Search Results: Maritime from Sumner & Stillman

1895. [a handsome copy] London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1895. Original dark green cloth. First Edition of Joseph Conrad's first book, an edition believed to have consisted of 1000-1250 copies. Conrad, after meeting the real "Olmeijer" in East Borneo in 1887, gradually produced the manuscript of this book over the six years 1889-1895. He submitted it to Unwin for consideration in their "Pseudonym Library", using the pseudonym "Kamudi" (Malayan for "rudder") -- enclosing the return postage, so sure was he of its rejection. However, Unwin's reader Edward Garnett saw the manuscript's promise and accepted it for non-pseudonymous publication. This copy is in the first state (as are most copies), with the letters missing from the last two lines of page 110. Condition is unusually fine, with virtually no wear at all (there are no nicks or chips in the spine ends, and only hair-line cracking of the original endpapers); about the only flaw we can come up with is the almost-unavoidable slight browning of the olive… Read More

1895. [the leaves still unopened] London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1895. Original dark green cloth. First Edition of Joseph Conrad's first book. "In the absence of publisher's records, the number of copies printed has been estimated to be between 600 and 3000, with approximately 1100 being the most likely number" [Supino]. Conrad, after meeting the real "Olmeijer" in East Borneo in 1887, gradually produced the manuscript of this book over the six years 1889-1895. He submitted it to Unwin for consideration in their "Pseudonym Library", using the pseudonym "Kamudi" (Malayan for "rudder") -- enclosing the return postage, so sure was he of its rejection. However, Unwin's reader Edward Garnett saw the manuscript's promise and accepted it for non-pseudonymous publication. This copy is in the first state (as are most copies), with the letters missing from the last two lines of page 110. The leaves of this copy, though untrimmed on the fore- and bottom edges as issued, are still unopened (i.e. un-read). Condition… Read More

1896. A Story of an Eastern River. Second Edition. London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1896. Original dark green cloth. First Edition, early printing -- of Conrad's first book. Though labeled "Second Edition" on the title page, this is actually a reprint of the first edition; all copies of this printing seem to have half-title verso ads that are colonial. The volume is printed on laid paper (forming a thicker volume than the first printing), and has the p. 110 misprints corrected. (There were two printings effected in 1895, and then two in 1896 -- this one on laid paper for the domestic market, and another on wove paper for the colonial market.) Actually it was not until 1930, for Benn's "Essex Library," that ALMAYER'S FOLLY was reset for a true "second edition." The primary binding for this "Second Edition" is the same as for the first -- dark green cloth lettered in gilt. Condition is very good-plus (very light edge-wear, fading at the top of the rear cover). Cagle A1a (notes).

1895. A Study of Torpedo Warfare in 189-. Illustrated by the Author. London: Tower Publishing Company, 1895. 2 pp undated ads. Original grey-green cloth pictorially decorated in black and orange. First Edition of the first of Jane's scientific romances -- visions of future war, fought with future ships and aircraft. Not only is the book by Jane, but the action illustrations are too. Subsequent Jane titles, published over the following four years, included THE INCUBATED GIRL, TO VENUS IN FIVE SECONDS and THE VIOLET FLAME ("A Story of Armageddon and After"). Since his death in 1916, Jane has been best-known for the military annuals that bear his name today -- ALL THE WORLD'S FIGHTING SHIPS and ALL THE WORLD'S AIRCRAFT. This is a bright copy, fine except for a little ruffling at the spine ends. Currey p. 264; Bleiler Checklist p. 109.

1890. Translated from the French by A. Estoclet. Illustrated by George Roux. New York: Cassell Publishing Company, n.d. [1890]. Original light blue cloth pictorially decorated in black. First American Edition (also the first edition in English). Quoting from a contemporary review (cited in T&M) -- Like most of M. Jules Verne's books, it is the story of a journey. Some acrobats wish to travel from California to their native France, and having no money they determine to go in their caravan northward to Bering's Straits, crossing on the ice, and make their way through Siberia into Europe. M. Jules Verne's travellers are generally successful: in spite of robbers, icebergs, and the Russian police, the bold Frenchmen triumphantly reach their goal. Pictured on the front cover is the troupe with their horse-drawn wagon climbing into the Sierras, while the spine shows one of them fleeing a grizzly bear. This undated American edition (CAESAR) was published sometime in the autumn of 1890, probably late… Read More

