Rare books from Rooke Books

London: Chapman and Hall, 1871-1880. First edition. Paperback. Good. 10.5" by 8". Phiz. An extensive run of the 'Household Edition' of Charles Dickens' works, scarce in the original parts. This was the first edition of Dickens' works issued posthumously. First thus, the first 'Household Edition' of Dickens' works whereby Chapman and Hall commissioned new illustrations for the works and feature Forster's 'Life of Dickens' as the final volume. For this edition Chapman and Hall commissioned new illustrations. (Gimbel D66). This edition was intended as a library edition for the every-day household. Its serialised publication format meant that less affluent families could own the entire twenty-two volumes with the cost spread over a lengthy period of time. Collated, Lacking parts 91 and 93. With the original adverts bound in still, including a pamphlet regarding the publication of Gustave Dore's 'Dante'. Contemporaneously, an American edition of this work was published by Harper and… Read More

London: Macmillan and Co., 1881. Cloth. Good. 7.5" by 5". John Tenniel . A scarce early edition of this highly influential work of children's fiction, complete with the original charming illustrations by John Tenniel. With publisher's advertisement to the rear of the work. Sixty Seventh Thousand. Complete, with forty two charming illustrations by John Tenniel depicting the many much-loved scenes including The Mad Hatter's Tea Party and The White Rabbit looking at his pocket watch. Upon the original publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865, Tenniel was far more well-known than Carroll, owing to his successful career as an illustrator and cartoonist, including many pieces for the satirical periodical 'Punch'. Tenniel also illustrated the sequel, 'Alice Through The Looking Glass' and the coloured revised illustrations for 'The Nursery Alice'. Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) was a mathematician and author best known for this work, and its sequel 'Alice Through the… Read More

London: Black, Young and Young, 1831-2. Leather. Very Good. 11" by 8.5". None. An attractive first UK edition of this famous dictionary, in a uniform leather binding. The first UK edition, reprinted by E H Barker from a copy communicated by the author and containing manuscript corrections and additions. Complete in two volumes. 'Intended to exhibit I. The origin and affinities of every English word. II. The orthography and the pronunciation of words. III. Accurate and discriminating definitions. To which are prefixed an introductory dissertation on the origin, history, and connection of the languages of western Asia and of Europe; and a concise grammar.' With an ink inscription that states 'Given to Wm Layton Lowndes' who has charmingly unabbreviated some column heading works in the text. Webster's Dictionary, which first appeared in 1828 in America, has remained the standard dictionary in the United States. Webster's Dictionary sought to differentiate itself from the standard English… Read More

London: Encyclopaedia Office, 1811-1821. Leather. Very Good Indeed. 11.5" by 9". None. A scarce, six volume set of John Wilkes' noted encyclopaedia. First edition of these uniformly bound volumes. Comprising volume IX dated 1811,volume XIV dated 1816, volume XV dated 1817, volume XVI dated 1819, volume XVII dated 1820, and volume XVIII dated 1821.With 139 plates to volume I  72 to volume II, 56 plates to volume XV, 65 plates to volume XVI, 57 plates to XVII, 49 plates to volume XVIII. Collated, volume XV is lacking two plates. With sections on heraldry, biography, horticulture, natural history, musics, optics, mineralogy.  In a half calf binding, with cloth covered boards. Externally, generally smart. Light rubbing to the head and tail of spine and to the raised bands. Small loss to the head of spine to volume IX. Internally, all volumes are firmly bound. Pages are bright. Chips to the occasional edges. Closed tears to pages 483-484 of volume XV, Very Good Indeed

Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1770-1771. Leather. Good Only. 13" by 9.5". Hubert Gravelot; Francis Hayman. A beautifully illustrated set of William Shakespeare's works. Noted for the beautiful engravings which were created by Gravelot after Hayman under supervision of the editor. An miportant and scarce six volume set of Shakespeare's works, with full page illustrations. Volume I also has the Alexander Pope's preface and Rowe's important life of Shakespeare. This is the second edition of Sir Thomas Hamner's Shakespeare, which was originally published in 1743-4. With two portraits of Shakespeare, and eight further plates to volume I, seven plates to volume II, six plates to volume III, five plates to volume IV, six plates to volume V, with five plates to volume VI. With thirty-nine plates total including the frontispiece and second engraved portrait of Shakespeare. Prior owner's inscription to the title page of all volumes, Owen Owen Oxon 1820. Volume I : The Tempest, A Midsummer… Read More

