Rare books from Michal Sawka Rare & Collectable

Amsterdam: Marc-Michel Rey, 1775. Book. Good+. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 2 volumes bound in one, imperial octavo (210 x 265mm). [4], 160, [2]; 160pp. First French edition, edited by Diderot, complete with all 5 engraved plates (three in the text and two frontispiece), beautiful 65 vignettes, 3 folding plates and 4 folding printed tables. Full calf leather, five raised bands, spine gilt to compartments, gilt title, marbled endpapers, all edges in red. The spine of the leather binding is slightly damaged, minor rubbing on edges and on covers. The first pages have some moisture damage (unobtrusive). The three engravings have been amateurishly restored. No notes and/or tears (apart from aforementioned restorations). Gently creasing on some pages. The writer was the great reformer who, commissioned by the enlightened czarina Catherine II, made education accessible for all children, both boys and girls. In association with Diderot, he presented the French translation of this important book in Amsterdam.… Read More

London: The Times / J.P. Bland [1915], 1914. Book. Good. Hardcover. Collection of The Times Monthly Reviews of the War with the following dates: October 1, 1914 (Campaign in France); November 3, 1914 (Campaign in France and Belgium); December 1, 1914 (The Campaign in Poland); January 5, 1915 (The Advance of the Allies in the West); March 1, 1915 (The War in the West week by week); April 1, 1915 (The British Victories in Flanders. Plan of the Battlefields of Neuve Chapelle and St. Eloi.); May 1, 1915 (The Critical Battlefield in Flanders); June 1, 1915 (The Battlefields of French Artois); July 1, 1915 (In the District of the Somme); August 1, 1915 (Review of the First Year of the War); September 1, 1915 (The New Landing in Gallipoli Peninsula); October 1, 1915 (The German Advance into West Russia); October 6, 1915 (The War Clouds of the Balkans' map + war reports); November 1, 1915 (The Invasion of Serbia); December 1, 1915 (Greece and the Balkan Campaign); January 4, 1916 (The Threatened Invasion… Read More

London: John Lane The Bodley Head Limited, 1925. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. vii, 298pp [+14 ads]. 'Cheap edition 1925' stated to the copyright page. Original green cloth, black title to the spine and front cover together with decorated motif in black. Spine slightly faded, little wear to spine ends, pages edges tanned, minimal foxing. Included original dust jacket with some restoration, slightly soiled. Clean and fresh copy. .

London: The Bodley Head, 1974. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Folio (305 x 220mm). Inscribed by Chaplin to the title page:"To Prime Minister and Mrs Wilson - Charlie Chaplin". Harold Wilson was the Prime Minister who, encouraged by Louis Mountbatten, included Chaplin in the 1975 Queen's New Years honours list, conferring upon him the title Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). The book comes from the collection of Harold and Mary Wilson (included catalogue from the auction as provenance). The book is firmly bound in clean black cloth lettered in white to the spine, the extremities are a little bumped and rubbed. The text block is slightly toned and dusty. The dust jacket is the original, it is price clipped and slightly grubby with some minor nicks, closed tears and rubbing to the edges. With excellent provenance, and an important association with the British Prime Minister who granted Charlie Chaplin the establishment recognition he… Read More

London: Victor Gollancz, 1976. Book. Near Fine. Hardcover. 1st Edition. Octavo. First UK edition, first impression. Original olive cloth, gilt title to spine. Dust jacket in very good condition, spine sunned, lightly wear along edges. The book is in very good condition, there is only minor spotting to the edges. In great shape, bright and clean. .

London: Bloomsbury, 1998. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. First edition, sixth impression, hardback, inscribed by the author 'to Laura - with best wishes - and I like the necklace! J K Rowling', 8vo, original pictorial boards, dust jacket, textblock slightly toned. Provenance: Inscribed for the vendor at a book signing in Edinburgh c.1998; according to her recollection the necklace was made of candy..

Chilton Book Company, 1965. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. Octavo. First edition, 9th printing indicated on the copyright page (NOT a book club edition). Original red cloth with white title on the spine. Slight bumping to the corners and spine ends, with minor foxing on the edges. Comes with the original dust jacket, which is not price clipped. The dust jacket shows minor soiling and slight wear along the edges, with two small pieces of tape on the rear. Overall, a very bright and clean copy in very good condition with its dust jacket..