1897. New York: The Century Co., 1897. Original light green cloth decorated in black, orange and gilt. First Edition, which according to the Richards bibliography preceded the London edition by about a month. This is Kipling's great novel about the cod fishing fleet of Gloucester Massachusetts, written while the newlywed Kiplings lived in Vermont. Kipling freely acknowledged that the book owed much to Dr. James Conland of Brattleboro, who brought the Kiplings' elder daughter into the world -- for Conland had been a member of the Massachusetts fishing fleet, and it was he who took Kipling to explore the wharves and quays of Boston and Gloucester. (This American edition, in fact, is dedicated to Conland; the English edition bears no dedication.) This is the only book of Kipling's which is set entirely in America. All the characters are American. Not only that, but the heart of the book -- its moral in a single sentence -- is one of Kipling's main beliefs of this period expressed in terms essentially… Read More

1914. Garden City NY: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1914. Original navy blue cloth decorated in gilt. First American Edition, fifth and last 1914 impression (NOT so identified -- but per Supino and per Cagle, the fifth has no border around the title page, and its half-title does bear the ship device). This was the work that revived Conrad's fortunes, hitting it big after almost a decade of underwhelming reception by the public. The volume's condition is just about fine (a trace of rubbing at the corner tips). See Supino A17.14.0 note, and Cagle 17b(2). Provenance: the front free endpaper and half-title bear the personal blind-stamp of American author Zane Grey -- indicating a volume that came from his estate.

1898. A Tale of the Forecastle. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1898. Original pictorial light blue-grey mottled cloth. First Edition, second issue -- with the date 1898 (rather than 1897) on the front of the title leaf. (Note: ALL copies without a date on the front of the title leaf are merely reprints.) In late 1897, Dodd Mead had a first edition of 1000 copies printed; because the book was scheduled for publication late in the fall season, the printers were instructed to print both 1897 and 1898 title pages. The number printed with each date is not recorded... It was re-introduced in the spring and listed in Publisher's Weekly on March 12th among the spring publications... Copies of the spring issue were supplied with the 1898 title page. [Cagle] This tale was subsequently published as THE NIGGER OF THE "NARCISSUS." Conrad wrote this story with the "Nigger" title, but consented to change the title for the American edition (which preceded the English); the publisher's argument was not that the… Read More

1916. Garden City NY: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1916. [Together, four volumes.] Original light yellow wrappers lettered in green. First Editions, being the American copyright issues -- consisting of only 70 copies each, published separately between October 18th and 30th, 1916. Each volume consists of Kipling's account of specific sea warfare, preceded by an original poem written for the occasion (including Vol I's "Have you news of my boy Jack?"). As with THE FRINGES OF THE FLEET, Kipling wrote these articles with the permission of the British Admiralty, for appearance in British and American newspapers; he ceded copyright so that they could be used for propaganda purposes. Two months later they were all collected in Kipling's book SEA WARFARE. All four volumes are in fine, clean condition (the usual minor rusting of the staples). Richards A287; Stewart 402.

1878. New York: George Munro, 1878. 2 pp undated ads. Original green cloth. First Edition in English of this new and brilliant narrative of adventures by sea and land, embracing exciting incidents of the whale fishery in the Southern Ocean, and the African Slave Trade, all told in the inimitable graphic manner which has made Jules Verne the most popular author of the century [from Munro's contemporary ad, cited in T&M]. Published in France as UN CAPITAINE DE QUINZE ANS, this tale was first published in English, in November 1878, by the American pirate publisher Munro: The 1878 hardcover edition entitled DICK SAND; or a Captain at Fifteen is the best manufactured of all Verne books published by Munro. It is bound in green cloth, extra, illustrated with 20 engravings, including a map, priced at $1.00. [T&M] (The book was also issued by Munro, at the same time, in a two-volume wrappered format.) Sampson Low's authorized London edition was published the following month, in December, at the end of which… Read More

