The Inklings

London: Unwin Hyman 1988-90 Five Volumes 8vo vi,297; vi,385; vi,393; vi,380; viii,455pp, 1988 The History of Middle-Earth Vols. 1-5. A Very Fine matching set of the Unwin Hyman reprint series, all in Very Fine Brodart-protected Dust Wrappers, with the Unwin Hyman logo to the spines. There is a slight blemish to the front DW of Vol. V, The Lost Road, where something has rubbed against it. This set is comprised of The Book of Lost Tales Parts I & II, The Lays of Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle-Earth, and The Lost Road and Other Stories. Lost Tales Book One is the 1990 Printing, all the others are the 1988 Printings. These five volumes together comprise the bulk of J.R.R. Tolkien's early writings on Middle-Earth, from The Book of Lost Tales, the first major work of imagination by J.R.R. Tolkien, begun in 1916-17 when he was 25 years old, taking in such sustained works as the Lay of the Children of Hurin, and the Lay of Leithian; writings detailing the mythological background of Middle-Earth,… Read More

Oxford, at the Clarendon Press. London.,1945. FIRST EDITION. Large 8vo. viii,696pp. Some light foxing to the blank endpapers otherwise near fine copy in publishers dark blue cloth, lettered and ruled in gilt, with the gilt publishers emblem at the bottom of the spine. In the original dustwrapper lettered in light blue and brown. Overall a near fine bright clean copy.:

Hardcover. Fine. 4to. Bound in 20th-century 1/4-vellum over marbled boards. Strasbourg: Matthias Schürer, July 1510. Second Strasbourg edition of Erasmus heavily annotated collection of Greek and Latin proverbs. Printed in Roman and Greek types. This is the original version, containing 818 adages, which is considerably shorter than the later expanded versions published under the title Adagiorum chiliades. (Adams E-420; Bezzel, Erasmusdrucke, 50; Van der Haeghen, Bibliotheca Erasmiana, p.25-6; Bibl. Belgica II, 276: no. E.61; Muller, Strasbourg II, p. 179, no. 45.) The Adagia could only have been possible in the new world of European education, in which careful attention to a broader range of classical texts produced a much fuller picture of the literature of antiquity. Its impact has been long lasting. Such popular expressions such as one step at a time, between a rock and a hard place, break the ice, an iron in the fire, looking a gift horse in the mouth, and many other sayings can trace their… Read More

Geoffrey Bles, 1956-01-01. Hardcover. Very Good. 0x0x0. Lewis, C. S. : The Silver Chair. London : Geoffrey Bles, 1956. Second Impression. Size is octavo (8vo), 7.75"/20cm. Bound in publisher's dark blue cloth over boards, bright silver lettering imprinted on spine. DJ in blue-green w/white and black lettering (front) or white with blue-green and black lettering (back); front also has a Pauline Baynes silver chair illustration.'Second Impression' printed top inside front dj flap. Front pastedown/flyleaf features Baynes' 'Map of the Wild Lands of the North', rear blank. 217 numbered pp, plus three blank following. Many b&w illustrations, all Baynes. Condition notes: A very nice, collectible copy of the rare 1956 British Second Impression published by Geoffrey Bles. Enchanting illustrations by Pauline Baynes. Fourth in the series (in Lewis' original, published, order). Included is the original dustjacket -- not a reproduction, not price-clipped. Binding is slightly… Read More

The Bodley Head, 1956-01-01. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8x5x0. Lewis, C.S. (Clive Staples) : The Last Battle. London : The Bodley Head, 1956. First impression. Size is octavo (8vo), 7.75"/20cm. Bound in publisher's blue cloth over boards, bright silver lettering imprinted on spine. DJ in light green w/black and white lettering (front) or white with black lettering (back); front also features a Pauline Baynes illustration in blue and brown of Lucy conferring with faun Tumnus. Blank endpapers/flyleaves; 184 numbered pp. Many Baynes illustrations in b&w (none in color)scattered through text.Condition notes: A highly collectible copy of this Narnia classic, seventh and last in the series (in Lewis' original, published, order). This is the rare 1956 British First edition/First Impression by The Bodley Head. Included is the original dustjacket -- not a reproduction, not price-clipped. Binding is slightly cocked off square,solid. DJ shows tanning and foxing from age… Read More

