Rare books from Nik's Bookstore Versandantiquariat

Paris: Hetzel, 1865 First illustrated Edition of the first Jules Verne book in french. Publisher: Hetzel Paris. No date (1865). Size: 8°, 370 pages + 2 pages advertisememts and 32 pages 'Magasin D'Education Et De Recreation'. Separated Attachment 'Carte de l'Afrique Centrale' is unfortunately missing (the map of Africa was not printed throughout the text like in later editions). Contemporary half maroquin with gilt quarters on spine and gilt edges. One frontispiece (with tissue) and 23 fullpage illustrations(with tissues) and several small illustrations throughout the text. Illustrators: Édouard Riou and Henri de Montaut.
Book is in very good condition with a little bumping to the corners and little rubbing to the edges of the boards and the spine. Front free endpaper has been torn in the middle. The pages are bright and clean but some have little foxing.This is an extremly attractive and scarce edition of Jules Verne's first book.

Edinburgh: William Oliphant and Son, 1837 4 Volumes with contemporary full leather bindings with extensive gilt ornamental work and marbled page edges. Every volume has a frontispiece and an engraving on the title leaf. Size: 16cm/11cm.

Vol. 1: Spring (stated Second Edition 1837), 416 pages
Vol. 2: Summer (First or Second Edition 1837), 416 pages
Vol. 3: Autum (First or Second Edition 1837), 408 pages
Vol. 4: Winter (stated Third Edition 1838), 411 pages

All Volumes have slightest rubbing to edges of spine and show minor use marks.Slight foxing to preliminary papers. The other pages are clean and fresh.

This is an excellent and very decorative set of Henry Duncans famous work which shows and demonstrate the reader the existence and the attributes of God shown by phenomenas in the yearly cycle.

London: Jonathan Cape Ltd., 1965 The first edition, first impression, second state (without the golden Gun on the front board, according bibliography Jon Gilbert A13a (1.2)). With patterned green endpapers. Dustwrapper designed by Richard Chopping.

Book is near fine and in very bright condition with a dedication to a former owner on the half-title leaf ("Happy Returns, Bert. George 27.3.65") and miniscule spotting at the top edge. A clean and well bound copy.

Dustwrapper is near fine with lightest signs of wear and handling, is not price clipped and protected by an archival booksleeve.

This classic well preserved James Bond book is certainly Collector's Choice.

London: The Bodley Head, 1966 A Catalogue of the Collection made by Dorothy Glover and Graham Greene. Bibliographically arranged by Eric Osborne and introduced by John Carter.

London: The Bodley Head, 1966. Limited to 500 copies, this is copy no. 299. Signed by Graham Greene, Dorothy Glover and John Carter. Both Carter and Osborne were friends of Greene's and
Victorian book specialists at Sotheby's auction house.

Book is unclipped and fine. Clean and crisp.
Dustwrapper is near fine with slight sunning to the spine.

Scarce limited edition with the signatures of a well-known author and his friends.

London: Hodder and Stoughton Ltd., 1993 Signed First UK Edition. Hodder and Stoughton Ltd., London 1993

Book is fine like new. Dustwrapper is fine like new now protected by a Mylar cover.

'The Night Manager' is the fourteenth espionage novel by John Le Carré and his first post-Cold War novel. The main character Jonathan Pine, a former British soldier, is working as a night manager in different hotels in Egypt and Switzerland and receives one evening secret documents on illegal arms trade from one of his guests. This develops into a thrilling story that ends with a gripping final against arms dealers who have influence in the highest political circles in London.

London: John Murray, 1829 First UK edition. John Murray, London 1829.

Richly decorated blue full leather binding.The Spines are little soiled and rubbed.The boards have miniscule scratching.

Marbled endpapers. The pages are in general clean and tidy.Just a few pages with minisculel soiling or foxing. The edges of the text block are marbled.

Irvings famous book in a very well preserved fine binding.John Murray was Irvings English publisher of choice. He published concurrently in the United States and Britain to protect his copyright.

