Detective Fiction
Brock (Lynn, pseud. Alister McAllister) The Dagwort Coombe Murder
London, Collins, 1929.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original dark blue cloth lettered and ruled in red. Dust-jacket.
Brock's first stand-alone novel following the success of his Colonel Gore series during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. In the United States, it was published under the alternative title The Stoke Silver Case. Scarce in jacket.
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
London, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1882.
Second edition. 8vo. Original green cloth lettered and ruled in gilt, edges gilt.
The uncommon cloth-bound second edition, the work having been published the previous year, but here furnished with new and revised illustrations. A collection of fantasy stories set in a magical land called the Land Under the Sunset, which is located beyond the horizon.
A Romance of the Air
London, Harrap, 1924.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original green cloth lettered in gilt. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
An aviation-themed romance/adventure, capitalising on early 20th-century fascination with flight. Attractive jacket artwork.
Modern Literature
London, Geoffrey Bles, 1936.
First edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket,
Primarily set in a suburban terrace near Clapham Common, focusing on the lives of its residents, with occasional deviations via Mayfair and Paris.
Children's Books
London, Longmans, Green & Co., 1906.
First edition. Oblong 4to. Original cloth-backed pictorial boards.
The title character and his doll companions embark on a sea voyage but are soon caught in a storm that leaves them stranded on a desert island.
Children's Books
London, Longmans, Green & Co., [1905].
First edition. Oblong 4to. Original cloth-backed pictorial boards.
The sixth installment in the Upton's series featuring the character Golliwogg.
Modern Literature
London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1968.
First edition, first impression. Inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original dark brown boards. Dust-jacket, priced 25s.
Inscribed by the author, 'This by way of a consolation prize, and in memory of enthusiasm, wet trousers and one pike. Best wishes, Willie McIlvanney, 11th September, 1968 (R.I.P.)'
Modern Literature
London, Hutchinson, 1965.
First UK edition, first impression. Signed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original black boards. Dust-jacket, priced 21s.
An attractive, inscribed first UK edition of the author's multivoiced narrative about Franklin Carey, a man, much like his creator, who inhabits the border regions between the cultures of Europe and America.
Tom Maschler (1933–2020) was a highly influential figure in British publishing, renowned in particular for his tenure as literary director at Jonathan Cape. He was instrumental in shaping modern publishing, discovering and championing some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century, including Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie. Maschler was also a key force behind the creation of the Booker Prize, which became one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Known for his keen editorial eye and risk-taking, he played a pivotal role in establishing literary trends and elevating authors who would go on to define their eras.
Modern Literature
London, Jonathan Cape, 1970.
First edition, first impression. Inscribed presentation copy from the author with original 'elephant' doodle. 8vo. Original black boards. Dust-jacket, priced £1.25,
Speculative black comedy by poet, novelist & playwright Mitchell, nominated, semi-seriously, as Britain's "Shadow Poet Laureate" in 2002.
Tom Maschler (1933–2020) was a highly influential figure in British publishing, renowned in particular for his tenure as literary director at Jonathan Cape. He was instrumental in shaping modern publishing, discovering and championing some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century, including Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie. Maschler was also a key force behind the creation of the Booker Prize, which became one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Known for his keen editorial eye and risk-taking, he played a pivotal role in establishing literary trends and elevating authors who would go on to define their eras.
Modern Literature
A Novel
Brighton, The Harvester Press, 1987.
First edition, first impression. Inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.
A novel set in 1891, following Count Friedryk Baa MindeBerg, a middle-aged Scandinavian biologist renowned for his expertise in toads, marsupials and African wildlife. The novel delves into themes of memory, remorse and the inescapable nature of personal history.
Modern Literature
London, Jonathan Cape, 1983.
First edition, first impression. Inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, priced £7.95.
A metaphysical tale set in the Middle Ages, recounting Pilgermann's pilgrimage, filled with surreal encounters, such as speaking animals, anthropomorphic Death as a recurring figure and symbolic visions.
Tom Maschler (1933–2020) was a highly influential figure in British publishing, renowned in particular for his tenure as literary director at Jonathan Cape. He was instrumental in shaping modern publishing, discovering and championing some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century, including Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie. Maschler was also a key force behind the creation of the Booker Prize, which became one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Known for his keen editorial eye and risk-taking, he played a pivotal role in establishing literary trends and elevating authors who would go on to define their eras.
Modern Literature
Stories, a Libretto, Essays and Sketches
London, Jonathan Cape, 1992.
First edition, first impression. Inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, priced £14.99.
An attractive inscribed first edition of this intriguing collection, including a operatic libretto reimagining 'King Kong'.
Tom Maschler (1933–2020) was a highly influential figure in British publishing, renowned in particular for his tenure as literary director at Jonathan Cape. He was instrumental in shaping modern publishing, discovering and championing some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century, including Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie. Maschler was also a key force behind the creation of the Booker Prize, which became one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Known for his keen editorial eye and risk-taking, he played a pivotal role in establishing literary trends and elevating authors who would go on to define their eras.
Modern Literature
London, Jonathan Cape, 1982.
First edition, first impression. Inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, priced £7.95.
A collection of essays showcasing James's wit and range as a cultural critic.
Tom Maschler (1933–2020) was a highly influential figure in British publishing, renowned in particular for his tenure as literary director at Jonathan Cape. He was instrumental in shaping modern publishing, discovering and championing some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century, including Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie. Maschler was also a key force behind the creation of the Booker Prize, which became one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Known for his keen editorial eye and risk-taking, he played a pivotal role in establishing literary trends and elevating authors who would go on to define their eras.
Modern Literature
New York, Random House, 1952.
First edition, first printing. 8vo. Original pictorial cloth. Dust-jacket, priced $3.50.
