is number 36, signed by Bradbury and bound in ‘an asbestos material with exceptional resistance to pyrolysis’.
An outstanding, tight and bright copy, whose magnificently named binding material ‘Johns-Manville Quinterra’, a fireproof asbestos material, is prone to crumbling, staining, and soiling.
‘Frightening in its implications.’ - New York Times.
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Price HK$ 250,000
1953 - Ballantine Books, New York - First edition
One of the Most Desirable Rarities in Modern Science Fiction.First edition, one of 200 copies, of which this is number 36, signed by Bradbury and bound in ‘an asbestos material with exceptional resistance to pyrolysis’.
An outstanding, tight and bright copy, whose magnificently named binding material ‘Johns-Manville Quinterra’, a fireproof asbestos material, is prone to crumbling, staining, and soiling.
‘Frightening in its implications.’ - New York Times.
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Price HK$ 250,000
Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat -
Ernest Bramah
1928 - The Richards Press Ltd., London - First Edition, in first issue dust jacket
‘The more you can consume, the less will be this self-conscious person’s shame at the insipidity of what he puts before you; the longer you can tolerate his worn-out roof, the greater will be the confidence with which he can henceforth continue to dwell beneath it...’
The third collection of stories in Brahmah’s ‘Kai Lung’ series: a brilliant literary fusion of myths, legends, and cosmology from the Golden age of Han, tied together with Bramah’s keen eye for combining historic fiction and comedy. Kai Lung, our hapless yet loveable protagonist, must once again defeat his enemies and win back his kidnapped wife; Hwa-Mei, by weaving together seemingly unconnected parables and tales until an overarching narrative is skilfully revealed.
A seminal influence in the genre of speculative fiction, Bramah’s works have been compared with those of Jerome K. Jerome, and PG Wodehouse. His work went on to inspire writers such as Dorothy L Sayers, Jorge Luis Borges, and George Orwell, among many others.
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Price HK$ 2,000
1928 - The Richards Press Ltd., London - First Edition, in first issue dust jacket
‘The more you can consume, the less will be this self-conscious person’s shame at the insipidity of what he puts before you; the longer you can tolerate his worn-out roof, the greater will be the confidence with which he can henceforth continue to dwell beneath it...’The third collection of stories in Brahmah’s ‘Kai Lung’ series: a brilliant literary fusion of myths, legends, and cosmology from the Golden age of Han, tied together with Bramah’s keen eye for combining historic fiction and comedy. Kai Lung, our hapless yet loveable protagonist, must once again defeat his enemies and win back his kidnapped wife; Hwa-Mei, by weaving together seemingly unconnected parables and tales until an overarching narrative is skilfully revealed.
A seminal influence in the genre of speculative fiction, Bramah’s works have been compared with those of Jerome K. Jerome, and PG Wodehouse. His work went on to inspire writers such as Dorothy L Sayers, Jorge Luis Borges, and George Orwell, among many others.
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Price HK$ 2,000
Hundred Altars -
Juliet Bredon
1936 - Kelly and Walsh, Shanghai - Special Far Eastern Edition.
Unusually for Bredon’s works this was first published in London 1934, and later presented here as the Special Far Eastern Edition, published in Shanghai, and with the scarce and delicate Kelly and Walsh dust jacket. Normally the first editions of Bredon were published by Kelly and Walsh.
‘Hundred Altars is the name of a village in Northern China, an impressive first novel by Juliet Bredon, long term expatriate and author of several detailed historical and descriptive works on China. Penetrates the soul of that vast country, revealing its people, its customs, its struggles as they have seldom if ever been revealed before. The soul of a nation lies in the hearts of its peasantry, and it is of the peasantry that this novel so unforgettably deals. We see them here in the strange humility, with those traits of character so curious in our eyes, these men and women and children of the village of Hundred Altars; they live before us so vividly that the story becomes one of intense personal importance to the reader.’ - publishers description.
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Price HK$ 4,000
1936 - Kelly and Walsh, Shanghai - Special Far Eastern Edition.
Unusually for Bredon’s works this was first published in London 1934, and later presented here as the Special Far Eastern Edition, published in Shanghai, and with the scarce and delicate Kelly and Walsh dust jacket. Normally the first editions of Bredon were published by Kelly and Walsh.‘Hundred Altars is the name of a village in Northern China, an impressive first novel by Juliet Bredon, long term expatriate and author of several detailed historical and descriptive works on China. Penetrates the soul of that vast country, revealing its people, its customs, its struggles as they have seldom if ever been revealed before. The soul of a nation lies in the hearts of its peasantry, and it is of the peasantry that this novel so unforgettably deals. We see them here in the strange humility, with those traits of character so curious in our eyes, these men and women and children of the village of Hundred Altars; they live before us so vividly that the story becomes one of intense personal importance to the reader.’ - publishers description.
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Price HK$ 4,000
Notes on Yachts (First Series) -
Edwin Brett
1869 - Sampson Low, London - First Edition
A superb example of this rare instructional, dealing with the design of yachts, together with a short overview of yacht sailing. Illustrated with frontispiece from a drawing by John Brett, engraved by J. D. Cooper.