"Through this chronicle, Irving emphasizes the barbarity of the Christian conquerors, the prejudices and ignorance of the court, and the heroism of the Moorish leaders in their hopeless struggle to retain Granada." (oxfordreference)

Boston: Houghton, Osgood and Company, 1880 - The Globe Edition -
Houghton, Osgood and Company. Boston 1880.

Green cloth covers embossed with black design, gilt globe and lettering on spine. The pages are lightly browned. The boards are partially miniscule rubbed. A fine copy of this complete set (see photos).

Contains the folllowing novels (two each in one book):

Redskins / Monikins
The Bravo /Mercedes of Castile,
Sea Lions / Jack Tear,
Afloat & Ashore / Miles Wallingford,
The Pilot /Two Admirals,
Satanstoe / Chainbearer,
Pathfinder / Pioneers,
Deerslayer / Mohicans,
Homeward bound / Home as found,
The Prairie / Wish-Ton-Wish,
Red Rover / Wing-And-Wing,
Lionel Lincoln / Oak Openings,
The Spy / Wyandotte,
Precaution / Ways of the Hour,
Water-Witch / Crater,
Headman / Heidenmauer.

Every book has approx. 900 pages.

James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) was a popular American writer of the first half of the 19th century. In his novels he described the early American life (e.g.… Read More

London: George Newnes, Burleigh Street, Strand, 1891 The Strand Magazine July 1891 till Dec. 1893 bound in 5 Volumes (Vol. II to VI).

The first appearance of the 24 Sherlock Holmes adventures preceeding the first publishing of the books "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" (according A10 and A14 Green/Gibson). Including many of the famous original illustrations of Sidney Paget which help form the popular image of Holmes. Also very interesting is the article in Vol. IV about the daily life of Dr. Doyle with photos of him, his wife and his home.

Volume II (July - Dec. 1891)
Adventure I. - A Scandal in Bohemia
Adventure II. - The Red-Headed League
Adventure III. - A Case of Idendity
Adventure IV. - The Boscombe Valley Mystery
Adventure V. - The Five Orange Pips
Adventure VI. - The Man With The Twisted Lip

Volume III (Jan.- June 1892)
Adventure VII. - The Adventure Of The Blue Carbuncle
Adventure VIII. - The Adventure Of The Speckled Band… Read More

London: George C. Harrap & Co., 1932 First Edition in recent goatskin binding. George C. Harrap, London 1932.



Beautifully illustrated throughout by Arthur Rackham with 12 full page coloured plates, all with captioned tissue guards. Numerous in text black and white line drawings.



The book is fine with very miniscule spotting to few pages . The pictorial parts of the original binding of the front board were worked into the leather of the book cover as an inlay. The edges have been recut and the picturesque endpapers were copied to new ones. The rests of the original endpapers were bound in.

London: Jonathan Cape, 1961 First edition, first printing. Jonathan Cape, London 1961
(Gilbert A9a 1.1 First Edition, First Impression, Binding A).

'Thunderball' is the ninth James Bond novel and the first novel oft the 'Blofeld Trilogy' introduces the crime syndicate 'Spectre' and the leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Of all James Bond adversaries, the chief of 'Spectre'casts the darkest shadow.

Book is fine. Publisher's black cloth with embossed skeleton hand design to upper board, gilt titles tospine. Binding is tight and square, corners are sharp, bright lettering to spine. Topedge of text block is a little dusty.

Dustwrapper is fine. Unclipped with 15s original price and miniscule wear to the edges and slight tanning to the spine and the top edges of the jacket flaps. DW is now protected with a new transparent Adaptaroll sleeve.

Collector's choice.

New York: Simon & Schuster, 1963 First American Edition. New York 1963.