London: Chapman and Hall, 1844 - 1877. First edition. Leather. Very Good. 9" by 6". Various. Containing several first editions in book form, this is a uniformly bound collection of Charles Dickens' most famous works, including Oliver Twist, Bleak House, and Little Dorrit. This nine volume uniformly bound set of Charles Dickens" novels contain various editions and issues of his books. These editions have been dated using Smith"s bibliography of Dickens. This set contains 279 black and white engraved plates across the nine volumes. "Dombey and Son" The first edition in book form, later issue, as "Chapman and Hall" is on the title page, rather than "Bradbury and Evans", as was on the title page for the first issue. However issue points with the first edition as follows; Cuttle"s hook is on his left hand on the title page and on the plate facing page 238; "delight" is written instead of "joy" on page 284, 5 lines up from the… Read More

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons , 1940. First edition. Cloth. Near Fine/Very Good. 8.5" by 6". None. A fine, signed, first edition first impression copy of one of Ernest Hemingway's best known works 'For Whom The Bell Tolls'. First edition, first impression with the Scribner's 'A'. Dustwrapper is first impression priced $2.75. Dustwrapper, is unclipped. 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. Hemingway drew on his own experiences as a journalist during the Spanish Civil War for the 'North American Newspaper Alliance'. This work is often regarded as one of Hemingway's best works. Loosely inserted is Ernest Hemingway's signature. A very smart example of this important piece of American literature. In the publisher's original cloth binding. With unclipped dustwrapper. Externally, excellent, with minor shelfwear. Small loss to the top spine label. Dustwrapper is very smart. Minor… Read More

London: George Allen and Unwin, 1961 . Cloth. Good. 9" by 5.5". None. The complete set of this early impression of the trilogy 'The lord of the Rings' by J R R Tolkien. The eleventh impression of The Fellowship of the Ring, the eighth impression of The Two Towers, and of The Return of the King, a set published in 1961. The complete trilogy of early printings of one of the most celebrated juvenile works of fiction ever written, selling over one hundred and fifty million copies and counting, and inspiring works of music, artworks, films, television, video games, board games, and much more. It has been translated into at least thirty eight languages. Originally written as a sequel to his children's work The Hobbit, the trilogy developed into a much larger work. An epic high fantasy series by popular author J R R Tolkien. Following the adventures of Frodo the Hobbit and his friends as they go on a quest to rid the world of the evil power of the One Ring of Sauron and facing many obstacles. With… Read More

Birmingham: J and R Tonson; Baskerville, 1758. First edition. Leather. Good Only. 9" by 6". None. The first Baskerville edition of John Milton's epic blank verse poems, 'Paradise Lost' and 'Paradise Regain'd'. To Paradise Regain'd there is also Milton's closet drama 'Samson Agonistes' and his 'Poems Upon Several Occasions' . With a life of Milton to the preface of Paradise Regain'd and an introductory preface by Baskerville to Paradise Lost.The front board to volume I is detached but present. Both of these volumes are printed by John Baskerville for J and R Tonson. They are some of the earliest books to be printed in Baskerville's innovative transitional typeface. Both Paradise Lost and Paradise Regain'd are arguably some of John Milton's best poetical works with Paradise Lost being regarded as Milton's major work. Both are written in blank verse and relate to Christian history. Paradise Lost concerns the Biblical story of the Fall of Man, the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan… Read More

New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1946. Cloth. Near Fine/Very Good. 7.5" by 5". None. An early American edition of George Orwell's controversial politically satirical novel, this edition being printed in the same year as the first American edition. In the original dustwrapper. Early American edition, published in the same year as the first American edition, this copy without the statement 'first American edition' to the copyright page. However, this copy does not state any other subsequently printings to the copyright page, so it's likely that this is the second printing.In the original unclipped dustwrapper. This is an early issue dustwrapper, without the price to the front flyleaf, and without 'printed in the USA' to the rear flyleaf.An early edition of George Orwell's monumental satirical allegorical novella. Set on a farm, Orwell looks at a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, reflecting the events leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution to the Stalinist era of the… Read More

