Brooks, Geraldine
1st Printing. 306 pages. Published in 2011. The author's fourth novel. Now considered a contemporary classic. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents Geraldine Brooks' "Caleb's Crossing". Solidifies her standing as one of our finest historical novelists. "Takes a remarkable shard of history and brings it to vivid life. In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Upon this slender factual scaffold, Brooks has created a luminous tale of love and faith, magic and adventure. The narrator is Bethia Mayfield, growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor amid a small band of pioneers and Puritans. Restless and curious, she yearns after an education that is closed to her by her sex. She slips away to explore the island's glistening beaches and observe its native Wampanoag inhabitants. She encounters Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a secret friendship that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia's minister father tries to convert the Wampanoag, awakening the wrath of the tribe's shaman, against whose magic he must test his own beliefs. One of his projects becomes the education of Caleb, and a year later, Caleb is in Cambridge, studying Latin and Greek among the colonial elite. There, Bethia finds herself reluctantly indentured as a housekeeper and can closely observe Caleb's crossing of cultures" (Publisher's blurb). An absolute "must-have" title for Geraldine Brooks collectors. This title is a contemporary classic. This is one of relatively few copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A scarce copy thus. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2006 for "March". One of the finest writers of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER GERALDINE BROOKS TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0670021040.
Rakoff, David
1st Printing. Signed. 225 pages. Published in 2005. The author's second collection of essays. One of David Rakoff's finest achievements. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Publisher's "Autographed Copy" round white sticker pasted in front. Presents David Rakoff's "Don't Get Too Comfortable". The lengthy subtitle says it all: "The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low-Thread Count, The Never-Ending Quest For Artisanal Olive Oil, And Other First World Problems". "Journeys into the land of plenty that is contemporary America. Rarely have greed, vanity, selfishness, and vapidity been so mercilessly and wittily portrayed. Whether contrasting the elegance of one of the last flights of the supersonic Concorde with the good times and chicken wings of Hooters Air, portraying the rarefied universe of Paris fashion shows where an evening dress can cost as much as four years of college, or traveling to a private island off the coast of Belize to cover a Playboy TV shoot, where he is provided with his very own personal manservant, David Rakoff takes us on a bitingly funny grand tour of our culture of excess, delving into the manic getting and spending that defines the American way of life. At once a Wildean satire of our culture of over-consumption and a plea for a little human decency, a bitingly funny grand tour of our special circle of hell" (Publisher's blurb). Our very own Oscar Wilde? Yes, our very own Oscar Wilde. An absolute "must-have" title for David Rakoff collectors. This Autographed Copy is very boldly and beautifully signed in black ink-pen on the title page by David Rakoff. It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. This title is a contemporary classic. This is one of very few such signed copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Almost ALL copies available online have serious flaws or are in multiple subsequent printings. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. One of the most brilliant writers of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER DAVID RAKOFF TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0385510365.
Rakoff, David
1st Printing. 225 pages. Published in 2005. The author's second collection of essays. One of David Rakoff's finest achievements. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents David Rakoff's "Don't Get Too Comfortable". The lengthy subtitle says it all: "The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low-Thread Count, The Never-Ending Quest For Artisanal Olive Oil, And Other First World Problems". "Journeys into the land of plenty that is contemporary America. Rarely have greed, vanity, selfishness, and vapidity been so mercilessly and wittily portrayed. Whether contrasting the elegance of one of the last flights of the supersonic Concorde with the good times and chicken wings of Hooters Air, portraying the rarefied universe of Paris fashion shows where an evening dress can cost as much as four years of college, or traveling to a private island off the coast of Belize to cover a Playboy TV shoot, where he is provided with his very own personal manservant, David Rakoff takes us on a bitingly funny grand tour of our culture of excess, delving into the manic getting and spending that defines the American way of life. At once a Wildean satire of our culture of over-consumption and a plea for a little human decency, a bitingly funny grand tour of our special circle of hell" (Publisher's blurb). Our very own Oscar Wilde? Yes, our very own Oscar Wilde. An absolute "must-have" title for David Rakoff collectors. This title is a contemporary classic. This is one of few copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Almost ALL copies available online have serious flaws or are in multiple subsequent printings. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A scarce copy thus. One of the most brilliant writers of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER DAVID RAKOFF TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0385510365.
Rakoff, David (Author); Rudnick, Paul (Contributor); Young, Timothy G. (Editor) & Bishop, Elizabeth
1st Printing. 340 pages. Published in 2015. Retrospective collection of essays, fiction, and interviews. One of the most valuable books on the literary art and achievement of David Rakoff. The First Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, of which there are many. Published in a small and limited first print run as a softcover original only in order to reach the widest possible audience. The First Edition is now rare. Features a reproduction of David Rakoff's original self-portait on the cover as a fish out of water and a lovely Memorial Essay by Paul Rudnick, one of the finest American humorist-essayists of our time. Edited by Timothy G. Young. Closing Poem by Elizabeth Bishop. Presents "The Uncollected David Rakoff". Nearly ALL, just about, of his delectable - and for his admirers, treasurable - pieces and interviews, previously unpublished in book form, gathered here at last. Also reproduces the complete text of his novel-in-verse and final work, "Love Dishonor Marry Die Cherish Perish". Ends, fittingly, with Elizabeth Bishop's "Letter To NY". "One of the most original, delightfully acerbic voices of his generation, David Rakoff's singular personality spills from every page of this witty and entertaining volume. Includes travel features, early fiction, pop-culture criticism, and transcripts of his most memorable appearances on NPR's 'Fresh Air' and 'This American Life'. By turns hilarious, incisive, and deeply moving, this collection highlights the many facets of Rakoff's huge talent and shows the arc of his remarkable career" (Publisher's blurb). Our very own Oscar Wilde? Yes, our very own Oscar Wilde. An absolute "must-have" title for David Rakoff collectors. This title is a great collection. As far as we know, this is the only copy of the First Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: ALL other copies available online are subsequent printings even if their dealers don't say so. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. One of the most brilliant writers of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER DAVID RAKOFF TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0307946479.
