The Bell Jar
First American edition, first printing. Bound in publisher's original cloth-affect boards over maroon spine cloth lettered in silver. Near Fine with light rubbing at edges and slight offsetting at endsheets. In a Near Fine dust jacket with slight wear to crown, light toning to blindside. An excellent copy of Sylvia Plath's only novel, published eight years after the initial British edition.
More from Burnside Rare Books
Hitch 22
First edition, first printing. Signed by Christopher Hitchens on the title page, inscribed to former owner. xii, 436 pp. Bound in publisher's yellow and black boards with black spine lettering. Slight wrinkling to terminals and hint of foxing to edges, else Fine in a dust jacket with dampstaining to verso, slight wrinkling. A uncommon signed copy of the contrarian journalist and pundit's memoirs. Good Omens
First American edition, first printing. Signed by both Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman on the half-title page. Bound in publisher's original red paper-covered boards over black spine cloth stamped in gilt. Near Fine with light wear at extremities and former owner's gift inscription on front free endpaper. In a Near Fine unclipped dust jacket with light rubbing, toning to flaps. A sharp copy of this amusing apocalyptic fantasy, signed by both authors. The Conjure Woman
First trade edition, first printing with dated title page. Bound in publisher's brown cloth with upper board pictorially stamped in orange and black, with titles lettered in gilt. Very Good+ with slight lean to binding; cloth lightly soiled and darkened at the spine. Front gutter tender with small tear at top edge; a few spots of age staining throughout. A collection of short stories as told in dialect by Uncle Julius, a freed slave, in antebellum North Carolina. The Grapes of Wrath
First edition, first printing. [vi], 619 pp. Bound in publisher's original oatmeal cloth decorated in brown, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" endsheets. Very Good+ with slight lean to binding; darkening to joints. Top edge dust soiled with spotting to all edges. Former owner's bookplate on front pastedown and offsetting to endsheets. The classic American novel of the Great Depression and Okie migration, which won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction. From the library of James Francis Cooke (1875-1960) a pianist, composer, musical theorist and president of Theodore Presser music from 1925 to 1936. Moby Dick
First edition thus. xxxii, 822pp, [6]. Bound in publisher's original black cloth elaborately stamped in silver on the upper board and spine. Very Good+ with light soiling and wear to covers; silver stamping with cup rings to front cover. Tanning to contents with minor offsetting to images; dated written on front free endpaper. A fantastic copy of Melville's classic, illustrated by Rockwell Kent. Cocaine Politics: Drugs, Armies, and the CIA in Central America
First edition. Signed by Peter Dale Scott on the front free endpaper, inscribed to former owner. viii, 279pp. Bound in publisher's black cloth with silver lettering. Fine in Near Fine dust jacket, lightly worn, spine a bit sunned. A parapolitical examination of the Iran Contra affair co-written and signed by Canadian poet, author, and diplomat Peter Dale Scott. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater: Or Pearls Before Swine
Uncorrected proof of the first British edition, in trial dust jacket. Signed by Kurt Vonnegut on the front free endpaper with a self-caricature. 217 pp. Bound in publisher's patterned red wraps with label on front wrap. Very Good+ with slightly creased and concave spine, light wear, in Very Good trial jacket with sunned spine, lightly edge worn. A rare UK pre-publication version of Vonnegut's novel, sent to reviewers and publishing industry figures. Ahearn APG 006d. The Goblin Tower
First edition, first printing. [iv], 25 pp. Bound in dark crimson leatherette (contemporary?) with gilt spine lettering. Near Fine, a few small scuffs to binding. One of only 100 copies, most of which were never bound, of a fantasy poetry collection by a good friend of H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft set the type for this book and corrected some errors as well. Chris Perridas writes in his blog H.P. Lovecraft and His Legacy: "Most extant copies of THE GOBLIN TOWER exist as folded and gathered sets of unbound sheets, as very few were bound up at the time. Long and [publisher Robert] Barlow were two of the innermost planets in the HPL system (or to switch metaphors, deities in the Lovecraft Mythos)." Features the poem "The Abominable Snow Men," an early reference to the Asian cryptid the yeti. Longshot Pomes For Broke Players
