Politics in Writing

First edition, no copies on deluxe paper were issued; one of the review copies.

A few minor stains to the lower cover, otherwise a pleasant copy.

Fine autograph inscription signed by Malek Haddad to Gilbert Cesbron: "... cette nuit sans clair de lune mais avec Dieu..."

Provenance: from the library of Gilbert Cesbron, with his handwritten signature at the head of the printed dedication page and the Cesbron family blind stamp serving as an ex-libris.

First edition, a copy on ordinary paper.

Small stains and rubbing to the spine, with loss of some letters of the title; a pleasant copy.

Fine autograph inscription signed by Réda Falaki to Gilbert Cesbron.

Provenance: from the library of Gilbert Cesbron, with his autograph signature at the head of the printed dedication leaf and the Cesbron family blind stamp serving as an ex-libris.

First edition, no large-paper copies were printed.

A pleasing copy.

Autograph inscription signed by Maurice Druon to Gilbert Cesbron.

First edition, of which no large-paper copies were issued.

A pleasant copy.

Autograph inscription signed by Jean Cau to Gilbert Cesbron.

New edition, limited to 750 numbered copies on vélin labeur paper, in the second issue of the publisher's boards.

Publisher's binding executed after the original design by Mario Prassinos.

A pleasant copy.

First edition for which no grand papier (deluxe) copies were printed.
Small marginal pieces missing at the top of the first board, a clear remnant of adhesive paper at the bottom of the first endpaper.
Copy complete with the facsimile at the end of the volume.

Precious handwritten inscription signed by Gabriele d'Annunzio to Natalie Clifford Barney: « à miss Barney et au Temple de l'Amitié attentive, cette légère torpille ‘sine litteris' est offerte par la ‘tête d'ivoire'. Gabriele d'Annunzio » (“To Miss Barney and the attentive Temple of Friendship, this light ‘sine litteris' torpedo is offered by the ‘ivory head'. Gabriele d'Annunzio”

Very beautiful testimony to the friendship between Gabriele...

First edition of the French translation, one of 34 numbered copies on japon bambou, the only deluxe issue.

A rare and handsome copy of this political spy thriller recounting a neo-fascist coup d'état.

The novel was adapted for the screen in 1981 by Peter Zinner, starring Franco Nero, Anthony Quinn, Christopher Lee, Claudia Cardinale, Eli Wallach...

First edition, one of 62 numbered copies on Holland paper, the deluxe issue after 16 copies on Japan paper.

Spine and covers sunned, copy with full margins.

Below the limitation statement, autograph inscription signed by Gaston Riou to his friends the Linossiers.

Edition published the same year as the first edition.

Full burgundy limp boards, smooth spine, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, front wrapper preserved (some foxing); a modest binding.

Signed autograph inscription from André Malraux to Monsieur Pinty.

New edition.

A small tear at the foot of the spine.
Rare and precious autograph inscription, signed and dated by Tchicaya U Tam'si to Anne Sarraute: "... ces légendes qui sont plus vraies que les péripéties du quotidien de ces temps d'aujourd'hui.."
Provenance: from the library of Claude Mozis, with his African-inspired bookplate on the inside front cover.

First edition; no large paper copies were issued.

A crease with a small tear to the lower right corner of the front cover, light foxing to the last endpaper.

A rare and attractive copy.

Preface by Léopold Sédar Senghor.
Provenance: from the library of Claude Mozis, with his African-inspired bookplate on the inside front cover.

First edition, one of the numbered copies on alfa paper.
Half navy blue shagreen with corners, spine with five raised bands (slightly faded), moiré-effect paper boards, marbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, contemporary binding signed by Caffin, binder in rue Saint-Lazare, Paris.

Some light foxing, mainly affecting the edges.

First edition, edited by Frédéric Masson, illustrated with a portrait of Cardinal de Bernis as frontispiece to the first volume and a facsimile of a letter as frontispiece to the second.

Contemporary Bradel bindings in full sienna cloth, smooth spines decorated with double gilt fillets, black sheepskin title labels.

A pleasant copy.

First edition, with no copies printed on large paper, one of the review copies.

Spine faded, as is usually the case.

A rare copy.

First edition, with no copies printed on large paper.

Spine slightly creased, a stain to the top edge extending into the margins of several leaves.

Complete with the original publisher's insert.

Rare and important dated and signed autograph inscription from Tchicaya U Tam'si to Jacques Duchateau.

Provenance: from the library of Claude Mozis, with his African-themed bookplate on the verso of the front wrapper.