Krakow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1971. Book. Good. Soft cover. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Octavo. Signed by the author. First edition, first printing. Original pictorial cloth designed by Daniel Mroz. The cover shows signs of browning and wear on the edges, with a small tear at the spine's base, the edges are tanned. The interior is clean and bright. This copy remains firm and in good condition..

London: Kaye & Ward, 1987. Book. Near Fine. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Octavo. First impression. Photographic illustrations, several pages of maps, bibliography. Bound in crisp blue cloth, with gold blocked locomotive decoration to front board and bright, gilt title lettering to spine. Very light wear to boards & spine. Dust jacket is not price-clipped; light edge wear. Signed W.Awdry to bookplate fixed to front pastedown. Including rare paper "Special Autograph Edition" wrapper. The wrapper is quite creased and in two pieces. A fascinating and detailed background to the Railway series about Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends..

London: Head of Zeus Ltd, 2021. Book. Fine. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Signed and limited edition: 6 volumes in total, including The Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy (The Three-Body Problem; The Dark Forest; Death's End), along with The Redemption of Time, Hold Up The Sky, and Of Ants and Dinosaurs. All books are signed by the author, with the volume The Redemption of Time additionally signed by the translator. The book are in pristine condition. .

Krakow: Spoldzielnia Wydawniczo-Oswiatowa 'Czytelnik", 1951. Book. Very Good. Soft cover. Signed by Author(s). Set of two books: (1) Octavo (210 x 155mm). First edition, first impression, Lem's first science fiction novel. Original pictorial white-blue cloth, black titling to spine and front cover. Cover designed by Jan S. Miklaszewski. Wear with small tears along edges, bent corners, rubbed edges, small tears between p. 169-175 on the bottom (text intact), cover soiled (mostly rear panel), pages toned, occasionally spotting inside. Else good copy, with no inscriptions or stamps. Contains map and a drawings by author. (2) Octavo. Later edition from 1967 (4th edition). Signed and inscribed by Stanislaw Lem: "Pani Ewie Burzynskiej na pamiatke naszej rozmowy w Kielcach, Stanislaw Lem, Krakow listopad 67" (To Mrs. Ewa Burzynska in memory of our conversation in Kielce, Stanislaw Lem, Krakow November 67). Original yellow softcover, dustwrapper in black and yellow. The jacket has some… Read More

New York: Scholastic Book. Near Fine. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. First US edition, copyright page with number line from 10 to 1. Signed by author on title page, certified with the official hologram as called for (bearing the 21/07/07 date). .

London: Jonathan Cape and the Medici Society Ltd, 1923. Book. Fine. Hardcover. (240 x 180mm). Original blue cloth with gilt ornaments and gilt titles on the spine and front cover, accompanied by creamy dust jackets. Features 36 full-color plate illustrations by Russell Flint. The wrappers show slight soiling, with browned spines and slightly chipped edges. In volume II, the bottom edges of the wrapper detached but still in place. The spine of the books are slightly sunned, minor foxing throughout, else the book are in fine condition. This set is very handsome, presented in rare dust jackets..

London: Bloomsbury, 1999. Book. Near Fine. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. First edition, second printing with full 1098765432 number line, J. K. Rowling credited to the copyright page, signed by the author on official Bloomsbury book plate. The previous owner purchased this book new from James Thin, an independent bookstore in Edinburgh, reportedly one of J.K. Rowling's favorite shops in the city (the sticker price is still on the dust jacket). It was also known as one of the few places where signed books were available. Unfortunately, this charming independent bookstore eventually closed its doors in 2002. The book is in fine condition only minor bent at the top of the spine. .

London: Bloomsbury, 1999. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. First edition, 10th printing, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR, 8vo, pp. 317, [1]. Original decorative paper boards, matching dustjacket. Inscribed by J.K. Rowling on the dedication page. A little toned. Dustjacket sunned, lightly bumped to edges. Inscription to dedication-page: "To Daisy with best wishes J.K. Rowling". The third book in the series, in an early printing signed and inscribed by the author..