Despite the notification of this being the first Series in the title, there were no further series published.
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Price HK$ 2,800
1869 - Sampson Low, London - First Edition
A superb example of this rare instructional, dealing with the design of yachts, together with a short overview of yacht sailing. Illustrated with frontispiece from a drawing by John Brett, engraved by J. D. Cooper.Despite the notification of this being the first Series in the title, there were no further series published.
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Price HK$ 2,800
The Arts of Rowing and Training, with an appendix containing the laws of boat-racing, etc., by Argonaut . -
Brickwood Argonaut
1866 - Horace Cox, 346 - First Edition
A near fine and rare first edition of ‘in all probability the earliest comprehensive work on the technique of rowing’. It was written to supply “the want of a concise, yet withal comprehensive, manual on boat-racing”. Only one previous writer, says the preface, had “been found willing to bequeath to his successors the results of his observation and the fruits of his experience; and even he, if I am not mistaken, excelled rather as a coxswain than as an oarsman”. The reference is probably to A. T. Shadwell.
The contents, which “embody the precepts which have of late contributed to the repeated successes of the Oxford University crew”, are arranged in 2 parts. Part I, “Rowing”, includes chapters on boats and their fittings, the art of rowing, coaching, steering, sculling, examples of form and style, and the conduct of regattas. The chapters on coaching deplore the contemporary sacrifice of form to pace. The chapter on boats gives an interesting account of the development of outrigged boats and a table of dimensions and prices.
In Part II, “Training”, running before breakfast is condemned, meat should be “just done to a turn, as it is called, not blue or half raw”, and the author expresses his opinion that a limited amount of smoking should be permitted except in exceptional cases.’ No raw vegetables or green tea, but make sure to have a beer with lunch (p. 133-134).
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Price HK$ 11,000
1866 - Horace Cox, 346 - First Edition
A near fine and rare first edition of ‘in all probability the earliest comprehensive work on the technique of rowing’. It was written to supply “the want of a concise, yet withal comprehensive, manual on boat-racing”. Only one previous writer, says the preface, had “been found willing to bequeath to his successors the results of his observation and the fruits of his experience; and even he, if I am not mistaken, excelled rather as a coxswain than as an oarsman”. The reference is probably to A. T. Shadwell.The contents, which “embody the precepts which have of late contributed to the repeated successes of the Oxford University crew”, are arranged in 2 parts. Part I, “Rowing”, includes chapters on boats and their fittings, the art of rowing, coaching, steering, sculling, examples of form and style, and the conduct of regattas. The chapters on coaching deplore the contemporary sacrifice of form to pace. The chapter on boats gives an interesting account of the development of outrigged boats and a table of dimensions and prices.
In Part II, “Training”, running before breakfast is condemned, meat should be “just done to a turn, as it is called, not blue or half raw”, and the author expresses his opinion that a limited amount of smoking should be permitted except in exceptional cases.’ No raw vegetables or green tea, but make sure to have a beer with lunch (p. 133-134).
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Price HK$ 11,000
Boat Racing: or The Arts of Rowing and Training -
Edwin Dampier Brickwood (Amateur Ex-Champion of The Thames)
1876 - Horace Cox, 346 Strand - New Edition
Fine example of the rare second edition of ‘the earliest comprehensive work on the technique of rowing’ which adds the wonderful albumen photograph of an elegantly calm Henley and has been expanded with alterations bringing it up to date with the addition of historical matter. The most important being the invention and acceptance of the sliding seat between the first edition of 1866 and this second edition of 1876.
Brickwood is insistent on a good balance of work, diet, sleep and cleanliness. Breakfast of mutton chops or rump steaks, to which can be added some cold chicken or hot grilled fowl, an egg or two, lettuce or watercress, brown bread, and two cups of tea, lunch includes a slice or two of bread and butter and a half a pint of good sound ale, perhaps with a chop, dinner, being the main meal of the day is too large to list here, but should include a pint and a half of sound beer in the summer months, with a couple of glasses of claret, sherry, or port wine to finish it all off with. A glass of warm port wine or cup of tea without milk or sugar but with a teaspoonful of brandy is recommended between heats on race day....
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Price HK$ 10,000
1876 - Horace Cox, 346 Strand - New Edition
Fine example of the rare second edition of ‘the earliest comprehensive work on the technique of rowing’ which adds the wonderful albumen photograph of an elegantly calm Henley and has been expanded with alterations bringing it up to date with the addition of historical matter. The most important being the invention and acceptance of the sliding seat between the first edition of 1866 and this second edition of 1876.Brickwood is insistent on a good balance of work, diet, sleep and cleanliness. Breakfast of mutton chops or rump steaks, to which can be added some cold chicken or hot grilled fowl, an egg or two, lettuce or watercress, brown bread, and two cups of tea, lunch includes a slice or two of bread and butter and a half a pint of good sound ale, perhaps with a chop, dinner, being the main meal of the day is too large to list here, but should include a pint and a half of sound beer in the summer months, with a couple of glasses of claret, sherry, or port wine to finish it all off with. A glass of warm port wine or cup of tea without milk or sugar but with a teaspoonful of brandy is recommended between heats on race day....
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Price HK$ 10,000