1915. I & II. The Auxiliary Fleet. / III & IV. Submarines. / V & VI. Patrols. [Together, six volumes.] Garden City NY: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1915. Original light yellow wrappers lettered in green. First Editions, being the American copyright issues, limited (according to DP&Co's annotated copy) to 75 copies each. These six articles, written at the instance of the Ministry of Information, were issued separately from November 19th through December 1st, 1915. The English and American book editions were then published sometime in December; a year later, they were collected in Kipling's book SEA WARFARE (December 1916). Each of the six volumes leads off with an original poem written by Kipling for the occasion. The Vol VI poem reads "(Twelve verses omitted.)" between the third verse and the last verse: this "was only a little joke of Kipling's to indicate that it would, of course, take a very lengthy poem to give any idea of the dangers and tribulations incurred by the [North Sea] patrol"… Read More

1900. [still in unbound gatherings] New York: Doubleday & McClure Co., 1900. Original light green cloth decorated in dark green. First American Edition of what is arguably Conrad's greatest work. This copy has the title page in the second and usual (cancelled) state: at the time this was being published, Doubleday & McClure was dividing into two entities (Doubleday Page and McClure Phillips), with uncertainty as to which firm would retain the rights to LORD JIM. Thus, in the first (integral) state the copyright is "1900 by Doubleday, Page & Co.", while in the cancelled state the copyright is "1899 and 1900 by Joseph Conrad." Supino A5.11.0; Cagle A5b(2). This is a curious incompletely-bound copy, consisting of the complete casing (the usual decorated light green cloth stamped in dark green, glued onto the boards and backstrip), PLUS all 25 separate folded sheets (gatherings -- each sheet containing 16 pages of text). The gatherings have NOT been stitched together, their edges have NOT been trimmed,… Read More

1906. New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1906. Original blue cloth pictorially decorated in yellow, grey and brown. First (American) Edition, published on the same day as the London one. This was Conrad's first volume of autobiographical non-fiction. This copy is in Cagle's binding "a," with the smaller (17x11mm) anchor-and-rope device on the front cover -- probably the earlier binding state, and certainly the one more-frequently encountered. This is a near-fine copy, with just a touch of rubbing at the extremities. Cagle A11b.

1906. London: Methuen & Co., (1906). 40 pp ads dated October 1906. Original green cloth with spine decorated in gilt. First Edition of Conrad's first volume of nonfiction, a rambling discourse about life on the sea. Though originally planned as a collection of sketches, during preparation for publication Conrad converted it into a continuous book. As he wrote to his agent: My idea is a sort of reminiscent discourse running on like this: I. II. III. IV. etc etc XX. XXI. and so on, with no titles or blank or half blank pages between; something, in short, like poor Gissing's Ryecroft papers; and only the headings at the top of pages being changed according to the matter created. "Conrad's method, which was mainly followed, was exceptionally shrewd as a way of getting around the unmarketability of short pieces or even short stories. A continuous book, even his, stood some chance of sales" [Karl]. This copy has October ads; some have ads dated July or August, but the book was not actually published until… Read More

1891. Translated from the French by A. Estoclet. Illustrated by L. Benett. New York: Cassell Publishing Company, n.d. [1891]. Original mint green cloth pictorially decorated in black and gilt. First American Edition (and first edition in English) of this tale involving shipwreck off the coast of Aboriginal Australia. After her husband John has gone to sea and she loses her only child, San Diego resident Dolly Branican goes mad. When she recovers four years later, she discovers that her husband's ship was lost at sea. As heir to a substantial fortune during her madness, Dolly uses these resources to finance the discovery of the whereabouts of her husband's ship the Franklin, because she doesn't believe he is dead. Years later a clue to the fate of the Franklin is discovered in Australia; Dolly quickly goes there to discover that her husband may still be alive in a remote part of northwestern Australia. [Kytasaari] This undated Cassell edition was published in November 1891 -- the first Verne book to… Read More