First edition. Signed by Charles Bukowski on title page, inscribed to fellow writer Norman Winski "with similarities of aspect and confusion -- Charles Bukowski." Two hand corrections to text, likely by Bukowski. [44] pp. Illustrated from drawings by Bukowski; photo of Buk in the short author biography section in the back. Bound in publisher's tan-brown wrappers. Very Good, wraps a little stained, light shelf wear. Paint stain in margin of page with "So Much for the Knifers." Bukowski's rare third book, containing 26 poems and five drawings. One of approximately 200 copies printed. One of Al Fogel's top 20 Bukowski rarities. Winski was the editor of the little mag Breakthru, published in L.A.; he is mentioned in Cherkovski's bio Bukowksi: A Life. Dorbin A3; Krumhansl 8; Fogel 7. Farmer
Harrison, Jim First edition, first printing in the first issue binding. Signed by Jim Harrison on the title page. [viii], 160 pp. Bound in publisher's brown boards with black cloth backstrip, lettered in gilt, yellow topstain. Near Fine with slight lean to binding, light foxing to edges, a little reading wear, in a Near Fine unclipped dust jacket, light wear, tiny stain near foot. The American writer and poet's third novel. Ahearn APG 011b.- $250
- $250
To Kill a Mockingbird
Lee, Harper First edition, first printing of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. A fantastic presentation copy signed by Harper Lee and warmly inscribed to close family friends in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, "To Evlyn and Bill with my love and best wishes, Nelle Harper Lee December 1960." Evlyn Samford (née Barrett) and Lee grew up together in Monroeville, Alabama. Evlyn was close friends with Harper's sister, Alice Lee; Alice being Harper's confidante, housemate and gatekeeper, as well as one the two dedicatees of To Kill a Mockingbird. Bound in publisher's original brown paper-covered boards over green cloth spine. Very Good+ with spine lean, light wear and spots of soiling to binding. Foxing to cloth, textblock edge and endsheets. Hinge at title page slightly over-opened. In a Near Fine unclipped dust jacket with quote from Jonathan Daniels on rear flap; with faint waviness to front panel and a thin strip of fading near the spine, tanning to flaps and several small, light tidemarks visible from the blindside. A remarkable presentation copy with hometown provenance of one of the most beloved novels to come out of the 20th century.- $125,000
- $125,000
Pomes Penyeach
Joyce, James First trade edition, first printing. A fantastic association copy, signed by legendary publisher Sylvia Beach with a contemporary inscription dated Paris August 18, 1928 opposite rear paste-down. Bound in publisher's pale green boards faded to tan, with errata slip tipped in at rear. Good, with cracking at spine leaving binding very fragile, cup ring to upper cover. Joyce's second book of poetry, a slim volume containing 13 poems. Sylvia Beach was an American ex-pat, known for her iconic Paris bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, where she published James Joyce's Ulysses (1922), and encouraged the publication of and sold copies of Hemingway's first book, Three Stories and Ten Poems (1923). While autographed copies of her book Shakespeare and Company published in 1960 are often available on the market, Joyce titles with Beach's contemporaneous inscriptions from the heyday of the Lost Generation era are extremely uncommon and desirable. A fragile yet very important copy.- $15,000
- $15,000
Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica
Kent, James Tyler First edition, first printing. iv, [17]-963 pp. Bound in publisher's dark brown cloth, ruled in blind, spine lettered in gilt, patterned endpapers. Very Good+ with a few scuffs to cloth, small split in rear gutter, wear at extremities, former owner's name stamped on front free endpaper. A clean, attractive copy of a very scarce work on homeopathic medicine. No copies located in OCLC. The author was an American physician (1849-1916) who is regarded as the father of modern homeopathy.- $6,000
- $6,000
Report of the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy (The Warren Commission Report)
Warren, Earl; Richard B. Russell; John Sherman Cooper; Hale Boggs; Gerald R. Ford; Allen Dulles; John J. McCloy; J. Lee Rankin First edition. Signed by all seven members of what is popularly known as The Warren Commission: Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, Richard B. Russell, John Sherman Cooper, Hale Boggs, future president Gerald R. Ford, ex-CIA chief Allen Dulles, and John J. McCloy with General Counsel J. Lee Rankin's signature in the upper margin as well. Appears to have been John J. McCloy's copy or gifted at his request as a small printed card with his name on it is laid in to the book. This signed issue of the summary report appears to have been only for Commission members themselves and very limited. xxiv, 888 pp. Bound in publisher's navy cloth with gilt, housed