Rakoff, David (Author); Kidd, Chip (Book Design) & Seth (Artist/Illustrator)
1st Printing. 113 pages. Published in 2013. The author's debut novel, published the same year he died. Together with "Fraud", David Rakoff's masterpiece. Review Copy. Review Material laid-in: (poignant) Letter from Doubleday Publisher. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, of which there are several. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover/flexi-board original only. The production is a labor of love by Doubleday, featuring an ingenious die-cut design by Chip Kidd and brilliant caricature-drawings by the artist known simply as Seth. Printed on pristine-white, thick coated stock paper in the United States to the highest standards. Without DJ, as issued. Presents David Rakoff's "Love Dishonor Marry Die Cherish Perish". His masterly novel-in-verse, a triumphant departure from his satirical essays, and his "closing-time" statement. Attempted as such by only one other contemporary poet/novelist, Vikram Seth ("The Golden Gate"). "A poignant, beautiful, witty, and wise novel in verse whose scope spans the twentieth century. Written with humor, sympathy, and tenderness, this intricately woven novel proves him to be the master of an altogether different art form. Leaps cities and decades as Rakoff sings the song of an America whose freedoms can be intoxicating, or brutal. The characters' lives are linked to each other by acts of generosity or cruelty" (Publisher's blurb). An absolute "must-have" title for David Rakoff collectors. This is a Review Copy. The Review Material is laid-in. This title is a great book. This is the only Review Copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws or are in multiple subsequent printings. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. One of the most brilliant writers of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER DAVID RAKOFF TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 038553521X.
Page, Tim (Photographer) & Shawcross, William (Contributor)
1st Printing. Signed. 120 pages. Published in 1995. Retrospective collection of photographs on subject. One of the most valuable books on modern warfare ever published in the 20th century. The 1995 Reissued Edition. Published in a small and limited print run as a softcover original only that sold out shortly after publication. The First Edition Thus is now rare. A brilliant production by Tim Page: Oversize-volume format. Pictorial softcovers with titles on the cover and spine, as issued. Photographs by Tim Page. Essay by William Shawcross, one of the world's leading journalist/commentators on Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Printed on pristine-white, thick coated stock paper in Singapore to the highest standards. The reproduction quality is exemplary in every respect. Without DJ, as issued. Re-presents Tim Page's "Nam". Its abbreviated name given by soldiers and journalists alike. "This now-classic volume is one of the first to show the true horror of the Vietnam war: Not just the death counts and the footage on the six o'clock news, but an insider's account of how it really was" (Publisher's blurb). "Page's photographs vividly show just how dirty the war was" (William Shawcross). Perhaps the ultimate tribute paid to the book was by Daniel Ellsberg ("Pentagon Papers"), who credited the Australian Tim Page - rather than American photographers - with helping to alter the course of the war. It is not possible for a photographer covering an ongoing conflict to be a detached observer. One is "embedded" with the troops, and potentially hurt. Tim Page was wounded four times in the course of photographing the Vietnam War. Far too many of his fellow photographers died or disappeared, a fact that he memorializes in his award-winning book, "Requiem". One of the first to describe himself as an "anti-war photographer", Tim Page died on August 24, 2022. A posthumous volume, "Nam Contact", appears in 2023, showcasing his "Nam" work in the context of its enduring relevance for our time. An absolute "must-have" title for Tim Page collectors. This copy is very prominently and beautifully signed, dated, and inscribed in black pen-marker on the half-title page by the author: "Original R & R or wot [what] was it. Don't mean nothing. Peace, Tim Page July '98". It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. The recipient, a Retired US Navy Photographer/Officer who knew Tim Page in Vietnam, is NOT named, but his blind stamp appears at the bottom of the page. This title is a great collection. This is the only such signed, dated, inscribed, and blind-stamped copy of the 1995 Reissued Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Based in his native Australia, Tim Page did NOT do public signings. His photographs are in the Permanent Collections of museums in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, making this signed copy eminently collectible and valuable. A very rare signed copy thus. 80 full-color plates. Winner of the George Polk Book Award and the Robert Capa Gold Medal in 1997 for his body of work. One of the greatest war photographers of the 20th century. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER COPY OF THIS TITLE IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0500272808.