Collected edition, partly original, of this collection of poems comprising seven books: Les Joies de prison, Les Larmes des autres, Les Péchés du candidat, Pour les bébés, Au hasard du rêve, Les Loisirs de l'expulsé and Sonnets pour elle.

Half red shagreen, marbled paper boards, spine with five raised bands, gilt title and author, hand-marbled paper pastedowns, speckled edges. Some light rubbing to the binding, foxing to the leaves.

Autograph inscription signed by Clovis Hugues, in verse, dated "89", to the feminist journalist Marguerite Durand, here addressed as "Madame Laguerre":

"Rien dans le beau n'est hasardeux ; 

L'art sacré n'est point équivoque.

L'idéal nous a tous les deux :

Vous...

First public edition of this text by Jean Guéhenno, written under the pseudonym Cévennes, one of 60 numbered copies on Madagascar paper, from the deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

First edition, completed at the end of the volume with a folding table printed off text (cf. Sabin 28336; Howes 318).

Bound in full flexible beige boards, the manuscript spine title clumsily restored with an adhesive strip and now largely faded; sprinkled red edges.

A dampstain affecting the upper right corner of the opening leaves; a few scattered foxmarks.

The folding table bound at the end of the volume is not recorded by Sabin. It summarises the key geographical data for each state (natural resources, population in 1790 and 1810, universities and colleges, representation in Congress, etc.).

Father Giovanni Grassi of the Society of Jesus spent several years in Georgetown, where he served as...

An extremely rare first edition of this valuable statistical survey of Bolivia; absent from both Palau and Sabin. Only one copy recorded in the CCFr (BnF).

Chuquisaca, Imprenta de Sucre, 1851, octavo,

Contemporary half brown sheep, smooth spine decorated with double gilt fillets, marbled paper boards with losses, worn corners and edges, blue-speckled edges; a modest binding of the period.

Copy slightly trimmed.

José Maria Dalence (1782–1852), a jurist and prominent political figure of the independence period (1825), here provides one of the most precise demographic, ethnographic, and economic portraits of the young nation.

First French edition, translated from the third English edition (Sabin, 30036.).

Each volume features a steel-engraved frontispiece.

Covers soiled, front boards detached, minor losses and tears to board margins, some foxing, cracked spines with losses; our copy in wrappers is housed in a modern brown full-cloth slipcase.

The second volume also includes a section on "Passage to Montreal and Quebec" (pp. 317-342) and "The Character of the Canadians" (pp. 331-332, 339-342).

Manuscript ex-libris signed Delecey de Mécourt on the front covers.

First edition of the French translation.

Contemporary half vellum binding, smooth spine gilt with a small fleur-de-lis ornament at the foot, black shagreen title label, marbled paper sides.

The sole edition of this version (a portion had already been made available to the French public in 1837 under the title Histoire de la fondation de la Régence d'Alger). Alphonse Rousseau (1820–1870), first interpreter at the French General Consulate in Tunis, later served as Consul General.

Modern Pierre Libaude bookplate pasted to a free endpaper; a few minor spots.

Rare first edition (see Cordier, Japonica 583; Nipponalia I, 2073. Neither of these bibliographies mentions the map. Polak 8448).

Contemporary half cherry-red calf, spine slightly faded, with four raised bands gilt with dotted tools and fillets; light rubbing to the spine, red paper-covered boards, corners slightly bumped, speckled edges.

Occasional light foxing; a pale dampstain affecting the opening leaves and the folding double-page map showing the plan of the Strait of Shimonoseki.

This work relates the Anglo-French naval campaign of 1862–1863, by Alfred Roussin (1839–1919), a naval officer who commanded the frigate Sémiramis.

The text offers detailed descriptions of trade and the political...

First edition, published anonymously by Delaporte,  secretary and prompter of the Comédie-Française.

Contemporary black cloth Bradel binding, smooth spine, red shagreen lettering-piece with some loss, marbled paper boards, upper corners slightly worn, 19th-century binding.

Copies recorded only at the BnF and in Rouen (CCFr).

Printed initials at the foot of the title page.

Rare summary, by the Comédie-Française secretary and prompter, of the grievances held by the Company against the actor Talma, focusing particularly on performances of Marie-Joseph Chénier’s play Charles IX.

The play, which achieved immense public success, drew criticism from the Gallican Church, leading to its ban after the...