in matching slipcase. Near Fine with typical sunning to spine cloth, light rubbing. Perhaps the most thoroughly-read and bestselling document of the American government in the 20th century, the product of a very long investigation into the murder of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas in 1963. Commissioners projected a united front at the time to the media (though in retrospect it would be revealed that they disagreed with each other heartily), dispelling ideas of conspiracy. Various testimonies and exhibits from a 26-volume set were gathered into this single volume for popular consumption. For its defenders it remains the final word on the subject of JFK's death. Its numerous critics, regardless of what epithets they say about it, return to it still.- $7,500
- $7,500
Jean-Michel Basquiat 28.November 1986 bis 25. Januar 1987 Katalog 5/1986 Kestner-Gesellschaft Hannover
Basquiat, Jean-Michel; Robert Farris Thompson First edition. Signed by Jean-Michel Basquiat on the front free endpaper in sharpie, dated in the year of publication. 105, [10] pp. Bound in publisher's stiff wraps. Text in German. Very Good with vertical creasing along wraps, slight shelf wear. A rare German exhibition catalog for the famous African American artist, signed by him, with numerous color illustrations. At 25 he was the youngest artist ever to have a show at the Kestner-Gesellschaft gallery in Hanover. It included over 60 paintings and drawings.- $8,000
- $8,000
The Pure Theory of Law
Kelsen, Hans; Max Knight [Translator] First American edition, first printing. x, 356 pp. Bound in publisher's crimson cloth with gilt spine lettering. Near Fine with former owner's name on front free endpaper, in a Very Good dust jacket, toned with a few short closed tears, spine especially toned and dulled with a few tiny stains, unclipped ($7.50). The rare first appearance in English of a very influential work of modernist legal theory. It was first published in the original German in 1934 as Reine Rechtslehre.- $500
- $500
All the Assholes in the World and Mine
Bukowski, Charles First edition, limited issue with a signed original sheet of pastel artwork by Charles Bukowski pasted onto the verso of the front wrap. Dedicatee William Wantling's copy with his signature as well to page facing artwork. Bibliographer Aaron Krumhansl notes, "As late as the early 1970s Bukowski still retained multiple copies of this title. At some point he created a small private 'Author's Edition' by tipping in or binding in at the center staple either an original signed illustration or a signed typescript poem. Not less than three nor more than five such copies were created." Likely a unique copy Bukowski created for Wantling. The artwork, it should be mentioned, is one of Bukowski's more assured, aesthetically-pleasing pieces. Saddle-stitch staple bound mauve wraps, printed in black. A few subtle hints of toning and soiling to frontwrap, else Fine. Sharp and bright internally. William Wantling was an immensely important figure to Charles Bukowski in his mimeo poetry years. Some have argued that Bukowski cribbed much of his writerly persona from Wantling, a hard-drinking "tough guy" poet. Krumhansl 23.- $3,500
- $3,500
(The Warren Commission Report in 26 Volumes with Summary Report) Investigation of the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy: Hearings Before the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
Warren, Earl et. al First edition. Complete in 26 volumes all bound in publisher's navy cloth stamped in gilt. Good+ with subtle sunning to spines, slight lean to various volumes, minor bumping to corners and edges. Dampness staining to various volumes bleeding slightly into contents. Lacking the summary report. The complete Warren Commission report, as its generally referred to after Chief Justice Earl Warren, who headed an inquiry into the 1963 Dallas assassination of President John F. Kennedy at the behest of his successor, Texan Lyndon Johnson. It is in the sprawling thousands of pages of these volumes that all manner of idiosyncrasies, contradictions, and potential leads big and small have been teased out by researchers since their publication. International buyers: please note that shipping outside of the U.S. is possible but will cost a considerable amount extra, as the set is heavy and physically large. Contact us for details.- $2,750
- $2,750
A People’s History of the United States: 1492 – Present
Zinn, Howard Reprint. Signed by Howard Zinn on the title page. Bound in publisher's original yellow paper-covered boards over black spine cloth lettered in gilt. Near Fine with light wear at corners and spine ends. In a Near Fine unclipped dust jacket with light toning, light rubbing and crimping at the edges. The late radical historian's best-known work, which has reportedly sold over two million copies.- $450
- $450
