Search Results: Titles starting with B from Ashton Rare Books ABA, PBFA, ILAB

Large 4to., original printed wraps; Vol I printed in black on pink card, with 22 black-and-white photographic plates, pp. 160, [iv, ads.]; Vol II with cover design by Lewis in black over white card; pp. 102, [vi, ads.] with 20 full-page, inter-text and tailpiece illustrations by Lewis, Edward Wadsworth, Jacob Epstein, Gaudier-Brzeska, Christopher Nevinson, William Roberts and many others, and 1 photograph. Both volumes aged toned with age related markings. VOLUME 1 : Some loss to the spine ends and cover edges. Both the front and back covers of this volume are detached but come together and present well in the removable Mylar archival cover. The covers are spotted along the outer edge. Internally complete with the usually encountered spotting throughout which is heavier in places. VOLUME 2 : A small area of loss to the lower spine otherwise the spine is remarkably intact. A tiny chip to the rear lower cover otherwise the covers have only very light age related markings. The covers are protected in a… Read More

The First UK Printing published by The Hogarth Press in 1940.The BOOK is in near FINE condition.A little ghosting to the spine and cover edges.Hint of toning to the text block with moderate offsetting and a little spotting to the end papers.Free from inscriptions, erasures and markings.The WRAPPER is complete and is in near FINE condition.A slither of rubbing at the lower spine tip.A hint of toning to the white lettering on the spine.The Robert Buhler designed wrapper artwork looks very striking in the removable Brodart archival cover.Loosely inserted is the remnant of a book society band which may have accompanied this title.The English modernist poet's first published novel, an autobiographical work about his childhood school experiences.The protagonist, Geoffrey Bland, is the son of an overbearing father and ineffectual mother who is sent away to boarding school at a young age.Virginia Woolf praised the novel in her diary (May 6, 1940).A very sharp copy of the author's first novel. Ashtonrarebooks… Read More

The First UK printing published by Heinemann, London in 1992. The BOOK is in near Fine condition. Light pushing at the spine ends with a tiny nick at the upper spine tip. Free from inscriptions and erasures. Very light toning to the text block. The WRAPPER is complete and is in near Fine condition. A hint of creasing to the upper spine tip. The red lettering to the front cover and spine remains bright and unfaded. The flaps are clean. The exceptionally rare second title in the acclaimed 'Patrick Melrose' series, recently televised starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role. Collectible. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.

The First UK printing published by Alison Green Books, London in 2022. Both the BOOK and WRAPPER are in Fine unread condition. The wrapper is protected in a removable archival cover. The book has been signed (without dedication), dated and located by Julia Donaldson to the title page. Axel Scheffler has also signed the title page and doodled a butterfly. The book was signed at The Edinburgh Literary Festival earlier this year - One of the few literary events that the author and illustrator have appeared at this year. The latest title to be published from the creators of 'Zog', 'Stickman' and 'The Gruffalo'. Very scarce with such attributes. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.

The First UK printing published by Alison Green Books, London in 2022. Both the BOOK and WRAPPER are in Fine unread condition. The wrapper is protected in a removable archival cover. The book has been signed (without dedication) by both the author and illustrator to the title page. The latest title to be published from the creators of 'Zog', 'Stickman' and 'The Gruffalo'. Scarce with such attributes. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.

The First UK printing published by Alison Green Books, London in 2022. Both the BOOK and WRAPPER are in Fine unread condition. The wrapper is protected in a removable archival cover. The book has been signed (without dedication), dated and located by Julia Donaldson to the title page. Axel Scheffler has also signed the title page and doodled an insect (sitting on the letter 'B' from the title) . The book was signed at The Edinburgh Literary Festival earlier this year - One of the few literary events that the author and illustrator have appeared at this year. The latest title to be published from the creators of 'Zog', 'Stickman' and 'The Gruffalo'. Very scarce with such attributes.

The First UK printing published by Chatto and Windus in 1952. The BOOK is in near FINE condition. Mild pushing at the spine tips with some light toning of the page edges and the text block. Mild offsetting to the blank end papers.The pages are clean and free from inscriptions. The WRAPPER is complete and is in near FINE condition. The upper front cover, spine and folds are lightly toned. The red lettering to the spine is faded. The rare wraparound Promotional Band is complete and toned to the spine. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival protector. The book has been SIGNED by PARS LAGERKVIST to the title page. Par Lagerkvist was a highly influential writer from his twenties into his seventies and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1951 'for the artistic vigour and true independence of mind with which he endeavors in his poetry to find answers to the eternal questions confronting mankind'. The first of Lagerkvist's works to be published in the United States, the novel gives… Read More

The First UK Trade Edition published by Gollancz in 1939. Not to be confused with the more commonly found 'Left Book Club' softcover edition published the same year. The BOOK is in near FINE condition. A little toning to the text block but the book is clean, tight and free from inscriptions. Small bookseller's sticker to the lower front pastedown. The black boards are very clean with the gilt titling remaining very bright. The WRAPPER is complete and is in near FINE condition. Minor creasing and nicks in places. The spine is a little age toned. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. A very sharp copy and extremely scarce as such. A classic text written on the eve of the Second World War by the founder of the Hogarth Press. Collectible. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.