London: George Allen & Unwin, 1958. Cloth. Very Good Indeed/Fair. 7.5" by 5". J R R Tolkien. An early edition of J R R Tolkien's important novel 'The Hobbit'. An award winning novel, and a classic in children's literature. The tenth impression of the second edition.'The Hobbit' is the first novel in Tolkien's fantasy world that continued with great success with his 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy.In 'The Hobbit', the reader is introduced to Tolkien's world, following the adventures of Bilbo Baggins as he voyages with a group of dwarves to win a share of the treasure horded by the dangerous dragon Smaug. Bilbo is given the important ring by Gandalf, and later gifts it to his nephew, Frodo, in 'The Fellowship of the Rings'. In the publisher's original cloth binding, with original unclipped dustwrapper. Externally, very smart with minor bumping to the bottom outer corner of both boards. Dustwrapper is repaired with tape to the bottom edge, joints and flyleaf joints. Rear wrap is attached to the rest of… Read More

New York, Evanston, and London: Harper & Row, 1964. First edition. Hardback. Near Fine/Very Good Indeed. 9" by 7". Shel Silverstein. A lovely first impression copy of Shel Silverstein's important and influential children's novel, illustrated by Silverstein throughout, in an early impression dust wrapper. The first edition, first impression of this work, with the four line colophon to the copyright page. The dust wrapper is not the first issue dust wrapper, with the price $2.95 and not $2.50. Thus the dust wrapper is an early issue, possibly the second.In the original clipped dust wrapper, however the price is not clipped.'The Giving Tree' is a classic American children's fantasy picture book, following the relationship of an apple tree and a young boy who grows into adulthood.Though it was popular when published, this work also garnered a lot of controversy, with people debating whether the relationship between the boy and tree is positive or abusive. There are many different interpretations of the… Read More

London: Frederick Warne and Co, 1902. First edition. Hardback. Very Good Indeed. 5.5" by 4.5". Beatrix Potter. A first edition, one of the first three printings of Beatrix Potter's long-lasting charming tale of the young and naughty Peter Rabbit. The first edition, early printing of this work, being one of the first three printings which were indistinguishable from one another; with 'wept big tears' to page 51, no date to the title page, plain leaf patterned paste downs and endpapers, and with a singular dot to the 'o' in the title to the spine and front board.Illustrated with a colour frontispiece, and thirty colour plates.Curiously misbound with the frontispiece for 'The Tale of Benjamin Bunny', rather than the original frontispice for 'Peter Rabbit'. Otherwise, all plates are present. One of the most popular children's works ever published, 'Peter Rabbit' follows the mischievous and disobedient young bunny as he falls into trouble with Mr. McGregor. Written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. In… Read More

London: George, Allen & Unwin, 1960-1961. Cloth. Near Fine/Very Good. 9.5" by 6". J. R. R. Tolkien. A complete set of early impressions of Tolkien's fantastical 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, with each volume retaining the publisher's original unclipped dust wrapper. A complete three volume set of early impressions of J. R. R. Tolkien's beloved trilogy of high fantasy novels. With 'The Return of the King' in its tenth impression, 1961, 'The Two Towers' in its seventh impression, 1960, and 'The Return of the King' in its seventh impression, 1961.With each volume in the publisher's original price unclipped dust wrapper, and with a folding map of Middle Earth to the rear of each volume.With the former owner's inscription of Charlie M. Cotton to the front free endpaper of each volume.An lovely collection of early editions of perhaps the most celebrated fantasy trilogy ever written, following Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf and their associates in the quest to destroy the One Ring. In the publisher's original… Read More

London: George Allen, 1894. First edition. Cloth. Very Good Indeed. 7.5" by 5". Hugh Thomson. David Gilson and Chris Viveash's personal copy of the first Peacock edition of 'Pride and Prejudice' . The first Hugh Thomson peacock edition of this work.Bookplate of Chris Viveash to the front paste down.David Gilson's personal copy. Gilson wrote the definitive bibliography of Austen. His and his partner Chris Viveash's Austen collection was legendary. This is the Gilson/Viveash collections' copy of the famous Peacock Edition. In a very beautiful and striking condition.Gilson listed the Peacock first edition as E78 in his bibliography. This Peacock edition has become a classic of book design, being much reprinted in the following years and even printed on a tote bag in the twenty-first century.Illustrated with a frontispiece and in-text illustrations throughout by Hugh Thomson.Thomson was an Irish illustrator, who did pen-and-ink illustrations for editions of works by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and… Read More