Rare books from Brenner's Collectable Books

New York: G.P. Putnam & Sons, 1926. 1st Edition. Three-Quarter Leather. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo., 326pp, First Edition, First Printing. Near fine copy rebound in contemporary three-quarter decorative maroon leather, top edge gilt with titles on spine stamped in gilt, with a further decorative gilt device on the spine and covers. Some light scuffing, particularly on board edges. Bookplate of Leonard E. Huck on the inside front cover. Beautiful copy.

London: Jonathan Cape, 2010. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. As New First Printing, square tight and clean throughout Equally attractive un-clipped publisher's pictorial acetate wrapper. A beautiful, collectable copy signed by the author on the title page.

New York: Secker & Werburg, 1965. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. 12mo., 189pp. Beautiful First Edition. Square, tight and clean throughout with little or no wear. Very attractive unclipped dust jacket, (18s. net), has a touch of wear to spine ends and tips but quite minor. top edge and spine just a touch of toning. Still fresh and bright with no creases, chipping or tears. Inscribed by the author to Lillian Hellman on the ffep. "For my friend Lillian, with love and regard from Penelope, February, 1967. A very pretty collectable copy of the Author's first book and with a very interesting association.

New York: Martin Secker, 1924. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 4to., 119pp. #228 of a Limited Edition of only 500 copies printed. Publisher's original light yellow cloth with the title stamped in gilt on the front cover and spine. Square, tight and fairly clean throughout with a bit of toning to page edges. Moderate wear to edges and tips. Age darkening, particularly to the spine. From the library of Lillian Hellman with her ownership signature on the ffep, "Lillian Hellman, September, 1925". Not in perfect condition but a very interesting and collectable copy.

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1916. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Near Fine. 4to., 257pp. Sharp First Edition, limited to only 800 unnumbered copies printed. Beautifully bound in green cloth with multi-colored illustrated front board and titles, borders and decorations in gilt on front board and spine. on and titles in gilt and, white, blue and red. Ex-Library but fairly unobtrusive markings of such. Small presentation bookplate of the library on the front paste-down. Inconspicuous call letters in the prelims. Light blind-stamp on the title page. Small library stamp and notation on the rear end-paper. Ghost of spine call-tag removal. Mild off-setting to rear end-paper and paste-down. Lite wear to spine ends and tips. Actually quite well-preserved for its age and size. Presented and signed by the author on the front end-paper A solid collectable copy.

Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1925. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Fine/Near Fine. 12mo., 95pp. Beautiful Stated First Edition. Bound in black cloth with titles on paper label both on front board and spine. Square, tight and clean throughout with just a touch of rubbing to bottom front edge and light bumping to spine ends. Equally attractive, scare unclipped jacket, ($1.50), has some spotting on front and back panels but is still fresh and bright with no chipping, creases or tears. A very pretty collectabe copy and quite uncommon with a dust-jacket in such high-grade condition.

New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1935. 1st Edition. Cloth. Near Fine/Fine/Near Fine. 8vo., 375pp. Beautiful First t Edition of this anthology. Bound in purple cloth with titles in gilt on front board and spine. Square, tight and clean throughout with just a hint of bumping to spine ends. Neat ownership signature on front paste-down. Equally attractive unclipped dust-jacket, ($2.50), has some fairly mild toning to edges and spine. Minor soiling. Still fresh and bright with no creases, chipping or tears. Remarkably well-preserved and quite uncommon in such high-grade condition. Signed by the author on the front end-paper. A simply gorgeous collectable copy and scarce as such.

New York: Virtue & Torston, 1862. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. Three Volumes, Large 4to., 664, 680, 738pp. Beautiful First Edition. Bound in contemporary three quarter black leather over purple pebble-cloth covered boards. Gilt borders. Gilt raised bands on spine. Title in gilt upon a red leather label in 2nd compartment; Vol. # in gilt in 4th; gilt decorations in all others. Marbled fore-edges and end-papers. Dozens of in-text and full-page illustrations, maps and portraits. Square and tight with minor rubbing to spine ends, hinges and tips. Fairly light scattered foxing throughout with heavier spotting on full-page plates. Ownership signature on flyleaf of volume 3. Volume 2 has partially erased notes on both front and rear end-papers with 1/2 of rear end-paper torn. A gorgeous, well-preserved collectable set and quite uncommon in this condition. Additional postage may be required for international and Priority Orders.

New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1941. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good. 8vo., 307pp. Beautiful Stated First Edition. Square, tight and clean throughout with some fairly mild bumping to spine ends and bottom tips. Very attractive unclipped dust-jacket, ($2.50), has some rubbing to edges and wear to spine ends with some minor chipping. and edge-wear. Short closed tear on the front panel with the a ghost of a piece of tape where it was removed. Still fresh and bright. Inscribed, dated and signed by the author on the half-title page, "December 2, 1941. To Aquilla B. Hanson Jr., with best wishes and sincere thanks for the generous things you have said about this book. Howard fast". Also, laid in is a typed letter to the same reader signed by Fast, on his letterhead and with the original mailing envelope, where he tells the read that he will sign books for him if he sends them. A sharp collectable copy and very uncommon to find signed and especially with the signed letter.