Wojnarowicz, David (Author); Romberger, James (Artist) & Van Cook, Marguerite (Colorist)
1st Printing. 60 pages. Published in 1996. The author's memoir, published posthumously. One of the greatest "graphic novel" memoirs of the 20th century. The true First Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, particularly the 2011 Reissued Edition. Published by DC Comics in a small and limited first print run as a softcover original only that promptly vanished from sight. The First Edition is now rare. Presents David Wojnarowicz's "Seven Miles A Second". His harrowing memoir, realized (as the author intended) as a graphic novel by James Romberger, and rendered in vivid, DC Comics-style saturated colors by Marguerite Van Cook. It comes in two chronological parts: David's hellish childhood as a nine-year-old male prostitute prowling the streets of New Year City and his young adulthood as a desperately poor gay artist dying of AIDS. The parts are woven seamlessly together rather than separated and broken up, transporting the reader from childhood to adulthood without interruption, without allowing one to catch one's breath, as if there was not much of a difference between the two periods. There isn't. It is unrelenting suffering followed by even more suffering. A slim book, it is still nothing less than an ordeal to read straight through, which is the only way to read Wojnarowicz's Seasons In Hell. In the context of the frenetic yet relatively cheerful and easy-going atmosphere (by comparison) of bohemian New York circa late 1970's-early 1990's, the memoir is transgressive not by formal design, as one has come to expect of the New York School, but by the intensity of its unremitting subject. Wojnarowicz was able to create and release a few elegant, beautifully produced books and other media in his brief lifetime. Many more were published by his Estate after his death. "Seven Miles A Second" is, indisputably, his most authentic and greatest work. An absolute "must-have" title for David Wojnarowicz collectors. This title is a great book. This is one of very few copies of the 1996 true First Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. The appraiser Comics World rates this copy (in comics collectors parlance) as "Mint". Please note: Precedes and should NOT be confused with the 2011 Reissued Edition. Copies available online have very serious flaws (because it is a fragile softcover) yet are priced as though they had collectible value (because it is very difficult to find). This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. One of the most brilliant multi-media artist/writers of the 20th century. A fine collectible copy. ISBN 1563892472.
Paabo, Svante
1st Printing. 275 pages. Published in 2014. The author's intellectual autobiography. One of the most important and most valuable books ever published in our time. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now rare. Presents Svante Paabo's "Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes". Science for the educated reader, that is to say, at its best, as a humanistic pursuit of origins and their implicative, pragmatic applications. "A preeminent geneticist hunts the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes to answer the biggest question of them all: How did our ancestors become human? Tells the riveting personal and scientific story of the quest to use ancient DNA to unlock the secrets of human evolution. Beginning with the study of DNA in Egyptian mummies in the early 1980's and culminating in the sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2010, 'Neanderthal Man' describes the events, intrigues, failures, and triumphs of these scientifically rich years through the lens of the pioneer and inventor of the field of ancient DNA. Neanderthal genes offer a unique window into the lives of our ancient relatives and hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of where language came from as well as why humans survived while Neanderthals went extinct. Paabo redrew our family tree and permanently changed the way we think about who we are and how we got here" (Publisher's blurb). In the process, Paabo comes across as a gentle and humane explainer, unlike the often rebarbative ideologue-agitator Richard Dawkins, compared to whom, Paabo's achievements are superior. An absolute "must-have" title for Svante Paabo collectors. This title is a great book. As far as we know, this is the only copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and despite its imperfection (bump to top boards) is still in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. It is priced accordingly. Please note: ALL other copies available online are subsequent printings. A rare copy thus. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2022. One of the greatest scientists of our time. A fine copy. ISBN 0465020836.
Cioran, E. M. (Translated by Richard Howard)
1st Printing. 118 pages. Published in 1987. The author's sixth book to be translated into English. One of E. M. Cioran's finest achievements. Marks the first appearance of the title in English and in the United States. The 1987 First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, of which there are many. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now rare. Presents E. M. Cioran's "Histoire et utopie" in the definitive English translation by Richard Howard. Six provocative essays by the inimitable Modernist imitator-disciple of Nietzsche. He describes his political philosophy in some of the most accessible essays he has ever written. "Russia And The Virus of Liberty", in particular, is a singularly - and humanely - sympathetic account of Russia in relation to its difficult and imbalanced history with the West. It deserves to be re-read today in light of contemporary events that do show a bitter and humiliated Russia attempting to overcome its (largely wretched) History in order to realize a feverishly imagined, imperialistic Utopia. Whether one agrees with him or not, Cioran's measured and nuanced account in each essay is indispensable. An absolute "must-have" title for E. M. Cioran collectors. This title is a great collection. This is one of few copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing (American) still available online and despite its imperfection (price-clipped and one bump on the top front board corner) is still in especially fine condition: Every single internal page is clean, crisp, and bright. It is priced accordingly. Please note: There is NO abusive underlining, highlighting, and all kinds of other writing that E. M. Cioran's books are prone to. Copies available online have much more serious flaws yet are priced as though they had collectible value. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. One of the greatest writer/philosophers of the 20th century. A fine copy. ISBN 0805003916.
Rakoff, David
1st Printing. 224 pages. Published in 2010. Rare David Rakoff collectible set. A fine copy of "Half Empty" and a rare, pristine copy of his complete recording of the book on six Compact Discs (CD's). The author's third collection of essays. One of David Rakoff's finest achievements. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. Presents David Rakoff's "Half Empty". From The Other David: Pessimism and nihilism at their most compelling and convincing, a humane gesture. "Defends the notion that you should always assume the worst, because you'll never be disappointed. In this deeply funny (and, no kidding, wise and poignant) book, Rakoff examines the realities of our sunny, 'gosh-everyone-can-be-a-star' contemporary culture and finds that, pretty much as a universal rule, the best is not yet to come, adversity will triumph, justice will not be served, and your dreams won't come true. The book ranges from the personal to the universal, combining stories from Rakoff's accounts of his own experiences: The moment when being a tiny child no longer meant adults found him charming, but instead meant other children found him a fun target; the perfect late evening in Manhattan when he was young and the city seemed to brim with such possibility that the street shimmered in the moonlight; as he drew closer, he realized the streets actually flickered with rats in a feeding frenzy. Weaves in Oscar Wilde-worthy cultural criticism. Whether he's lacerating the musical 'Rent' for its cutesy depiction of AIDS or dealing with personal tragedy, his sharp observations will have you positively reveling in the power of negativity" (Publisher's blurb). The perfect, pungent companion to David Sedaris, as good and as iconic, and in certain respects - the exquisite cultural criticism, especially - even better than. An absolute "must-have" title for David Rakoff collectors. This copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing comes with a pristine copy of David Rakoff's complete and inimitable recording of the book on six Compact Discs (CD). The CD recording is now very rare. This title is a contemporary classic. This is the only set available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A rare set thus. One of the most brilliant writers of our time. A fine set. (SEE ALSO OTHER DAVID RAKOFF TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0385525249.