The First UK Printing of the wrappered edition published by Armada Lions, London in 1971. The BOOK is in near Fine condition. Some light spotting to the inside edges of the covers. Some toning to the text-block and page edges due to the quality of the paper stock used. Some very light spotting to the upper text-block. This copy is exceptionally well preserved and appears unread with no creasing to the spine and no fading of colouring to the spine (The book has apparently been protected in brown paper and put away since it was signed by the author near publication date). The book has been inscribed and signed by the author to the verso of the front cover : ' For Biddy, with all good wishes, Michael Bond'. Loosely inserted is a Paddington Bear postcard which the author has also inscribed : ' Fir Biddy, will all good wishes, Padington'. Below Padington's name Michael Bond has doodled Paddington's paw print as Paddington's signature! Michael Bond has signed his name below this in a different ink. Michael… Read More

The sole UK printing published by Glasshouse Press, Liverpool in 1977. The BOOK is in Very Good+ condition. Stiff card printed covers with 12 pages stapled. Some toning and age related markings to the card covers. Early rusting of the staples. Light creasing of some of the page edges with a little toning to the page edges. One of 100 copies issued and privately printed for the authors. The book has been signed by both authors to the title page : 'For Elspeth, much love , Carol Ann - Beast' and underneath this inscription :'Love + songs in Silvington, Adrian (Beauty)'. Carol Ann Duffy was the former Poet Laureate, and this is her second published work. Adrian Henri was a British poet and painter best remembered as the founder of poetry-rock group the 'Liverpool Scene' and as one of three poets in the best-selling anthology 'The Mersey Sound', along with Brian Patten and Roger McGough. 'Henri had a 10-year relationship with Carol Ann Duffy. The pair met when she was 16 and lived together until 1982'… Read More

The Second UK printing published by William Heinemann, London in 1964. This, the 'Contemporary Fiction' edition, was published the year after the first Heinemann edition and two years before the Faber edition was published under the author's real name - Sylvia Plath. The BOOK is in Very Good++ condition. Bound in the publisher's original green boards with silver lettering to the spine, with a lilac top-stain which is lightly faded. Slight pushing to the spine tips with light spotting to the prelims and the text-block. Free from inscriptions. The WRAPPER is complete and is in Very Good++ condition. Light edge-wear with some mild creasing and edge-wear at the spine ends and edges. Some fading of the lilac colouring to the spine as usually encountered. Some light age related markings in places with a small closed tear to the lower front panel edge. The wrapper remains very attractive in the removable Brodart archival cover. Loosely inserted are two 'Contemporary Fiction' Newsletters (numbers 21 and 25).… Read More

The First UK printing published by Chatto and Windus in c1944. The BOOK is in near Fine condition. Free from inscriptions and erasures. Wonderfully illustrated throughout in B/W and colour lithography by T. Ritchie (Trekkie Parsons), the wife of the chairman at Chatto and also close friend of both Leonard and Virginia Woolf. Scarce. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.

The First UK printing published by Hamish Hamilton (Reindeer Books) in 1957. The BOOK is in near Fine condition with light spotting and toning to the text-bock with some light toning to the extreme page edges. A few light spots to the boards and edges. Internally free from inscriptions and erasures. The WRAPPER is complete and is in in near Fine condition. Very light fading to the spine and just a little dustiness to the rear panel. The wrapper is in exceptional condition for its age and looks very bright in the removable Brodart archival cover. The book is profusely illustrated throughout in B/W by the author. One of the scarcest BB titles to find in any condition but more-so in such exceptional condition. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.

The First UK printing published by Faber, London in 1999. The BOOK is in Near Fine condition and appears unread. The WRAPPER is complete and is in near Fine condition with NO fading to the the spine. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. The book has been signed (without dedication) by the Nobel Laureate author to the title page. Heaney's translation of the Anglo-Saxon epic, which he dedicated to the memory of Ted Hughes. The title won the 1999 'Whitbread Book of the Year' award. (Brandes & Durkan A72a). Increasingly elusive with such attributes. A very sharp copy. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.