Rare first edition of this project, whose development was certainly collective (with contributions from several democrats, including Frédéric Charrassin, Charles Fauvety, Adolphe Louis Chouippe, and Alexandre Erdan), but which was authored by the neo-criticist philosopher Charles Renouvier (1815–1903).

Bound in contemporary half cherry-colored sheepskin, with a smooth spine adorned with gilt fillets; some rubbing to the spine and boards. Marbled paper over boards, handmade laid paper endpapers and pastedowns, modern bookplate affixed to the front pastedown, slightly bumped corners, minor tears to the joints, speckled edges. Original binding.

Minor, insignificant foxing.

The central idea of...

First edition of this Latin work devoted to the history of the ancient Mediterranean: Sardinia and the influences of Greece, North Africa, the Syrtes and Numidian tribes, the history of the tyrant of Syracuse, the Balearic Islands, Corsica, the island of Rhodes, and more (cf. Adams, L-704. See Durling, 2796, which records only later editions).

Restored full brown calf binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt tools now largely softened, blind fillets and gilt corner ornaments framing the boards, central gilt medallion enclosing a device in Greek characters, manuscript inscription on the fore-edge, early binding.

Ink numbering at the head of the verso of the lower cover; inner...

Complete first edition, in eleven bound volumes (ten text volumes and one atlas) of Auguste Pavie’s monumental work on former French Indochina, enriched with an autograph inscription signed by the author and accompanied by the large map of the Mission.

Published in Paris by Ernest Leroux, with the assistance of Augustin Challamel for the Atlas, between 1898 and 1919, the work appeared under the auspices of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Colonies, Public Instruction, and Fine Arts.

The set comprises the section Géographie et voyages, volumes I to VII, published between 1901 and 1919, illustrated with 52 maps and portraits hors texte, including 40 in colour; the section Études...

First edition, illustrated with a large folding colour map printed out of text (cf. Tailliart 2645).

Bradel binding in half blue percaline, the smooth spine slightly sunned, the brown skiver lettering-piece lightly rubbed, marbled-paper boards, blue endpapers and pastedowns showing a few small spots, corners softened, top edge sprinkled.

A few light spots.

The only edition of this comprehensive survey of the state of Algeria, published after the death of Jules Ferry (17 March 1893), the driving force behind the senatorial commission that had commissioned the work. It serves as a reminder that Ferry was a staunch advocate of France’s colonial expansion and of the mission to “civilise” indigenous...

First edition.

With press clippings laid in.

Half bronze sheep binding, spine with four raised bands framed with gilt pointillé and decorated with double gilt fillets, red sheep lettering-piece, a few small black spots and a light scratch to the spine, marbled paper boards, cat’s-eye patterned endpapers and pastedowns, contemporary binding.

A pleasing copy.

First edition, illustrated with four tinted plates, including a frontispiece (cf. O'Reilly & Reitman, Tahiti, 6452).

Contemporary half plum sheep, the spine faded and decorated with gilt garlands and floral tools, some rubbing to the spine, marbled-paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, a few worn spots along the edges.

Scattered foxing, the plates evenly toned.

The work offers a history of the island, written in the aftermath of its annexation following the cession of his domains by King Pomare V. It provides an overview of the voyages of Quirós, Wallis, Bougainville and Cook, a portrait of Tahitian life a century earlier, and a sketch of the island’s development since the arrival of...

First edition of these observations and proposals for reform of the French Navy, published anonymously in 1802 and traditionally attributed to Pierre-Alexandre-Laurent Forfait, former Minister of the Navy and Colonies, who had left office only a few months earlier.

Contemporary full tree calf, smooth spine decorated with gilt false bands and ornamental tools, red shagreen lettering-piece, covers bordered with fine gilt rolls, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, all edges gilt. Joints slightly rubbed, some surface wear and losses of leather at the foot of the boards, corners worn.

An important copy from the library of Denis Decrès (1761-1820), with his manuscript bookplate mounted on a...

First edition (cf. Martin & Walter, 16 491; Monglond III, 630; not in Schefer, Blackmer or Atabey).

Bradel binding in full marbled paper boards, smooth spine with a vertically lettered fawn sheepskin label, red edges; a modern binding.

Some foxing; marginal staining to the upper edges of the final leaves.

Excellent abridgement of General Hénin de Cuvillers’ diplomatic mission to Constantinople (1793–1795).

Upon his return from Turkey, Hénin (born 1755) took part in the Italian campaign of 1796 and was wounded at Caldiero and Arcole.

Appointed in 1802 as assistant to the general staff in Saint-Domingue, he was entrusted by Rochambeau with the colony’s military archives, which he brought back to...