Page, Tim (Photographer) & Shawcross, William (Contributor)
1st Printing. 120 pages. Published in 1983. Retrospective collection of photographs on subject. One of the most valuable books on modern warfare ever published in the 20th century. Review Copy. Review Material laid-in: The rare 8 X 10 inch glossy, single-weight silver-gelatin print produced by Tim Page specifically for the book. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, of which there are several. In particular, publishers in the United States and the United Kingdom subsequently reissued the book as "Nam: The Vietnam Experience 1965-1975" in 1989 and again in 1995. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only that sold out shortly after publication. The First Edition is now rare. A brilliant production by Tim Page: Oversize-volume format. Red cloth boards with gilt titles embossed on spine, as issued. Photographs by Tim Page. Essay by William Shawcross, one of the world's leading journalist/commentators on Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Printed on pristine-white, thick coated stock paper in Japan to the highest standards. The reproduction quality is exemplary in every respect. In pictorial DJ with titles on the cover and spine, as issued. Presents Tim Page's "Nam". Its abbreviated name given by soldiers and journalists alike. "This now-classic volume is one of the first to show the true horror of the Vietnam war: Not just the death counts and the footage on the six o'clock news, but an insider's account of how it really was" (Publisher's blurb). "Page's photographs vividly show just how dirty the war was" (William Shawcross). Perhaps the ultimate tribute paid to the book was by Daniel Ellsberg ("Pentagon Papers"), who credited the Australian Tim Page - rather than American photographers - with helping to alter the course of the war. It is not possible for a photographer covering an ongoing conflict to be a detached observer. One is "embedded" with the troops, and potentially hurt. Tim Page was wounded four times in the course of photographing the Vietnam War. Far too many of his fellow photographers died or disappeared, a fact that he memorializes in his award-winning book, "Requiem". One of the first to describe himself as an "anti-war photographer", Tim Page died on August 24, 2022. A posthumous volume, "Nam Contact", appears in 2023, showcasing his "Nam" work in the context of its enduring relevance for our time. An absolute "must-have" title for Tim Page collectors. This is a Review Copy. The 8 X 10 inch silver-gelatin print (of a Vietnamese boy-soldier) is laid-in. The image appears on Page 100 of the book. This title is a great collection. As far as we know, this is the only Review Copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Precedes and should NOT be confused with the 1989 and 1995 Editions. Tim Page's photographs are in the Permanent Collections of museums in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, making the print eminently collectible and valuable. A very rare copy thus. 80 full-color plates. Winner of the George Polk Book Award and the Robert Capa Gold Medal in 1997 for his body of work. One of the greatest war photographers of the 20th century. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER COPY OF THIS TITLE IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0394530055.
Gluck, Louise
1st Printing. 72 pages. Published in 2009. The author's eleventh collection of poems. One of Louise Gluck's finest achievements. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents Louise Gluck's "A Village Life". Vividly describes and quietly celebrates near-idyllic, rustic life in concrete yet universal terms. "Expansive, fluent, and full. While Gluck's manner is novelistic, she focuses not on action, but on pauses and intervals, moments of suspension (rather than suspense), in a dream-like present tense in which poetic speculation and reflection are possible" (Publisher's blurb). Her greatest achievement is precisely that she has found a permanent way out of the confessional mode - otherwise so irresistible - that most, not just some, contemporary American poets continue to wallow in, especially the "identity-politics"/"woke" kind (feminist, "patriotic"/uber-masculine, LGBTQ, etcetera). The point is not to reject identity, but to transcend it, in all of its narcissistic forms, as all great art does. An absolute "must-have" title for Louise Gluck collectors. This title is a great collection. This is one of few copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing still available online and despite its imperfection (a slight crimp on front lower board, but it's there) is still in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. It is priced accordingly. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws or are subsequent printings. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A scarce copy thus. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1985 for "The Triumph of Achilles". Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for "The Wild Iris". America's Poet Laureate in 2003 and 2004. Winner of the Nobel Prize For Literature in 2020. One of the greatest poets of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER LOUISE GLUCK TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0374283745.
