Romain GARY

First edition, one of 65 copies on Arches; our copy is unnumbered but correctly justified "vergé d’Arches" at the foot of the lower cover. One of the only deluxe papers issued.

Two slight sunning marks at head and foot of the spine, which is also lightly pinched at the foot.

A pleasing copy.

First French edition, one of 25 numbered copies on Hollande paper, deluxe issue.

This second volume of La comédie américaine was first published in English as The Ski Bum.
Fine copy.

First edition in deluxe-paper, issued only a few days after the ordinary trade edition, which was printed in 950 copies on Marais paper. This copy is one of 200 numbered on Outhenin-Chalandre, the only deluxe issue. Rare signed presentation copy of Romain Gary’s first published work, inscribed: “À Roland Feuvrier, bien amicalement Romain Gary \ 15 nov. 1945.”

A pleasant copy despite a few small spots and minor marginal tears to the boards. 

First edition.

A fine copy.
Inscribed and signed by Romain Gary.

First edition, one of the advance review copies.

A handsome copy despite two minor sunned spots to the spine-ends.

Exceptional presentation copy inscribed and signed by Dominique De Roux: "Pour Romain Gary pusiqu'il n'y a pas que le premier pas qui coûte, et le voilà fait. De Roux. Très beau votre article dans LIFE." [For Romain Gary, because it's not just the first step that's hard, and now it's done. De Roux. Your article in LIFE is very beautiful.]

Gary had indeed published a celebrated plea for the protection of nature, mankind and endangered species in Life Magazine entitled “Dear Elephant, Sir”, (22 December 1967). Amidst the Cold War and the threat of nuclear annihilation, the prolific writer chose to reissue one of his masterpieces, 'Les Racines du ciel', and to restore its political resonance, in his Life op-ed:

"In these perilous days of 'balance through terror,' of massacres and elaborate calculations about how many humans would survive a nuclear holocaust, it is only natural that my thoughts should turn to you. To my mind, dear sir and elephant, you perfectly embody all that is now threatened with extinction in the name of progress, efficiency, absolute materialism, ideology, or even reason itself—for a certain abstract and inhuman use of reason and logic is becoming ever more complicit in our murderous madness. It now seems all too clear that we have behaved toward other species—and yours in particular—just as we are about to behave toward ourselves."

« En ces jours périlleux "d'équilibre par la terreur", de massacres et de calculs savants sur le nombre d'humains qui survivront à un holocauste nucléaire, il n'est que trop naturel que mes pensées se tournent vers vous.
À mes yeux, monsieur et cher éléphant, vous représentez à la perfection tout ce qui est aujourd'hui menacé d'extinction au nom du progrès, de l'efficacité, du matérialisme intégral, d'une idéologie ou même de la raison car un certain usage abstrait et inhumain de la raison et de la logique se fait de plus en plus le complice de notre folie meurtrière.
Il semble évident aujourd'hui que nous nous sommes comportés tout simplement envers d'autres espèces, et la vôtre en particulier, comme nous sommes sur le point de le faire envers nous-mêmes. »