Rare books from AARDWOLF Fine Books

Albert Dressler, San Francisco, 1930; First Edition; Copy #195 of a limited edition of 525; large 8vo, 72 pages; illustrated; green cloth; blind stamped black titles. The life and times of John Thomas Mason, who came to Sierra County in 1851 to join the Gold Rush, remained in Rabbit Creek for the next 79 years, and was still alive at the time of writing of this book. Fine, in a Very Good Plus dust jacket that has a single 3/4" closed edge tear on the back panel.

M. Clark for Samuel Mearne, in Little Britain, John Martyn, in St. Paul’s Church-yard, and Henry Herringman, in the New Exchange, London, 1680; 12mo; blank flyleaf, title page, A1-7, 1-222, 3 pg. index, Q1-9, blank, 1-28, blank, title page, I-X, 1-110, blank, 2 pg. index, page 111. The 1680 edition, containing three additional essays: "A Fragment Of An Essay On Fame," "A Civic Character Of Julius Cesar," and "A Civic Character Of Augustus Cesar," thus increasing the total number to sixty-one, plus the two titled works "Of The Colours Of Good & Evil," and "The Wisdom Of The Antients" (Sir Arthur Gorges translation). Attractive British armorial binding, finely rebacked by Rene Patron of Hollywood, California in brown calf with genuine raised bands, morocco label, and gilt spine titles. Quill & ink inscription on front pastedown: "The gift of Clement Watson of New Zealand, ‘81." Engraved armorial bookplate on rear pastedown (on a mount a… Read More

The MacMillan Company, New York, 1900; First Edition; 12mo, 385 pages plus 5 pages of publisher’s advertisements at the back; top page edges gilt; illustrated with frontispiece and eight additional plates by Harry Fenn and J.C. Earl. James Lane Allen’s brooding novel of the beginnings of doubt in a pious man whose faith is shaken by theories of modern science and evolution, evidence of which he suddenly becomes aware during his daily interactions with nature as a Kentucky hemp farmer at the close of the Civil War. First edition, first state, with illustrations in photogravure and without the word "facing" before the numerals on page vii. Beautifully bound in illustrated red cloth featuring a magnificent green and silver hemp plant overlaid with gilt titles. Fine, exceptionally clean, crisp, bright, corners sharp. Tanned ghost on the outer margins of the pastedowns, from contact with the flaps of the original dust jacket. Previous owner neat name and date in a small hand on f.f.e.p. A… Read More

Thayer’s Magical Mfg. Co., Los Angeles, CA, 1928; 8vo, 287 pages. Thayer’s magic catalogue for 1928, containing over 1500 magic tricks, effects, illusions, programs with patter, magic apparati, etc., with descriptions and prices for each. Profusely illustrated. Former copy of vaudeville magician Leon H. Levy, known professionally as "The Great Leon" (1876-1951), creator and inventor of many celebrated stage tricks, such as "Fire And Water," "The Torture-Death Box Of Torquemada," "Death Ray Gun," and "The Haunted House." Tipped in at the back are three additional items: 1) A clipping from the printed program for Howard Thurston’s stage act at the Hanna Theater in Cleveland, Ohio, Dec. 22, 1929 listing each trick and illusion to be performed that evening, thirty-seven in all, in order of their presentation; 2) A written list, in Leon’s hand, of the twelve illusions and eight tricks performed by Thurston Oct. 21, 1931, in a 55 minute show in New… Read More

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, NY, 1913; First Edition; 8vo, 371 pages. A collection of prose and poetical works by Myrtle Reed, well known author of "Lavender and Old Lace." Striking Margaret Armstrong art nouveau binding picturing gold and pink roses on a lavender field. Top page edges gilt, color frontispiece of a painting by Clara M. Burd depicting a scene of George Washington courting Martha Custis, plus a sepia photogravure portrait plate of the author, each with guard tissue. Fine, a pristine and beautiful copy, with brief gift inscription, contemporary with the book ("To ___ From ___") on front blank endpaper.