Kapuscinski, Ryszard (Translated by William R. Brand and Katarzyna Mroczkowska-Brand)
1st Printing. 164 pages. Published in 1978. The author's first book to be translated into English. One of the greatest books of the 20th century. The first appearance of the title in English and in the United States. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now rare. Presents Ryszard Kapuscinski's "The Emperor" in a felicitous English translation. The Fall of an absolute monarch. As The Last Emperor of the Solomonic Dynasty whose lineage goes all the way back to Biblical times, Emperor Haile Selassi remains, even after the humiliation of being arrested, tortured, and eventually killed, a divine figure to this day, worshipped as God Incarnate ("The Messiah") by the Jamaican/Rastafarian faith. The latter's most famous disciple, Bob Marley, was incidentally himself the greatest Jamaican figure of the 20th century, autocratic in his own way. "Transcends reportage, becoming a nightmare of power" (Salman Rushdie). Kapuscinski is not a journalist in the Anglo-American sense. He writes what his admirers worldwide have described as literary journalism, which is not to be confused with the American New Journalism (of writers like Tom Wolfe) because his methods, subject, and tragic worldview are the exact opposite. He deploys his literary mastery to document the rise, decline, and collapse of authoritarian regimes around the world - only to be replaced, in the case of Ethiopia, ironically and tragically, by an even more ruthless, totalitarian dictatorship: Among other crimes, the diabolical Marxist regime of Mengistu Mariam committed genocide against his own people. Prompting comparison with Kafka, Kapuscinski's literary journalism is unique in that none of his accounts has an ending in the conventional sense: His narratives simply end, inconclusively and abruptly, on an unresolved, often jarring note. Which is something that writers of TIME Magazine or The New York Times would never do, neatly wrapping things up instead for the sake of an artificially satisfying story. An absolute "must-have" title for Ryszard Kapuscinski collectors. This title is a great book. This is one of few copies of the First American Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws or are in multiple subsequent printings. HBJ identified true firsts at the time with the statement ("First Edition") followed by a letter line that begins with the letter B. A rare copy thus. One of the greatest journalist-writers of the 20th century. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER RYSZARD KAPUSCINSKI TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0151287716.
Cioran, E. M. (Translated by Richard Howard) & Sontag, Susan (Contributor)
1st Printing. 222 pages. Published in 1986. The author's first book to be translated into English. One of E. M. Cioran's finest achievements. The 1986 First Edition Thus. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, of which there are many. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition Thus is now rare. Presents E. M. Cioran's "La Tentacion d'exister" in the definitive English translation by Richard Howard. Eleven dazzling essays by the inimitable Modernist imitator-disciple of Nietzsche. Introduced by Susan Sontag, whose pioneering Essay, along with Edward Said's, remains one of the most provocative pieces ever written on Cioran. He examines his own unifying nihilism by delving into myriad subjects: The history of Western philosophy, literature and the novel, Ancient mysticisms, and Jewish history. An absolute "must-have" title for E. M. Cioran collectors. This title is a great collection. This is one of few copies of the First Edition Thus/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: It is NOT price-clipped. There is NO abusive underlining, highlighting, and all kinds of other writing that E. M. Cioran's books are prone to. Copies available online have very serious flaws yet are priced as though they had collectible value. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. One of the greatest writer/philosophers of the 20th century. A fine copy. ISBN 080500002X.
Smith, Patrick
1st Printing. Signed. 385 pages. Published in 1997. Book-length account on subject. One of the best books on Japan ever published in the West. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. Presents Patrick Smith's "Japan: A Reinterpretation". His provocative account, the most interesting and the best from the West since Roland Barthes' "Empire of Signs" (1982). "The Japanese are in the process of re-creating themselves, an endeavor they have undertaken at various intervals throughout their history, always prompted by a combination of domestic and global forces. In this landmark book, Patrick Smith asserts that a variety of forces - the achievement of material affluence, the Cold War's end, and the death of Emperor Hirohito - are now spurring Japan once again toward a fundamental re-definition of itself. This requires of the West an equally thorough re-evaluation of the picture we have held of Japan over the past half-century. Reveals how economic over-development conceals profound political, social, and psychological under-development. And by refocusing on 'internal history' and the Japanese character, Smith offers a new framework for understanding Japan and the Japanese as they really are. The Japanese, he says, are now seeking to alter the very thing we believe distinguishes them: The relationship between the individual and society. Illuminates a new Japan, a nation preparing to drop the mask it holds up to the West and to steer a course of its own in the world" (Publisher's blurb). An absolute "must-have" title for Patrick Smith and Japan collectors. This copy is very prominently and beautifully signed, dated (in the year of publication), and placed in black fountain pen on the title page by the author: "Patrick Smith Nov 6, '97 SF". It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. Patrick Smith's handwriting is elegant and beautiful, a rarity nowadays among writers. This title is a contemporary classic. This is the only such signed, publication-year dated, and placed copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A rare signed copy thus. One of the most brilliant writers of our time. A fine copy. ISBN 0679422315.
Andrew, Michael (Photographer) & The Editors of Bruno Gmunder Verlag
1st Printing. 150 pages. Published in 2014. Retrospective collection of photographs. The single most beautiful book ever published by Bruno Gmunder Verlag, the world's leading specialist-publisher of male nude erotic art photography. The First Hardcover Edition. The first and only edition. Published in a small and limited one-time-only print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now rare. A fabulous production by Michael Andrew and Bruno Gmunder Verlag: Oversize-volume format. The biggest book ever published by Bruno Gmunder. Pictorial hard boards with titles on cover and spine, as issued. Photographs and text (in English) by Michael Andrew, the Australian, Paris-based photographer. Printed on thick, glossy stock paper in Italy to the highest standards. The reproduction quality is outstanding in every respect. In matching pictorial DJ with titles on the cover and spine, as issued. Presents Michael Andrew's "Boys of St. Petersburg". Sumptuously beautiful photographs of stunningly beautiful boys, in Bruno Gmunder's most lavish book ever. "St. Petersburg is a city of inexpressible beauty, which Michael Andrew shares with us. His photography is of soulful precision and breathtaking virtuosity. During his several months' long winter travels to St. Petersburg, Andrew succeeded in capturing the innocent beauty and grace of the models. The result is a photographic masterpiece" (Publisher's blurb). It should also be noted that Andrew photographs winter scenes, crowds, public monuments, and the beauty of Nature with the same passion and acute eye he has for male bodies. An absolute "must-have" title for Michael Andrew and erotic art photography collectors. This title is a great collection. This is one of few copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online command as much as $500-plus. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. 128 full-page color plates. One of the most brilliant photographers of the male nude. A fine collectible copy. ISBN 3867877645.