New illustrated edition featuring two lithographed plates out of text and enriched with notes by Francisco de S. Luiz (cf. Brunet I, p. 263; Graesse I, p. 118).

Modern binding in half Havana calf, smooth spine decorated with gilt and black fillets and black floral motifs, black shagreen title piece, marbled paper boards, red edges.

A few light foxing spots, mainly at the beginning of the volume.

This biography, rightly celebrated, met with great success upon publication.

Second edition of this monumental work of historiography.

The collation of the text volumes (74 steel-engraved plates) conforms to the list of plates given in volume XX (with the exception of the plate depicting the French before Moscow, which is lacking), but does not match the plate count of the first edition, as certain plates were not reissued. The atlas corresponds to that of the first edition and is complete with its 66 maps.

Some foxing, mainly affecting the edges.

Handsome bindings of red half morocco with corners, the spines with five raised bands and triple blind-ruled compartments, a few minor abrasions without consequence to three spines, marbled paper sides, comb-marbled endpapers...

Original edition reprinted at Smyrna (in reality Versailles), under the supervision of Mr. John Strafford (in fact by Moutardier); (cf. Quérard VI, 576; Drujon, Livres à clefs, I, 625.)

Contemporary half mottled fawn sheep, smooth spine tooled with gilt hatched fillets, brick-coloured sheep lettering-piece, a few small losses to the spine, yellow edges sprinkled with blue.

Sole edition of this manifestly pseudepigraphic and encrypted work, suppressed by order of the Consular government, which accounts for its marked scarcity.

A vehement critique of prevailing political and social institutions; however, it appears very difficult to connect the author with the renowned Lille bookselling dynasty...

First edition of the French translation, one of 25 numbered copies on pur fil, the only copies printed on deluxe paper.

Blood red morocco binding, gilt title lengthwise, gold stingray boards framed in morocco, gilt decorative paper endleaves, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, an elegant binding signed Boichot. Front free endpaper slightly toned, otherwise a handsome untrimmed copy.

Illustrated with original woodcuts by Jean-Gabriel Daragnès.

First edition, illustrated with a single folding plate bearing two figures: a plan of Algiers and its surroundings (cf. Quérard IV, 343 : does not record the plate and gives xlviii pp. for the "pièces à l'appui" indeed, p. xlviii carries, like the final leaf, the printer's address. Tailliart 2420 : does not record the plate).

Minor marginal losses to the spine and boards, a few light spots.

"Causes de la rupture avec Alger. Historique des rapports de la France avec Alger. Les torts des représentants d'Alger dans la Régence pendant ces dernières années. Ultimatum. Blocus. Nécessité d'une enquête ou au moins d'une information spéciale avant d'entreprendre une expédition. On va dépenser...

First edition of this periodical, comprising for the complete year 1781 (from 2 January to 28 December) 104 issues, the text printed in two columns with continuous pagination.

Contemporary half calf, mottled fawn, smooth spines decorated with gilt compartment tooling and floral ornaments, beige calf lettering-pieces and blue calf volume labels; minor losses and rubbing to spines and joints, a few scuffs to the blue paper boards, bumped corners, red edges; bindings contemporary to publication.

Transposition of ff. 357–58 and 359–60; initials in black ink and numbering to the endpapers; bookplate affixed and marginally torn in the first volume, another bookplate covered over in the second.

A...

Very rare first edition of the Ottoman Turkish translation of Catherine II's new regulations for the administration of the governorates of the Russian Empire, published in Saint Petersburg in 1780.

In the aftermath of the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, signed in 1774, Russian expansion towards the Black Sea could no longer be confined to the seizure of fortresses and territory. The newly acquired provinces had to be governed, their inhabitants introduced to the institutions of the Empire, and its regulations made accessible to populations unable to read Russian. The present volume records this decisive transition from military conquest to civil administration through the translation into...

New edition, embellished at the close of the first volume with a folding plate printed out of text (cf. Palau 17346).

Cherry half-shagreen bindings, spines with four raised false bands decorated with gilt fillets and double gilt panels, gilt lettering at the foot of the spines, slight rubbing to the headcaps, blind-tooled frames on the textured cloth boards, pebble-paper endpapers and pastedowns, a few bumped corners, period bindings.

Rear board of the first volume partially soiled.

New edition prepared under the supervision of the physician Rafael Ángel Cowley Valdés-Machado (1837–1908) and Andrés Pego, gathering three major sources for Cuban historiography: José Martín de Arrate y Acosta’s...