Samuel Harrison Smith, Washington, DC, 1809; Folio (12 1/2 " x 19"), two pages (single leaf printed front and back). Samuel Harrison Smith’s National Intelligencer newspaper for Friday, May 19, 1809, with a lengthy front page letter over three full columns in length by John Adams addressed to the publishers of the Boston Patriot News in response to a recently published criticism. In it Adams recounts in minute detail his reasoning and corresponding actions with respect to the 1799 diplomatic mission to France undertaken by his team of representatives, which eventually resulted in the Convention of 1800 or "Treaty Of Montefontaine," ending America’s Quasi-War with France, which was initiated by Talleyrand’s 1796 order allowing for the seizure of American merchant ships. In the letter Adams reveals that his original choices for the diplomatic team were Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth, Patrick Henry, and Williams Vans Murray, Minister to the Netherlands at the time. Justice… Read More

Bulgarian Academy Of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria, 1956; 8vo, 538 pages; gray cloth; blue titles. Monumental bibliographical listing of nearly 6800 works published by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences from 1869 to 1953, organized sequentially by publication number and year, with a complete alphabetical index to all works cited. Very Good, clean and bright, binding tight and square, corners sharp. A small rectangular portion in the blank margin at the upper right corner of the title page, approximately 3/8" high by 2" long, has been clipped out, not affecting text on either side. Text in Bulgarian. A rare reference.

Harper & Brothers, NY, 1866; First Edition; sm 8vo, 178 pages; brown cloth; beveled board edges; gilt titles; chocolate brown end papers; frontispiece engraved portrait plate, with guard tissue. James Grayson’s compelling biography of his fellow Southerner and lifelong friend James Louis Petigru, lawyer, orator, attorney general for the state of South Carolina, judge, and president of the Historical Society of South Carolina, who maintained his unwavering support of the U.S. Constitution and the Union of the States throughout the turmoil of the Civil War, while retaining dedication to his beloved South. An inspiring portrait of a remarkable American. Fine, clean, crisp, bright, and sharp, binding tight, sound and square, no previous owner signatures or any other markings of any kind, 3/8" closed edge tear in left margin of frontispiece. An exceptionally nice copy.

Deutche Verlagsanstalt, Stuttgart, 1928; First Edition; Signed; 8vo, 274 pages plus a six page catalog at the back. Somber novel depicting the inability of a returning soldier to maintain his family’s long-standing tradition of farm life. Ina Seidel (1885-1974), acknowledged as the leading woman writer of her era, was admitted to the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1930, the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts in 1948, awarded the Goethe Medal in 1932, the Grillparzer Prize of the City of Vienna in 1941, the Wilhelm Raabe Prize of the City of Braunschweig in 1948, and the Great Art Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1958. At her death in 1974 she was credited by her contemporaries as being the last upholder of 19th century tradition. Text in German. Very Good Plus, in a Very Good dust jacket that has two small closed edge tears and moderate spine tan. Signed and dated on the f.f.e.p. by the author Nov. 15, 1927, before publication. Additionally laid-in is a handwritten and signed letter of thanks from… Read More

Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1940; First Edition; 8vo, 471 pages; publisher’s beige cloth; black spine titles over a red field. Hemingway’s dramatic semi-autobiographical tale of fate, courage, and death in the Spanish Civil War, released to considerable critical acclaim and recommended for the 1941 Pulitzer prize, though none was awarded that year. Source of the 1943 Oscar nominated film directed by Sam Wood starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman. Hemingway dedicated the book to comrade, paramour, and energetic war correspondent Martha Gellhorn, whom he married the following year. Very Good, pastedown margins lightly tanned, clean, crisp, corners sharp, binding tight, sound, and square, no ownership signatures or any other markings of any kind. Second issue dust jacket with photographer Lloyd Arnold’s credit beneath the rear panel photo, publisher’s price of $2.75, and Henry Seidel Canby blurb on front flap. Arnold was chief photographer for the Sun Valley Company and its Idaho… Read More