Cumming, Robert
1st Printing. 16 pages. Published in 1971. Artist Book. Robert Cumming's single most celebrated and sought-after Conceptual Art project. Limited Edition of 500 copies. Published as a softcover original only. There is no ISBN. The Limited Edition is now very rare. An austerely elegant production by Robert Cumming: Small-size volume format. White pictorial stapled softcovers, as issued. Photographs by Robert Cumming. There is minimal accompanying text. Printed on pristine-white, archival stock paper in Orange County, California to the highest standards. In protective plastic covers, as issued. Presents Robert Cumming's "The Weight of Franchise Meat". Perhaps the ultimate Conceptual Statement of its kind, ground-breaking and pioneering as such. Shows, for our serious consideration, sixteen hamburger meat patties by such franchises as McDonald's, A + W, Bob's Big Boy, Buddy's, Burger King, Carl's Jr, Denny's, Heinz, Jack-In-The-Box, and Punky's, as they are weighed on a United States Post Office scale. What for? Therein lies the point - and beauty - of Robert Cumming's exercise. For the answer is that art is, or should ideally be, something that can be described, but can never be explained, which Conceptual art and photography make us aware and conscious of, often for the first time. ALL subsequent commentary on art, such as it is about American commercialism in this particular case, is reductive. Conceptual art photography remains misunderstood and under-appreciated to this day. Yet at its core and at its best, it represents both the promise and fulfillment of art itself. An absolute "must-have" title for Robert Cumming collectors. This is a copy of the Limited Edition of 500 copies, indicated/stated as such on the Front Cover. This title is a great Artist Book. This is one of very few copies of the Limited Edition still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. The white softcovers, in particular, are in near-pristine condition. Please note: The remaining copies available online have serious flaws yet still command many hundreds of dollars more because the book is rare. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. 16 black-and-white photographic plates. One of the most important and influential artist/photographers of the 20th century and our time. A fine collectible copy.
Conrad, Joseph (Author) & Kish, Matt (Artist/Illustrator)
1st Printing. Signed. 225 pages. Published in 2013. Book-length visual interpretation of the novel. One of the most beautiful literary-cum-art books of our time. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only that sold out shortly after publication. The First Edition is now rare. A brilliant production by Matt Kish: Regular-sized volume format. Pictorial hard boards with titles on the cover and spine, as issued. Definitive text of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" reproduced in its entirety. Art by Matt Kish. Printed on pristine-white, archival stock paper to the highest standards. Without DJ, as issued. Re-presents, in an Illustrated Edition, Matt Kish's visualization of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". In a word, original. "Explores matters of imperialism, racism, gender, and the duality of human nature. Kish's Introduction lends context to his approach, details his relationship and struggle with Conrad's work, and illuminates his own creative process" (Publisher's blurb). One of Conrad's greatest novels, "Heart of Darkness" has, of course, been interpreted - that is, re-imagined - visually, cinematically, and even textually by numerous other artists and writers. What is unique about Matt Kish's project is the way he has brought it upon himself to interpret every single page of the novel (the illustrative art is presented on the left-hand page, the matching text reproduced on the right). Kish's running motif is the human skull, in all of its haunting avatar-incarnations: African, British, American; savage and sophisticated; concrete and universal all at the same time. Kish relentlessly captures the chill of The Void at the heart of Conrad's masterpiece. There are two now-legendary re-makes of "Heart of Darkness": Francis Ford Coppola's near-great film, "Apocalypse Now" (1979), which re-sets the novel during the American colonial war in Vietnam. The other is Antonio Lobo Antunes' great novel, "South of Nowhere" (1983), which re-imagines Marlow (through its narrator/protagonist) during the Portuguese end-of-empire war in Angola. Both works are nightmarish and anguished whereas Kish's hieratic imagery, no less powerful and indelible, has an almost preternatural calm, elegant and poised at its core in the face of overwhelming madness. An absolute "must-have" title for Joseph Conrad and Matt Kish collectors. This copy is very prominently, neatly, and beautifully signed and dated in black ink-pen on the half-title page by the artist: "Matt K. 10.11.2014". It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. In addition, Kish added an original drawing of a skull surrounded with green jungle leaves, rendered, snake-like, throughout the page, an integral part of his signature. The skull, leaves, and green color brilliantly match the book's design and imagery. This title is a contemporary art book classic. As far as we know, this is the only such signed, dated, and hand-drawn copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Kish signed very few copies of the book in person, and signed each copy with a different drawing. The one of this copy is the best we have ever seen. A rare signed copy thus. One of the most brilliant artists of our time. A fine collectible copy. ISBN 1935639668.
Ernaux, Annie (Translated by Tanya Leslie)
1st Printing. 65 pages. Published in 1993. The author's autobiographical "romance" novel. One of Annie Ernaux's finest achievements. The first appearance of the title in English and in the United Kingdom. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, of which there are many. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only that promptly disappeared. The book is now known as "Simple Passion", the title chosen by her American publisher in 1993, and has stuck ever since, particularly in its 2021 Reissued British and American Editions. The First Edition is now rare. Presents Annie Ernaux's "Passion Perfect" in a felicitous English translation. Recounts the year she had a passionate and secret love affair with a Russian diplomat, a much younger married man. Routinely lavished with praise for her spare prose, here in a mere 65 pages, almost as a relief (for readers and critics alike) from the 600-page-plus novels of many other writers, Ernaux once again strips away literary devices and artifices, her writing pared down to its most naked and vulnerable. Which is, of course, itself a literary device, "confessional writing at zero degree", and her novel's epigraph is from Roland Barthes. "Love and Desire are sanctified. Annie Ernaux reveals all but explains nothing" (Le Figaro). Annie Ernaux kept an actual diary during the romance which she subsequently published, unfiltered, in 2001 as "Getting Lost". The DJ Cover Photograph, Saint Cloud Park", is one of Edouard Boubat's most famous images, beautifully reproduced. An absolute "must-have" title for Annie Ernaux collectors. This title is a great book. As far as we know, this is the only copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing (British) available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies of "Simple Passion" available online have serious flaws (because they were read) or are in multiple subsequent printings. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2022. One of the greatest writers of our time. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER ANNIE ERNAUX TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0704370425.
