Search Results: Authors starting with D from Peter Harrington

Edinburgh., 1850. Large and accurate map of Asia in two parts, north and south. Although aspects of the map are in a copperplate style, the degree of detail and the date suggest this is a steel engraving. Lizars illustrated natural history books, and also engraved bank notes Steel engraving. Original colour. Very good condition, good margins Size: 87 x 77 cm. MacKenzie, British Prints

Paris: Rigaud,, 1716. The first female translator of Homer First Dacier edition, in a beautiful contemporary French binding decorated with small gilt shell tools. Dacier's celebrated translation into French of the Odyssey is considered her "crowning achievement" (Folger, p. 34) alongside her equally successful translation of the Iliad (1711). The only daughter of the noted Hellenist Tanneguy Lefèvre, Anne Dacier (c.1654-1720) began translating classical works from an early age, beginning with Callimachus and progressing to versions of the poems of Anacreon and Sappho. She was a staunch champion of Homer in the Ancients and Moderns debate, in which she defended his works against what she saw as the contemporary decline in standards of taste. Despite literary feuds with Antoine Houdar de la Motte and Thémiseul de Saint-Hyacinthe, and her differences in particular with Alexander Pope, with whom she fundamentally disagreed on how best to approach translating Homer, Dacier was held in high regard by her… Read More

Paris: Denys Thierry,, 1681. When I look at you even for a short time, it is no longer possible for me to speak First edition of the first translation of Sappho by a woman, paired with her version of Anacreon, in a contemporary binding and complete with the often-lacking frontispiece. Prior to Dacier, Louise Labé in France and Gaspara Stampa in Italy published poetic imitations of Sappho, but Dacier was the first woman to translate the poems themselves into any modern language. The only daughter of the noted Hellenist Tanneguy Lefèvre, Anne Dacier (c.1654-1720) translated classical works from an early age, beginning with Callimachus and progressing to Anacreon and Sappho. "By choosing to translate Anacreon and Sappho into French, instead of presenting them with a Latin translation, as her father did, Anne Le Fèvre was seeking to introduce these two authors to a larger audience. That is indeed what she says in her preface to Anacreon, specifying that she is particularly thinking about women: 'By… Read More

Kansas City: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Company,, 1903. The Boxer Rebellion, as recounted by America's last Union general First edition, first printing, familial association copy, with the ownership signature of the author's daughter Helen Daggett Patterson (1881-1970) on the front free endpaper. Patterson subsequently passed this copy to Trevor Washington Swett Jr, a US Army colonel; his ownership inscription is below her signature. Aaron Daggett (1837-1938) was appointed brivet brigadier general by Andrew Johnson in February 1866, having served with distinction during the Civil War. Following service in the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War, he was appointed brigadier general in the regular army in 1900, leading the 14th Infantry Regiment during the Boxer Rebellion. By his death, he was the last surviving high-ranking officer to have fought on the Union side. His account describes American and allied troop movements in China, as well as day-to-day experiences of battle and the conduct of key… Read More

London: Michael Joseph,, 1974. First UK edition, first impression. The four short stories in this book comprise "The Visitor", "The Great Switcheroo", "The Last Act", and "Bitch". They originally appeared in Playboy in 1965, 1974, 1966, and 1974, respectively. The US edition was published a few months before the UK edition. The dust jacket blurb notes "All the stories are outrageous, unexpected, sophisticated, hilarious - and sometimes tragic". Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in silver. With dust jacket. Head and foot of spine very slightly bumped, light foxing to edges; minor indentations to rear panel of unclipped jacket: a near-fine copy in like jacket.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1985. Inscribed by Dahl in the year of publication First edition, first impression, inscribed by the author on the title page, "Happy Christmas Hugo, Love, Roald Dahl, 1985, x". Dahl and Blake had achieved considerable success with The Enormous Crocodile in 1978, and this, another picture book for young children, was a worthy successor. Dahl dedicated the work to his three stepdaughters. When Dahl delivered the typescript to his English publisher, Tom Maschler responded with a note stating "Vintage Dahl. And with new aspects as well. What more could one ask?" A review in the Times Literary Supplement noted "there are better things than this in children's literature but this will fill that space where the ego and the libido run riot, where the only relationship is the camaraderie between fellow gluttons". Quarto. Original illustrated boards, spine and front cover lettered in black, dark blue endpapers. No dust jacket issued. Illustrations throughout by Quentin Blake. Minor… Read More