Basil Blackwell, [1922]. First Edition. Hardcover. Good. 0x0x0. Various : Fifty New Poems For Children. Oxford : Basil Blackwell, [1922]. First edition. 7 5/8"/20cm h. Bound in publisher's black paper boards; b&w pictorial paper pastedown to front board. Plain white endpapers. 63 numbered pp plus one wo numbers following. By my count actually fifty-two; index. Condition notes: boards heavily worn with some sunning, considerable tanning and staining to white front pastedown; spine pastedown removed (remnants still clinging); boards bent forward at spine creating a slightly curled appearance; joint worn through for one-plus inches, revealing internal fabric. Corners worn and bumped. Uncut edges show darkening. Modest foxing to endpapers; discreet gift inscription to front flyleaf; both pastedowns show ridging where spine/boards are bent; front flyleaf has remains of a since-removed sticker. Hinge beginning to separate pp 32-33. Pages show varying but generally minor tanning and staining… Read More

Collectible First Edition Fine Hardcover Very Good+ Mylar Protected Dust Jacket Clean 180 pp. NOT a library copy. NOT price cut. NO Writing in text. Tight binding. Fine brown hardcover. Two tiny closed dust jacket tears and the slightest minute chip you have to hunt to find. Bright Dust Jacket in Mylar armor like that worn by any Spear Geat at Hrothgar's hall. See our Three Geese In Flight Book Scans for Jacket Cover and First Edition Page.

Collectible Fine Deluxe Slipcase Edition First Edition With a Colour Frontispiece showing a facsimile page from Prof. Tolkien's original color manuscript. Terrific written in alliterative verse it has the feel of a cross between the Lord of the Rings and Alliterative Death of Arthur. Comes with original advertising and attached ribbon marker. Handsome binding too. See five of our Three Geese in Flight Scans.

Collectible Fine Two Full Leather Bound Volumes. The Book of Lost Tales Part One and Part Two. Easton Press. Beautifully bound perhaps among this Publishers best work. Gilt edges all around and Gilt Runic Title lettering. Still in the original shrink wrap. Silk like ribbon. Raised bands on spine. "The Music Of The Ainur""The Tale Of Tinuviel""The Chaining Of Melko" See Both our Three Geese in Flight Book Scans

George Allen & Unwin. London. 1954 and 1955. FIRST EDITION, first printings of Volumes 2 and 3. The 1st volume is 1954 2nd impression, printed in a run of only 2500 copies, which is actually the first revised version of the text, due the printers dispersing the type after the first impression and having to completely reset it for this printing. Including Tolkien's corrections to the text and the Elvish title page inscription, this version became the standard text for many years to follow. THREE VOLUMES. 8vo. (8.6 x 5.5 inches). A bright and clean set throughout. Fold out map of Middle earth at the end of each volume. The set has been finely bound in recent full red morocco leather. Spines with raised bands, the compartments lettered, ruled and decorated in gilt. Decorative gilt roll border on the boards. All edges gilt. Plain magnolia endpapers. The three volumes are housed in a burgundy cloth covered slipcase. ------ An fine and attractive set with the earliest reprint of the first book and first… Read More

George Allen & Unwin Ltd. London. 1961. THREE VOLUMES. Large 8vo. (9 x 5.9 inches). Early printings. 11th/8th/7th impressions of first editions. Each volume with fold out map at end. Publishers red cloth, spines gilt. Top edges dyed red. A remarkable, fine set. Pages clean and bright in all three volumes. The books have clearly not been read. There is a little tarnishing to the gilt on the spine but the books are clean and the corners sharp. In the original crisp and bright dustwrappers, with the correct impression numbers to each volume. Prices still intact. A hint of fading to the red lettering on the spines but otherwise the wrappers are clean, crisp and unmarked. Overall a fine set. Rare in this condition. In over 30 years of dealing in Tolkien books I have not had a better set.

London : Faber & Faber Ltd, 1949; 1937. 2nd edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Good. VG+ in Good+ dw. 8vo, 224pp, red cloth with spine stamped in gold, printed dustwrapper. A clean copy of the 1949 Faber & Faber edition of a classic metaphysical novel by Charles Williams, originally published in 1937. Treats of occult subjects with unusual insight. A 1951 presentation inscription is written on front flyleaf (no other markings), light shadowing to endpapers. Dustwrapper is price-clipped and has some chipping and wear.