Makkai, Rebecca
1st Printing. Signed. 421 pages. Published in 2018. The author's breakthrough third novel. Rebecca Makkai's masterpiece. The First Hardcover Edition in its First Printing and First-State DJ (NO "National Book Award" Imprint). Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, of which there are many. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents Rebecca Makkai's "The Great Believers". A sensitive novelist's indelible account on the American AIDS catastrophe, and its poignant aftermath. "1985: Yale Tishman, the development director for an art gallery in Chicago, is about to pull off an amazing coup: Bringing an extraordinary collection of 1920's paintings as a gift to the gallery. Yet as his career begins to flourish, the carnage of the AIDS epidemic grows around him. One by one, his friends are dying and after his friend Nico's funeral, he finds his partner is infected, and that he might even have the virus himself. The only person he has left is Fiona, Nico's little sister. Thirty years later: Fiona is in Paris tracking down her estranged daughter who disappeared into a cult. While staying with an old friend, a famous photographer who documented the Chicago epidemic, she finds herself finally grappling with the devastating ways the AIDS crisis affected her life and her relationship with her daughter" (Publisher's blurb). An absolute "must-have" title for Rebecca Makkai collectors. This copy is very prominently and beautifully signed, dated (the month before publication), occasioned, and inscribed in black ink-pen on the title page by the author: "5.30.18 BEA Rebecca Makkai. With best wishes!". It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. The important and happy occasion is Book Expo America, abbreviated as BEA, when new books and their authors are introduced to the industry and the press. The recipient, who is named, is professionally known to the author and cannot be named here. This title is a great book. This is the best such signed, pre-publication dated, occasioned, and inscribed copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing/First-State DJ (NO "National Book Award" Imprint) available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws or are in multiple subsequent printings. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. One of the most brilliant writers of our time. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER REBECCA MAKKAI TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0708899137.
Gluck, Louise
1st Printing. Signed. 55 pages. Published in 2022. The poet's debut work of fiction. One of Louise Gluck's finest achievements. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. Publisher's small green "Signed" sticker pasted in front. Presents Louise Gluck's "Marigold And Rose: A Fiction". Magical, incandescent, and sublime: An imaginative view into the world of babyhood as human "spatial" consciousness, that is to say, BEFORE "temporal" consciousness, or time. Time traps humans - but not babies - as beings-in-time, therefore inexorably, beings-towards-death (in Gluck's neat, poetic reversal of Heidegger's philosophy about "Being And Time"). As grownups, that curious word, we then attempt to defy time by positing an after-time that we call the afterlife. "Imagine a fairy tale that is also a multi-generational saga; a piece for two hands that is also a symphony; a poem that is also, in the spirit of Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis', an incandescent act of autobiography. Shot through with a sense of stoic wonder, this small miracle of a book, following thirteen books of poetry and two collections of essays, is unlike anything Gluck has written, while at the same time it is inevitable, transcendent" (Publisher's blurb). It is also unlike any "fiction" we are accustomed to. An absolute "must-have" title for Louise Gluck collectors. This Autographed Copy is very prominently and beautifully signed in black ink-pen on the publisher's special bookplate (that is neatly pasted on the half-title page) by Louise Gluck. This title is a contemporary classic. As far as we know, this is the only such pre-signed copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Louise Gluck does NOT do public signings. A rare signed copy thus. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1985 for "The Triumph of Achilles". Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for "The Wild Iris". America's Poet Laureate in 2003 and 2004. Winner of the Nobel Prize For Literature in 2020. One of the greatest poets of our time. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER LOUISE GLUCK TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0374607583.
Cioran, E. M. (Translated by Ilinca Zarifopol-Johnston)
1st Printing. 128 pages. Published in 1995. Book-length account on subject. One of E. M. Cioran's earliest - and finest - achievements. The first appearance of the title in English and in the United States. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, particularly the Second Edition and the Softcover Edition. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only by a University Press. The First Edition is now rare. Presents E. M. Cioran's "Lacrimi si sfinti" in a felicitous English translation. The philosopher's single most valuable book in Romanian. "Inspired by Nietzsche's 'Beyond Good And Evil', Cioran searched for the origin of tears. He asked himself if saints could be the sources of our tears' better light" (Publisher's blurb). The seeds of Cioran in his full maturity (in French) were all planted in this ground-breaking book, including his seductive, gnomic voice, which one imitates at one's peril. In one of the most unusual philosophical quests on Western mysticism, Cioran sought to understand the essence of sainthood: That is, how a human being, "only human", can nevertheless renounce being human, which is the basis of his subsequent philosophy. In the crowded and competitive field called Modernism, E. M. Cioran stands out: The singular voice of rationality and Reason, on the one hand, and the Nietzschean spokesman of profound, not just residual, attachment to mysticism and myth, Un-Reason, on the other. There is no contemporary pundit, politician, or thinker, every single one of them pedestrian, blind partisans, who can be favorably compared to Cioran. An absolute "must-have" title for E. M. Cioran collectors. This title is a great book. This is one of few copies of the 1995 First Hardcover Edition/First Printing (American) still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws (abusive highlighting, underlining, and writing on inside pages that every Cioran book is subjected to) or are subsequent editions, of which there are several. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. One of the greatest writer-philosophers of the 20th century. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER E. M. CIORAN TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0226106721.