New York: The Macmillan Company, 1934. Original black cloth lettered in gilt, with dust jacket. First Edition of this book-length ballad for which (per the preliminary "Acknowledgement") "The author's thanks and acknowledgements are gratefully tendered to John Steinbeck, author of "Cup of Gold," for his generous permission to use certain incidents from that novel." Berton goes on to quote in full a brief letter from Steinbeck giving that permission, saying "Please feel free to use what you wish of my work, subconsciously or consciously...". In this copy Berton Braley added to Steinbeck's printed letter, in ink, "With the further and personal thanks of [signed] Berton Braley." The front paste-down of this copy bears the ink-stamp "THIS BOOK BELONGS | TO CAROL AND | JOHN STEINBECK". Thus this copy must have been the one Braley sent to Steinbeck, with his "further and personal thanks" for permission to borrow from CUP OF GOLD. This volume's condition is very good-plus, with some wear at the head of the… Read More

1914. London: Mills & Boon, (1914). [4]+32 pp ads. Original dark green cloth. First English Edition. This tale, serialized as "Sea Gangsters," involves a mutinous voyage around Cape Horn. London hoped to explain his own "Snark" voyage's failure by laying the blame on Anglo-Saxons' problems with the tropics (per the theories he had read in Woodruff's EFFECTS OF TROPICAL LIGHT ON WHITE MEN). Jack wrote THE ELSINORE soon after he and Charmian returned from his "Millergraph" trip to New York City; their five-month return was on the clipper ship "Dirigo," out of Baltimore around Cape Horn, in mid-1912. (His last acts on shore were to shave his head bald and to have a photograph taken of himself standing by Poe's grave.) Since there was no alcohol on board, Jack went through withdrawal from his dependence upon it, and proclaimed that he was not an alcoholic -- though Charmian knew that would last only until the pain in his kidneys and bowels would again become unbearable.[Sinclair] Jack, with major… Read More

1914. With Frontispiece. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1914. 8 pp undated ads. Original orange cloth decorated in blue and grey. First Edition. This tale, serialized as "Sea Gangsters," involves a mutinous voyage around Cape Horn. London hoped to explain his own "Snark" voyage's failure by laying the blame on Anglo-Saxons' problems with the tropics (per the theories he had read in Woodruff's EFFECTS OF TROPICAL LIGHT ON WHITE MEN). Jack wrote THE ELSINORE soon after he and Charmian returned from his "Millergraph" trip to New York City; their five-month return was on the clipper ship "Dirigo," out of Baltimore around Cape Horn, in mid-1912. (His last acts on shore were to shave his head bald and to have a photograph taken of himself standing by Poe's grave.) Since there was no alcohol on board, Jack went through withdrawal from his dependence upon it, and proclaimed that he was not an alcoholic -- though Charmian knew that would last only until the pain in his kidneys and bowels would again become… Read More

1904. London and New York: Harper & Brothers, 1904. Original dark blue cloth decorated in light blue. First Edition of Conrad's great novel involving a South American silver mine, and the corruption and dishonesty fostered by its riches. Conrad was extending his "Lord Jim" theme: that the man who slowly grows rich can be a victim of the silver, not its conqueror; that wealth is not something gained but a trap for those who relinquish, however momentarily, their sense of themselves... It was no coincidence that Conrad was in severe financial straits during the years that he wrote these novels. Despite (or perhaps reflecting) the two and a half years Conrad spent laboring over NOSTROMO, the book was not widely acclaimed upon its publication: The reviews were nearly all bound to discourage the reader. [John] Buchan's estimation is characteristic: "It is not a book which the casual reader will appreciate. The sequence of events has to be sought painfully through the mazes of irrelevancy with which the… Read More

1896. [Shakespeare & Co. copy] London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1896. 1 page preliminary undated ads. Original dark green cloth. First Edition of Conrad's second book, preceded only by (and containing many of the same characters as) ALMAYER'S FOLLY. After Edward Garnett (then a reader at Unwin's) had "discovered" Conrad and had published his first book, he worked very closely with Conrad on this one -- so much so that some biographers have suggested that Garnett's name should have appeared on the title page as co-author. AN OUTCAST is considered the middle volume of Conrad's only trilogy; the third volume, which he began right after AN OUTCAST but could not complete for almost a quarter of a century, was ultimately published in 1920 as THE RESCUE. The front endpaper of this copy bears the inkstamp of "Shakespeare and Company / Sylvia Beach Whitman / Kilometer Zero Paris". This legendary English-language bookshop / free library / publisher was run by Sylvia Beach from 1919 to 1941 (supposedly shut down then… Read More