Philadelphia, PA: Williams B. Evans & Co, 1873. 1st Edition. Cloth. Very Good. 8vo., 349(2)pp. plus 2pp. ads. Sharp First Edition of these supposedly true crime stories. However, like much of these similar "Memoirs", the stories are completely fictitious. Published in 1876 as "The Adventures of a U.S. Detective". Bound in publisher's original brown cloth. Borders and decorations stamped in black and titles stamped in brown over super-imposed gilt banners on front board and spine. Brown end-papers. Black & white illustrations including tissue-guarded frontispiece. Square, tight and generally quite clean throughout with no foxing though an occasional scattered spot. Page edges mildly toning. . Some wear to edges and tips with a 1/2" tear of the cloth at the rear top hinge. Light soiling to cloth. Not perfect but a solid collectable copy of an uncommon item in any condition. (Hubin, p. 50) (Queen: The Detective Short Story, p.15).

London: Robert Hale, 1956. 1st British Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Good. 8vo., 224pp. Beautiful First British Edition bound in black cloth with titles in gilt on spine. "Jealous Woman" was originally published in Avon Mystery Monthly in 1949. This volume also includes "Sinful Woman". Square, tight and clean throughout with some minor bumping to spine ends and tips. Light off-setting and spotting to end-papers. Attractive dust-jacket, ($3.50), has chipping, edge-wears and closed tear with short closed tears. Longer closed tear on front panel repaired with kraft paper. Still fresh and bright. A solid collectable copy. (Lovisi, p,79).

London: Thorton Butterworth, 1930. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Very Good. 8vo., 315pp. Beautiful First Edition of this scarce mystery with statement "First Published ... 1930" on copyright page. .Bound in black cloth with titles stamped in red on spine and blind-stamped on front board. Square, tight and clean throughout with little or no wear. Remarkably well-preserved. A touch of off-setting to end-papers but trivial. Very attractive unclipped dust-jacket, (correct price of 7/6 net on the spine panel), Chipping to tip and a small chip at the crown. Light soiling. Some edge-wear and a couple of miniscule closed tears. Still quite fresh and complete and presents much nicer than the Very Good it is. Uncommonly inscribed, dated and signed by the author on the front end-paper, " Inscribed for Mrs. Robert C. Taylor, with all good wishes, Claude Hoghton. - Savage Club. London, S,W,I, March 1939". A quite sharp collectable copy, rarely found in such high-grade condition and certainly not signed.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990. 1st Edition. Soft cover. Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. 8vo., 512pp. Beautiful First Edition, Advance Reading Copy. One of an unknown limitation. Square, tight and clean throughout with no discernible wear. Fine publisher's printed box has a touch of wear at the corners. Signed by Updike on the front end-paper. A very pretty collectable copy of an uncommon item.

London: The Readers Library Publishing Company (Duckworth). Photoplay Edition. Cloth. Near Fine/Near Fine. 12mo., 251(2)pp. Beautiful "Copyright" Edition. Not dated but c. 1927. Bound in maroon cloth with titles in gilt and decorative borders also in gilt on front board and spine. The Readers Library was an imprint of Gerald Duckworth and Company, reprinting classics from between 1910 and 1927, re-launching as the New Readers Library in 1927 and publishing through 1946. Though notoriously flimsily made, this copy is square, tight and clean throughout with virtually none of the page toning typically found. A hint of wear to heel and the gilt is largely faded on the spine. Paper just starting to split in the gutter of the front paste-down but no cracking to hinge. Gorgeous wrap-around dustjacket has some toning to spine but is fresh and bright with no chipping, creases or tears. Remarkably well-preserved and quite scarce in any condition. A sharp collectable copy and quite uncommon, particularly in… Read More

New York: Harcourt, Brace, & World, 1966. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Fine. 8vo., 274pp. Beautiful Stated First Edition of this landmark work. bound in gray cloth with spine titles in blue. Square and tight with some softness and a hint of toning to spine ends but quite minor. Pages 89-90 have a are stain, (coffee?), and a couple of additional very small spots to fore-edge. Still a very well-preserved copy. Equally attractive unfaded and unclipped dust jacket, ($4.95), has a touch of wear to the upper rear flap and a miniscule closed tear to the crown which is barely noticeable. Still fresh and bright with no creases, toning or chipping. Made into the terrific1968 film, "Charly", starring Cliff Robertson and Claire Bloom. Laid in is a clipped slip, like from a promotional flyer, signed by the author. A very sharp, collectable copy at a very good price.