A dystopian science fiction novel set in a future society practicing "voluntary amputations" as a route to pacifism, considered one of the earliest examples of cybernetic speculation in literature.
Modern Literature
London, Heinemann, 1934.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original green cloth.
An important novel depicting the decline of the Austro-Hungarian Empire through the story of the Trotta family, considered Roth's masterpiece.
Modern Literature
London, Jonathan Cape, 1987.First edition, first impression. Author's dedication copy, with signed inscripton from the author to front free endpaper and the printed dedication to the publisher Tom Maschler on copyright page. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, priced £10.95.First edition of James's second novel, published in 1987 by Jonathan Cape, inscribed to his publisher Tom Maschler, who is also named in the printed dedication on the verso of the title-page. The narrative centres on Joel Court, an astronomer who finds himself in personal and professional turmoil.Tom Maschler (1933–2020) was a highly influential figure in British publishing, renowned in particular for his tenure as literary director at Jonathan Cape. He was instrumental in shaping modern publishing, discovering and championing some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century, including Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie. Maschler was also a key force behind the creation of the Booker Prize, which became one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Known for his keen editorial eye and risk-taking, he played a pivotal role in establishing literary trends and elevating authors who would go on to define their eras.
Children's Books
London, Jonathan Cape, 1978.
First edition, first impression. Signed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, priced £2.95.
A children's novel by Australian writer Keneally, best known for Schindler's Ark (1982). This whimsical story imagines the bushranger Ned Kelly in a fantastical context, with bee characters interwoven...
Tom Maschler (1933–2020) was a highly influential figure in British publishing, renowned in particular for his tenure as literary director at Jonathan Cape. He was instrumental in shaping modern publishing, discovering and championing some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century, including Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie. Maschler was also a key force behind the creation of the Booker Prize, which became one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Known for his keen editorial eye and risk-taking, he played a pivotal role in establishing literary trends and elevating authors who would go on to define their eras.
Detective Fiction
New York [&c.], Anchor Books, 1999.
First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. 8vo. Original cloth-backed boards. Dust-jacket, priced $19.95.
This debut novel is a literary detective-style story set in a city where elevator inspectors hold unexpected influence, blending noir and social commentary. Whitehead later won the Pulitzer Prize for The Underground Railroad (2017) and The Nickel Boys (2020).
Children's Books
...Being the Sequel to a story by the same writer entitled The Prisoner of Zenda
Bristol & London, J.W. Arrowsmith, [1898].
First edition, first impression. Signed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original cloth, ruled and lettered in gilt.
The sequel to Hope's famous The Prisoner of Zenda (1894), continuing the swashbuckling adventures in the fictional land of Ruritania. Rare signed/inscribed, here with the author's full name Anthony Hope Hawkins.
Modern Literature
London, Peter Owen, 1959.
First UK edition, first impression. 8vo. Original grey boards. Dust-jacket, priced 15s.
An autobiographical novel by Anaïs Nin, first published in 1950. It is part of her 'Cities of the Interior' series and draws from her personal experiences, particularly her tumultuous relationship with Peruvian poet and bohemian Gonzalo Moré in the late 1930s.
her life and work
London, Peter Owen, 1953.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original brown cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 18s.
A biographical study of Emily Brontë co-authored by writer Muriel Spark, well-known for her novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961). The work examines Brontë's life, influences and literary output, with reference to her key writings.
Modern Literature
New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1979.
First US edition, first printing. Signed presentation copy from the author to Tom [Maschler]. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced $10.95.
The Mangan Inheritance follows a protagonist who, after an unexpected inheritance, travels to Ireland to uncover possible familial links to a Romantic poet, delving into personal and historical mystery.
Tom Maschler (1933–2020) was a highly influential figure in British publishing, renowned in particular for his tenure as literary director at Jonathan Cape. He was instrumental in shaping modern publishing, discovering and championing some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century, including Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie. Maschler was also a key force behind the creation of the Booker Prize, which became one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Known for his keen editorial eye and risk-taking, he played a pivotal role in establishing literary trends and elevating authors who would go on to define their eras.
Modern Literature
London, W.H. Allen, 1957.
First edition, first impression. Signed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original olive cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 12s6d.
The debut novel by British playwright, poet and writer Michael Hastings, inscribed 'To the most lifelong of friends Michael H'. The author would later gain renown for his play Tom & Viv, based on the real lives of T.S. Eliot and his wife Vivienne Haigh-Wood Eliot.
Tom Maschler (1933–2020) was a highly influential figure in British publishing, renowned in particular for his tenure as literary director at Jonathan Cape. He was instrumental in shaping modern publishing, discovering and championing some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century, including Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie. Maschler was also a key force behind the creation of the Booker Prize, which became one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Known for his keen editorial eye and risk-taking, he played a pivotal role in establishing literary trends and elevating authors who would go on to define their eras.
Modern Literature
London, Jonathan Cape, 1989.
First edition, first impression. Inscribed presentation copy from the author to publisher Tom Maschler. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, priced £12.95.
A fantasy novel set in the fictional land of Brychmachrye, also the setting for de Haan's earlier work, A Mirror for Princes. The narrative begins with a touring theatre company encountering a mysterious young man named Caryllac, and follows his ambitions and rise to fame.
Tom Maschler (1933–2020) was a highly influential figure in British publishing, renowned in particular for his tenure as literary director at Jonathan Cape. He was instrumental in shaping modern publishing, discovering and championing some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century, including Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie. Maschler was also a key force behind the creation of the Booker Prize, which became one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Known for his keen editorial eye and risk-taking, he played a pivotal role in establishing literary trends and elevating authors who would go on to define their eras.