Klay, Phil
1st Printing. Signed. 407 pages. Published in 2020. The author's debut novel. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, particularly copies that are signed on a tipped-in page. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents Phil Klay's "Missionaries". His first novel, published during the trying pandemic. "Neither Mason, a US Special Forces medic, nor Lisette, a foreign correspondent, has emerged from America's long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan unscathed. Yet, for them, war still exerts a terrible draw. Where else in the world can such a person go? All roads lead to Colombia, where the US has partnered with the local government to stamp out a vicious civil war and keep the predatory narco gangs at bay. Mason is ready for the good war, and Lisette is more than ready to cover it. A novel of extraordinary suspense" (Publisher's blurb). An absolute "must-have" title for Phil Klay collectors. This copy is very boldly and beautifully signed in black ink-pen on the title page by Phil Klay. It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page, which almost ALL other copies available online are. Laid-in is a pristine copy of the Souvenir Announcement of the "in-person" event held in 2022 during which his signature was obtained. This title is a contemporary classic. This is one of very few such signed copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. Winner of the National Book Award in 2014 for "Redeployment". One of the most brilliant new voices of American literature. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER PHIL KLAY AND ELLIOT ACKERMAN TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 1984880659.
Said, Edward W. (Author); Barsamian, David (Editor/Co-Author) & Ahmad, Eqbal (Contributor)
1st Printing. 181 pages. Published in 1994. Retrospective collection of interviews, brilliantly transcribed as final written texts. The First Hardcover Edition. Should not be confused with the Softcover Edition, which was published simultaneously with it (as the regular trade edition). Published in a one-time-only print run of about 250 copies as a hardcover original by a small regional press. Without DJ, as issued. The First Hardcover Edition is now rare. Presents Edward Said's "The Pen And The Sword: Conversations With David Barsamian". Comes with an Introduction by Eqbal Ahmad. Precedes ALL other collections of interviews published with Edward Said's active collaboration, and is very valuable as such because it showcases the development of his critical thinking - and just as important, his philosophical and political commitments - during a long and prodigious career. The Interview devoted exclusively to his ground-breaking "Orientalism" is "must-reading" for students and devotees of that seminal masterwork. This is, in sum, "the eloquent and unique voice of a fascinating figure". "Among the truly important intellects of our century" (Nadine Gordimer). An absolute "must-have" title for Edward Said collectors. This title is a great collection. As far as we know, this is one of only two copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. It is the single most beautiful copy we have ever seen. Please note: Should NOT be confused with the Softcover Edition, which was published simultaneously with it. The other copy of the Hardcover Edition commands more than $350. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. One of the greatest literary and political writer/thinkers of the 20th century. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER EDWARD W. SAID TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 1567510310.
Barthes, Roland (Translated by Richard Howard)
1st Printing. 186 pages. Published in 1988. The author's second autobiographical writing. One of the greatest books of the 20th century. The second book in the final and greatest work by Roland Barthes, the trilogy that he began with "A Lover's Discourse: Fragments" (1977) and concluded with "Camera Lucida: Reflections On Photography" (1980, published posthumously in English in 1981). The 1988 First British Expatriate/Overseas Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions, particularly the Softcover Edition, of which there are several. Published in a tiny print run as a hardcover original only. The British Expatriate/Overseas Edition was issued by MacMillan Press for its foreign/"expatriate" market and was never commercially available in the United Kingdom (or the United States). The edition uses the same papers and boards that were produced for the regular British Edition. The British Overseas Edition is now rare. Presents, in its very rare and historically significant edition in English, Roland Barthes' "Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes" in a felicitous English translation by Richard Howard. Profoundly personal "confessions" about his inner life. The book is by, of, and most important, FOR the author himself. Since that sounds like the "tell-all" memoir (which it is not), it is important to clarify what Barthes' book is: A revelation, in the coolly detached French/Continental intellectual mode, where every (concrete) detail is intimately described in order to amplify a larger (abstract) idea. It is, to borrow Sartre's inimitable phrase, "the observer in the act of observing (himself) ". "Never before has Barthes spoken so freely, so joyously, precisely when he speaks so strictly, so severely about 'him'. Barthes is first and foremost, a writer, a man for whom the imaginative manipulation of language affords the means of life, the justification of his existence, the articulation of his identity" (Richard Howard). Discretion, elegance, and subtlety set Barthes' book apart from the vulgar memoir, especially of the Anglo-American kind: The more Barthes tells us about himself, the more distant he becomes, to himself and to us, his readers. The more Barthes reveals to us, the more we realize how little we can ever really know him (or ourselves). So why bother to write? Answer: To liberate oneself from the limits of formal writing in order to re-invent writing. Therein lies the book's - and his trilogy's - greatness and wisdom. An absolute "must-have" title for Roland Barthes collectors. This title is a great book. This is the only copy of the First British Expatriate/Overseas Edition/First Printing available online and is in fine condition overall: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: There are NO other copies of this most elusive edition available online because it was distributed abroad only, not in the United Kingdom or United States. This is the only one we have found. A rare copy thus. The greatest European culture critic of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER ROLAND BARTHES TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0333434706.