London: Hamish Hamilton,, 1946. The author's first adult book First UK edition, first impression, presentation copy, inscribed "E. K. / [diagonal line] / R. D. / March '47" on front free endpaper. This collection of stories, based on his experiences in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, was Dahl's second book, his first of short stories and his first for adults. The US edition was published earlier the same year. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. Bookplate to front pastedown. Extremities a little bumped, spine lightly sunned; some minor loss to extremities of slightly toned dust jacket, unclipped, a few adhesive tape repairs to reverse: a very good copy in a very good dust jacket.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1991. Commemorative Edition, first impression, one of 500 copies, this copy unnumbered. Published on the 75th anniversary of the author's birth on 13 September 1991, this is the most lavishly produced edition of Dahl's story ever published from the "Commemorative Limited Edition", and single volumes from the set are uncommon. The story was originally published in 1990. The publishers announced the edition with the statement that "only 500 sets are being produced and no further similar commemorative editions will be permitted for a period of 50 years". The paper used on the boards was a "special paper design... reproduced by courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the machine plates and film to be destroyed after printing". Furthermore, the text was "redesigned in a uniform typeface, and printed on heavy-weight Consort Royal Sword Tint, especially manufactured for this edition. The text plates and film will be destroyed after printing". The full set… Read More

London: Michael Joseph,, 1989. First edition, first impression, collecting seven stories written in the Buckinghamshire countryside setting that Dahl called home. He notes in his preface that the stories were composed in the late 1940s and that "rereading them again now fills me with acute nostalgia and with vivid memories of those sweet days many years ago". Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in silver. With dust jacket. Line drawings by John Lawrence. Spine ends bumped, foxing to edges, text mildly toned; bright, price-clipped jacket with occasional crease: a very good copy in near-fine jacket.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1982. First edition, first impression, of Dahl and Blake's reinterpretation of six classic fairy tales including "Cinderella", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs", "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", "Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf", and "The Three Little Pigs". Octavo. Original pictorial boards, spine and front cover lettered in black and purple, buff endpapers. No jacket issued. Illustrated throughout by Quentin Blake. Bookseller's label to front free endpaper. Spine very slightly skewed and toned, minor surface scratches to covers, some minor foxing: a very good copy.

London: Puffin Books,, 2004. First edition, first impression, of this alphabetical primer to Dahl's life and books by Wendy Cooling, the founder of the children's reading charity Bookstart. Square octavo. Original dark purple boards, spine lettered in silver, red endpapers. With dust jacket. Line drawings by Quentin Blake. Unclipped jacket spine partially sunned, panels and flaps bright, light edge creasing: a fine copy in very good jacket.

New York: Random House,, 1943. First edition, first printing, of the author's first book. As noted by the original jacket blurb, "Everybody has heard about the gremlins, the fantastic Little People whose antics have become one of the great legends of the R.A.F." The book was written as a promotional device for a feature-length Disney animation that was never produced, partly because the studio could not establish firm copyright in the "gremlin" characters (Dahl claimed to have invented them, though they had been common currency in the RAF and had appeared in print at least once before) and partly because the British Air Ministry wanted final approval of the script and production. It was eventually agreed that royalties would be split between the RAF Benevolent Fund and Dahl. The book is described on the title and the front cover as being "From the Walt Disney Production"; the Disney studio wrote to Dahl in August 1943 after publication cancelling any further preproduction work. Quarto. Original… Read More

New York: Alfred A. Knopf,, 1964. First edition, finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery with multi-coloured title onlay to front board First edition, first printing, with the six-line colophon on the last page (this was cut to five in all subsequent printings). This US edition precedes the English by three years. Octavo. Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in purple morocco, spine lettered in gilt, decorative multi-coloured title and chocolate bar inlay to front board, twin rule to turn-ins, dark green endpapers, edges gilt. A fine copy. Grolier Children's 100, 98.