Viking Press, New York, 1935; First Edition; tall 8vo, 154 pages; red cloth; illustrated. Charles G. Finney’s first novel, a fantasy about a bizarre traveling circus that suddenly appears in the remote desert town of Abalone, Arizona carrying a load of extraordinary creatures overseen by a mysterious Chinaman. Winner of Best Book Of The Year at the first National Book Awards in 1935 and later adapted to the screen by Charles Beaumont and Ben Hecht for the 1964 MGM film "The Seven Faces Of Dr. Lao." It has been cited as a creative influence by numerous fantasy writers including Ray Bradbury, who expressed his greatest admiration for it. In his memoirs, author Charles Grandison Finney (1905-1984) revealed that the idea for "Dr.Lao" was conceived while he was stationed with the U.S. infantry in China from 1927-1929. After discharge, Finney moved to Tucson, Arizona and took a job as journalist for the Arizona Daily Star, where remained for forty years, and the fictional Abalone,… Read More

, . 5" x 8" signed letter on personal stationery from George Francis Train (1829-1904), visionary businessman, powerful financier, charismatic orator, passionate political activist, and legendary world traveler, who was known as much for his successes as for his eccentricities. A short list of his achievements would include establishing a line of clipper ships at age sixteen to sail from Boston around the tip of South America to San Francisco in order to serve those desiring to join in the Gold Rush; creating a track-guided horse tram in the cities of London and Birkenhead, England; partnering with Thomas C. Durant in the formation of the Union Pacific Railroad; organizing Credit Mobilier America to finance construction of the Transcontinental Railroad (later the object of scandal); founding Credit Foncier to raise capital for the purchase of land along the rail route; thrice circumnavigating the globe—first in 80 days, then 67, and finally 60 (reportedly inspiring the Jules Verne novel);… Read More

Charles Landis, Vineland, NJ, 1875; 21" x 28", 4 pgs., plus 2 pg. Supplement. March, 1875 issue of The Vineland Rural newspaper, published by dynamic 19th century visionary Charles K. Landis (1833-1900), founder, designer, developer, and promoter of Vineland, New Jersey. After traveling throughout the United States in search of an ideal location, Landis settled upon Cumberland County, New Jersey as the site to realize his plan for a place of beautiful homes, manufacturies, businesses, schools, and churches, populated by hardworking, prosperous, contented citizens, all laid out with a mind toward beauty, and surrounded by thriving farms. "I desired to make Vineland so desirable a place to live in by reason of its various privileges, and over all to throw such a halo of beauty, as to make people loath to leave it." After purchasing 20,000 acres in 1861 from prominent Quaker landowner Richard D. Wood, Landis quickly set about drawing up plans, clearing a wide boulevard, and… Read More

Rev. R. Davis & Brother, Philadelphia, 1834; octavo, 480 pages; full leather. Christian Frederic Crusé’s landmark translation into English, directly from the original Greek, of the whole of Eusebius’s 4th century Ecclesiastical History, which has enjoyed a prominent position in the study of Church history scholarship for over 180 years. Additionally includes ‘Annotations On The Life And Works Of Eusebius’ (translated from Valesius by S. E. Parker), a Chronological Table, a ‘List Of The Order Of Episcopal Succession In The Prominent Dioceses Mentioned By Eusebius, and a complete Index, Very Good, original leather binding, raised bands, marbled end papers, marbled page edges. General external surface rubbing, moderate leather wear of the bottom edge of the spine panel, edge marbling darkened with age, spine title labels absent, binding tight, sound, square, text clean, crisp, and bright. An essential resource.

Ekdotikos Oichos Patris E.P.E., Athens, 1960; 8vo (7" x 9 3/4"), 520 pages; illustrated. Landmark translation of Thucydides’ fifth century B.C. History, from the original Classic Greek into Modern Greek, by eminent Greek scholar and statesman Eleutherios Venizelos, seven times Prime Minister of Greece, who was instrumental in the formation of the modern Greek State. Painstakingly written over a period of seven years, Venizelos’ translation is noted, among other aspects, for his use of katharevousa, a modern Greek style closer to classic Greek than the demotic vernacular, in order to correct later accretions and bring the language closer to that of Thucydides’ original. Copious commentary and analysis by Venizelos, plus substantive prefaces by Stefanos I. Stephanou, Dimitrios Kaklamanos, Andreas Mikalopotaos and Konstantin D. Stergiopoulos. Illustrated with frontispiece Venizelos portrait plate, five color fold-out maps, six full-page b&w photo plates of various associated Greek… Read More