Rare books from Northern Lights Rare Books

London: Doubleday, 1996. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First Printing of the UK edition. Unquestionably one of the most influential statesmen of the 20th Century. A substantial heavy book which is prone to losing its shape but this is a Fine, tight unread copy in Fine dustjacket. SIGNED (for the seller in person) by Mikhail Gorbachev at the title page. The signing took place at what was then Waterstones' branch located in Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge, London. As you can imagine there was a very, very long queue and I was fortunate enough to be very near the front of that queue because after only 15 or 20 minutes of signings his security people interrupted the line a few places behind me and told the remaining hundreds of customers to get lost. I would estimate that maybe only 50 or 60 of us got our books signed that day - his only scheduled signing that I know of in the UK at that time.

London: Heinemann, 1970. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First Printing. A wonderful copy of the author's fifth novel, filmed in 1974 with Roger Moore, Susannah York and Bradford Dillman in the leading roles. It sounds like a lifetime ago and yet this copy presents almost As New. Square, tight, with a fresh, white text-block, the most minor of pushing at the extreme spine tips but corners sharp- a really handsome copy. In a beautiful unclipped dustjacket with absolutely no loss of paper but a microscopic chip to the laminate at the crown. There is a line or score across the front panel which may be a production fault - not unduly noticeable although obviously a slight blemish to an otherwise perfect copy. Loosely inserted an adhesive label which has been signed by Wilbur Smith - not a contemporary signature.

Finland: Mosfilm, 1953. 1st Edition . No Binding. Good. An extremely rare Finnish A2 cinema-used poster for the Soviet-era, 1953 historical movie, Admiral Ushakov. The film was first screened in cinemas in Finland in November 1953 with no subsequent theatrical runs. This poster is not a modern reproduction or reprinting and nor is it Video/DVD-related This particular poster is a standard size 60cm x 40cm approx. It is in Good condition - fold-line to centre, free from pinholes or adhesive residue marks. There a few tears to the edges, the biggest of which is 1.5 inches long. No loss of paper involved and therefore easily fixable. The left edge in particular has a few small nicks and one proper tear. The poster is a trifle tanned, perhaps. Notwithstanding the former it remains a very attractive poster, beautifully illustrated in colour (artist name visible in the plate or stone).

London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1995. 1st Edition . Soft cover. Fine. First Printing. An Uncorrected Proof Copy, precedes all other editions. Softcover format with printed wrappers, the front cover featuring a photograph-portrait of the author. Presents as an unread copy with no reading creases to the spine, tight and square. Trivial creases to the corners but a Fine copy indeed and SIGNED directly to the title page by the author. Scarce thus.

Finland: Paramount Pictures, 1956. 1st Edition 1st Printing. No Binding. As New. An unused Finnish A2 lobby poster for the movie Lucy Gallant, starring Jane Wyman & Charlton Heston The film was first screened in Finnish cinemas in 1956. This particular poster is a standard size 60cm x 40cm approx, printed by Rotopaino Oy of Helsinki. It is in miraculous shape, Mint condition. Unfolded. No pinholes. No tears, nicks or creases. Bright, clean and vivid.

London: Heinemann, 2017. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. As New/As New. Signed, stamped and numbered limited edition, no. 60 of 750. Signed by Tom Hanks at the title page. Lovely copy, appears unread. Slipcase, two postcards and bookmark laid in - the bookmark has a creased corner.

Helsinki: Schildts, 1974. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Very Good. First Printing, the true first edition of Tove Jansson's first full-length novel for adults. Publshed in Helsinki by Schildts, the author's Swedish-language publisher in her native Finland. Set in a Florida retirement centre, Solstaden is, in the author's own words, "a book about what it's like to get old and I have described the love of two very young and beautiful people in the city of the elderly.". Hardcover in dustjacket, pp.171. The dustjacket illustration by the author. Printed in the Swedish language. A Fine, tight, square copy, appears unread. The dustjacket has minor rubbing/wear to the extremities otherwise VG. SIGNED in black ink at the title page by the author, extremely rare thus.

London: Phaidon Press, 2021. 1st Edition . Hardcover. As New. First UK Printing. Fabric-covered boards without dustjacket as issued. 439 pages, red endpapers and edges. As New condition, SIGNED directly to the title page by Annie Leibovitz.