Len Deighton's first spy novel and his first bestseller.
"A high-ranking scientist has been kidnapped. A secret British intelligence agency must find out why. But as the quarry is pursued from grimy Soho to the other side of the world, what seemed a straightforward mission turns into something far more sinister. With its sardonic, cool, (in the book unnamed) working-class hero, Len Deighton's sensational debut The IPCRESS File rewrote the spy thriller and became the defining novel of 1960's London." (buecher)

'Changed the shape of the espionage thriller ... there is an infectious energy about this book which makes it a joy to read' (Daily Telegraph)

Book and Dustwrapper are fine with miniscule shelf wear. Unclipped DW is now protected with a transparent Mylar sleeve.

This english classic is in a wonderful priscine condition. Collector's choice.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1886 First edition, first issue. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1886. With 26 illustrations (12 of these are full-page) by Reginald Birch and 14 pages advertisements for 'Scribner's Books for the Young'.

First Edition issue points are existing: with DeVinne Press imprint on page 210, signature mark "12" on page 177 and "14" on page 209.

Book is in a good to very good condition regarding its age with no dustjacket as published. The boards and the spine are rubbed, bumped and show signs of use and shelf wear (see photos). Dedication to former owner on front free endpaper. Book has a crack to the rear inside hinge but the connections between text block and boards are still intact. Slightly spotting and miniscule closed tears to some of the pages. Dusting to the edges of the text block.

In 1886, Frances Hodgson Burnett published Little Lord Fauntleroy, her first children's book, which was enthusiastically received by… Read More

Causewayside Edinburgh: T. C. and E. C. Jack, 1897 'The Centenary Burns'. T. C. and E. C. Jack, Edinburgh 1897.
4 Volumes bound in gilt decorated half-leather by Bayntun (Riviére), Bath, England. Overall 1806 pages.With 32 full-page illustrations (etchings) by William Hole and 11 leaves of facsimiles.

This is a very representative copy of the 'Centenary Edition' of the poetry of Robert Burns. Bound by the famous Bayntun (Riviére) bindery in Bath in decorative half leather and cloth covered boards. The spines have five raised bands, gilt lettering on morocco labels and gilt tooling to compartments. Top edges gilt. Bindings remain generally clean, some ligth surface streaks to leather on some boards. Joints rubbed,some cracking mainly to upper joints resulting in a little movement to boards, others remain firm. Corners showing a little wear and bumping, small loss to leather on two tips. Marbled endpapers with binder's signature to top corner verso of front free… Read More

London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1907 Macmillan and Co., Limited. London 1907. 901 pages. Finely bound by Bickers and Son in tree calf bordered with foliate gilt ruling. Central gilt motif of the 'Girls Public Day School Trust Bromley High School' to front boards, raised bands, brown label and gilt decoration to spine.All edges vividly marbled, matching marbled endpapers, board edges decorated with gilt. With frontispiece portrait of Lord Tennyson. Binder's stamp on ffep. With a neat inscription on the flying leaf. Some minor foxing to the first pages otherwise internally clean and bright. This is a very decorative book which contains the work of the famous Victorian poet. The motto "Knowledge is now no more a fountain sealed" is a quote from the poem "The Princess": "This blank verse narrative poem by Tennyson (1809–1892) is a satire on the state women's education. The narrative centres on a princess who sets up a University for women, although her plans are disrupted by the intrusion of a… Read More

London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1906 First Edition, trade issue. Hodder and Stoughton, London 1906. 126 pages with additional 50 full-page tipped in illustrations in colour mounted on thick paper(with tissue gards) by Arthur Rackham.

This is a wonderful copy of the first trade edition of 'Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens' which was the first featuring of Peter Pan in the book title. It has the original russet cloth with gilt titles to the spine and upper board, along with a decorative gilt illustration of Peter Pan riding a goat on the front board and a map of Kensington Gardens on the front free endpaper.

Critics were overwhelmed by the symbiosis of the writer J. M. Barrie with the at this time relatively unknown illustrator Arthur Rackham. For example, the Pall Mall Gazette wrote: "Not the least part of that good fortune that follows Mr. Barrie´s steps is his choice of an illustrator. Mr. Rackham seems to have dropped out of some cloud in Mr. Barrie´s fairyland, sent by a… Read More