The First UK printing published by Faber, London in 1998. The Limited edition, this being number '244' of 300 numbered copies signed by the author to the limitation page. The BOOK is in Fine condition. Original quarter black cloth over blue boards, spine lettered in gilt. Signed by the author to the limitation page. The book is protected in a removable Mylar archival cover. The publisher's original slipcase is in near Fine condition with just a few light age related markings. The collection was published only months before Hughes' death, and contains previously unpublished poems pertaining variously to his wife Sylvia Plath, including 'Last Letter,' the author's response to Plath's suicide. It was awarded the 'Forward Poetry Prize', 'The T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry', 'The Whitbread Poetry Prize', and 'The Whitbread British Book of the Year Prize'. An exceptional copy. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.

The First UK Printing published by Encore Publishing Co.Ltd. in 1959. This edition was published solely as a wraps edition. The BOOK is in Very Good++ or better condition. A little creasing along the spine and a small crease at the upper front cover adjacent to the spine. The book remains tight and is free from erasures, inscriptions and markings. The book has been simply Signed without dedication on the title page by Harold Pinter. The Birthday Party was first staged in the spring of 1958 at the Arts Theatre in Cambridge, before playing in Oxford and Wolverhampton. It opened in London, at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, in May 1958 and infamously closed after only eight performances. It's failure is said to have caused Pinter to consider ending his ambition to be a playwright but subsequent revivals have cemented it's status as a classic. In 1959 the play received it's first such re-evalution when it was performed by the Tavistock Repertory Company at the Tower Theatre in Islington, London. This… Read More

The sole UK printing published by The Whitechapel Art Gallery, London in 1951. The BOOK is in Very Good+ condition. Complete with 48 pages. The printed card covers and frontispiece were designed by Barbara Jones. Staple- bound, the staples are minimally rusted with no 'bleed' to the paper. The covers have some light age related markings. Free from inscriptions. Light spotting to the text-block with a few lights spots internally. An exceptionally rare, ephemeral item of Barbara Jones' output. Timed to coincide with the 'Festival of Britain', the exhibition curated by Barbara Jones and Tom Ingram brought together popular and traditional 'art' produced for many and varied purposes but not intended for the gallery, and therefore under the radar of the art establishment. In her introduction, Jones writes of how our apprehension and judgement of such quotidian objects move from seeing them as, first 'Quaint' then 'Charming' and at last 'Good'. 'The virtues of British art are as visible here,' writes Jones… Read More

2 volumes. The First UK Printings published by Macmillan & Co.Ltd, London in 1941. The BOOKS are in Very Good++ or better condition. Original cloth with gilt titling. Light pushing at the spine ends. Mild offsetting to the end papers with light toning and spotting to the text-block. Some spotting to the prelims of Vol.1 and lightly to the page edges in a few places in both vols. Free from inscriptions and bookplates. The WRAPPERS are complete and are in Very Good++ or better condition. Light edge-wear with a little loss to the corners and spine tips in Vol.1. Light toning to the spines. Mild creasing to the edges of Vol.1. The wrappers present very well in the removable Brodart archival covers. 32 photogravure plates from photographs. After five years of marriage, Rebecca West was again ready for independent travel. Her opportunity came via the newly formed British Council, which sent her as a lecturer, first to the Baltic states, and then to Yugoslavia. Though she endured sexual harassment and… Read More

The First UK printing published by Heinemann, London in 1942. The BOOK is in Very Good- condition with a slight lean, light pushing at the spine ends with some fading at the upper spine tip corresponding to the area of loss in the wrapper. Moderate ghosting to the lower edges and the spine with dulling of the gilt titling. Offsetting to the end-papers with toning to the text-block and the page edges due to the cheap wartime quality of the paper stock used. Free from inscriptions. The WRAPPER is complete and is in Very Good- condition. Some toning to the spine with moderate edge-wear to the spine ends with some loss to the upper spine. A light vertical crease to the both flaps. Some splitting along the spine folds with a horizontal closed tear across the spine midway. A closed tear to both the upper cover edges. Some age related markings, creasing and toning in places. The fragile wrapper however comes together and presents very well in the removable Brodart archival cover. A scarce copy of one of… Read More

The First UK printing published by Virago, London in 1984. The BOOK is in near Fine condition. Light pushing at the spine ends. Some light offsetting to the end-papers and toning to the text-block. A hint of toning to the page edges. Free from inscriptions. The WRAPPER is complete and is in near Fine condition. Some light creasing at the spine tips and corners. Light toning to the flap edges. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. The book has been signed (without dedication) by the author to the title page. A copy fo the signing event ticket accompanies this title as provenance. The Booker Prize winning author's very scarce second book which was also published simultaneously in paperback, with the hardback copies being issued in much smaller numbers. Collectible. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.