London: George Allen & Unwin Limited,, 1970. First UK edition, first impression. The US edition was published earlier the same year. Fantastic Mr Fox formed the basis for Wes Anderson's 2009 film of the same name and has been successfully adapted into both a stage play and an opera. Octavo. Original laminated pictorial boards, titles to front cover and spine in red and black. Without dust jacket, as issued. With numerous in-text and full-page illustrations by Donald Chaffin. Head and foot of spine slightly bumped, corners bumped, crease to rear cover, minor dents to top edge of covers, corner of front free endpaper excised, some minor soiling but generally clean: a very good copy.

London: George Allen & Unwin Limited,, 1970. First UK edition, first impression. The US edition was published earlier the same year as the UK edition. The present edition was issued without a dust jacket. Fantastic Mr Fox formed the basis for Wes Anderson's 2009 film of the same name and has been successfully adapted into both a stage play and an opera. Octavo. Original laminated pictorial boards, titles to spine and front cover in red and black. With numerous in-text and full-page illustrations by Donald Chaffin. Gift inscription to front free endpaper dated Christmas 1971. Head of spine slightly bumped, covers bright, occasional foxing: a very good copy.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1991. First edition, "special presentation proof", number 18 of 500 such copies. The Minpins was Roald Dahl's final work written for children and was published posthumously. Minpin was the nickname Dahl used for his daughter, Ophelia, to whom he dedicated the book. Quarto. Original pictorial boards, spine and front cover lettered in red and black, red endpapers. With dust jacket. Colour illustrations throughout by Benson. Light foxing to first couple of leaves, a near-fine copy in the bright jacket, unclipped.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf,, 1970. The children's classic with onlay copied from the jacket First edition, first printing. Octavo. Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in brown morocco, titles to spine in black, two raised bands, multi-coloured pictorial onlay of Mr Fox standing in front of his tree taken from the dust jacket, twin rule to turn-ins in black, dark green endpapers, gilt edges. A fine copy.

London: Hamish Hamilton,, 1946. First UK edition, first impression. This collection of stories, based on his experiences in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, was Dahl's second book, his first of short stories, and his first for adults. The US edition was published earlier the same year. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. Head and foot of spine very slightly bumped, minor foxing to edges; extremities of unclipped jacket worn, some toning and foxing: a near-fine copy in a very good jacket.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1985. Later impression, inscribed by the author on half-title, "To Adam, Love Roald Dahl". The book was first published in 1984; this is the first reprint. In his autobiographical collection of stories from childhood, Dahl includes his fondness for confectionery, his Norwegian ancestry, and his loathing for most schoolteachers. Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. With black and white photographic illustrations throughout the text and on illustrated endpapers. Extremities a little bumped and soiled, minor foxing to edges; jacket a little rubbed at extremities, price-clipped but with publisher's price sticker (£7.95): a very good copy in a near-fine jacket.

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1984. First Quentin Blake edition, first impression, following the edition which was illustrated by Rosemary Fawcett the year prior. This Dahl collection of poetry about animals comprises "The Pig", "The Crocodile", "The Lion", "The Scorpion", "The Ant-Eater", "The Porcupine", "The Cow", "The Toad and the Snail", and "The Tummy Beast". Quarto. Original illustrated boards lettered in black and brown, blue endpapers. No dust jacket issued. Colour illustrations by Quentin Blake. A fine copy.