London: Harrap & Co, 1985. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. First Printing. A splendid and unique copy of the Ralph Steadman illustrated version of Treasure Island - inscribed by the artist at the front endpapers to fellow artist and writer Posy Simmonds. Inscription reads, "For Posy Simmonds from me, Ralph Steadman". In addition to the huge inscription in gold ink the artist has drawn a skeleton beneath the existing skull illustration. Bumped at the crown and lower corners, otherwise Near Fine. Dustjacket - unclipped, tiny chip to the surface of the rear panel, Near Fine. Provenance: From the library of Posy Simmonds

Allen and Unwin, 1966. Hardcover. Very Good/Good. New Edition. A fascinating copy of this standard work. The book has been SIGNED by no less than 12 of some of the most well-known and senior members of the British Labour Party from the 80's/90's and early Noughties. The signatures (at the front pastedown and front endpaper and - modestly, on its own at the half-title) are from: John Prescott MP (now Baron Prescott); the late Tam Dalyell MP; Neil Kinnock MP (now Baron Kinnock); the late Dennis Healy (Baron Healy); the hon. Clare Short, MP (retired); the late Donald Dewar, MP (inaugural First Minister of Scotland): Roy Hattersley, MP (now Baron Hattersley); the late Michael Foot MP; the late Tony Benn, MP; the late Robin Cook, MP; Gordon Brown MP; George Galloway, MP. Neil Kinnock, Michael Foot and Gordon Brown were each Leaders of the Party at various times and Brown was, of course, the most recent Labour Party Prime Minister. A remarkable item of political memorabilia and undoubtedly a… Read More

London: Faber & Faber, 1995. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. Superb copy of the Nobel Prize winning author's fourth novel. Black cloth covers with white titles to the spine. Square, very tight, sharp corners, fresh, white text-block, a really Fine book with a light scratch to the lower cover. The dustjacket is unclipped and in Fine clean condition except for one obvious fault which is a 2.5 inch tear or razor-cut to the rear panel from the top edge down. Has been reasonably well tape-repaired but is still noticeable with minor loss of laminate. Otherwise would be a perfect unclipped dustjacket! SIGNED without inscription or dedication at the title page (for the seller in person), a lovely copy.

London: Collins Harvill, 1990. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/Fine. First Printing. A lovely copy - pushed slightly at the crown and cracked at the title page. The spine has pulled away from the backstrip just a little at the top edge but still a lovely, straight, tightish copy in a Fine unclipped dustjacket without loss, nicks, tears or rubbing. SIGNED (for the seller in person) by the author at the title page.

Liverpool: Tate Liverpool, 2006. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine. First Printing. Published to mark the eponymous exhibition by the enfants terrible of modern British art at the Tate, Liverpool in 2006. One of reportedly only 60 signed copies offered for sale by the Tate Gallery Bookshop at the time. SIGNED "Jake and Dinos Chapman" at the half-title. Exceedingly scarce, I do not recall one of these signed copies being offered for sale previously. 1/4 cloth. pp. 149, illustrated. Lower corners bumped but otherwise a Fine copy indeed.

Headline, 2005. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Fine. A really Fine, fresh, clean copy of the First UK edition. Dustjacket unclipped and in Fine shape. SIGNED by Neil Gaiman at the Dedication (for the seller in person), where he has underlined the line of printed text which reads "This one's for you" and signed below. A nice touch.

Finland: Self-published, 1947. 1st Edition . No Binding. Fine. An attractive and early, small drypoint by Tuulikki Pietilä (1917-2009), Finland's most influential graphic artist of the 20th Century. Numbered 7/15 (lower left) and hand-signed/dated in pencil in 1947 by the artist (middle to lower right). Framed and under glass, the frame measures 24cm x 28cm approx. Image measures 7 cm x 7 cm approx. A portrait of a small boy named "Georg" in the image but at the back on the label to verso the title of the work is recorded as "Jori" which is a Finnish nickname for Georg. The print appears to be in VG to Fine condition, not examined under frame. Original backing with label to verso. The frame is a simple wooden one with a small chip right edge near middle, a few smaller ones on the surface of the edges and a few other minor marks, condition commensurate with age - likely to be the original.