Second edition, partly original as it was revised and substantially expanded (cf. Ferguson 7152a; Lacassagne 47).

Half black shagreen bindings, spines with four raised bands decorated with gilt rules and double gilt panels, boards framed with a single blind rule over marbled paper, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges, period bindings.

A few minor spots.

This second edition was issued simultaneously either in a single volume with continuous pagination or in two volumes with separate pagination (our copy, see Ferguson 7152).

Bénigne-Ernest Poret, Marquis de Blosseville (1799–1886), was a legitimist politician and man of letters. He was active in political life throughout the...

First edition (cf. O'Reilly, 2192.)

Modern Bradel binding in brown half-cloth, forest-green morocco lettering-piece, marbled paper boards, beige endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers retained albeit lightly soiled; binding signed by Boichot.

Illustrated with 49 photographic plates hors texte.

"Minutieuse histoire analytico-chronologique des trente premières années de la Calédonie européenne. Il annonçait une suite qui n'a jamais vu le jour" (O'Reilly).

First edition of this rare work, offering the very first description in French of this small canton, still nominally under Ottoman rule—though in fact largely autonomous—and which appeared as exotic to early 19th-century Westerners as the most remote corners of China.

Illustrated with 13 hand-coloured plates, including a large folding map, two botanical plates, two depicting celebrations, three views of churches, and five costume plates. (cf. Atabey 1286. Lipperheide 1443. Not in Blackmer or Colas.)

Contemporary half calf binding, smooth spines decorated with gilt fillets, garlands, and floral tools, red morocco lettering-piece, black morocco numbering-piece, marbled paper boards, marbled...

First edition of the earliest of the four works devoted by the deputy Amédée Desjobert (1796–1853) to the situation in Algeria (the second concerns the year 1838 – see below –, the third 1844, and the last 1846) (cf. Tailliart 2333).

Contemporary full tree-calf bindings, smooth spines gilt with garlands, fillets and floral tools, the gilt sometimes a touch dulled, red morocco lettering-pieces, green morocco volume labels slightly faded at the margins, marbled endpapers, gilt fillets to the board edges, marbled edges, modern bookplates mounted to the endpapers, contemporary bindings.

A few small losses to the leather on the boards, the half-title to the first work wanting, a pale marginal...

First edition of this study in political economy.

Three copies listed in OCLC, all in the United States. BMC records only the second edition (London, 1809).

"Sur quelle base reposent les gouvernements, les lois, les peuples, les autorités, les souverainetés, les partages, les propriétés, les distinctions, les inégalités : voilà le problème important dont on s'occupera dans cet ouvrage."

Some small losses of paper to the spines and corners, rear cover of the first volume soiled, a pleasant, clean interior.

Rare copy preserved in its original grey wrappers.

First edition, illustrated at the end of the volume with tables printed on two large folding plates included in the pagination (cf. Ferguson 2165a.)

Contemporary half bordeaux shagreen, the spine very lightly faded, with five raised bands framed by black fillets, marbled-paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers marginally soiled and showing small preserved restorations, edges untrimmed, modern binding signed Laurenchet.

Botany Bay, on the eastern coast of Australia, had been chosen in 1787 by the British government as a place of deportation. This study seeks to demonstrate the ineffectiveness of penal colonies at a time when the proposal to establish one in France...

First edition (cf. Tailliart 2540).

Quarter shagreen in a dark bottle-green hue with corner pieces, the smooth spine slightly toned and decorated with blind fillets, marbled paper sides, cat’s-eye patterned endpapers and pastedowns, modern binding signed Honnelaître.

A light marginal dampmark at the foot of the half-title and title pages; scattered, unobtrusive foxing.

The author (1781–1852) was a colonial administrator: "Une introduction de trente pages sur les erreurs de la politique suivie à l’égard des Arabes : trop de faiblesse chez nous ; de glorieuses expéditions, mais pas de résultat positif durable. Il attaque Bresson qui a préconisé la formation d’un empire arabe qui ferait la...

First edition of the French translation, one of the scarce lettered copies printed on pur fil for private circulation, ours bearing the letter A, the only deluxe-paper copies together with 25 numbered copies on pur fil.
Wide-margined copy, boards and spine lightly and marginally sunned, a few scattered foxmarks affecting some leaves and deckle edges.

Rare first edition (cf. Martin & Walter 25 395).

Contemporary half-sheepskin bindings, the spines smooth and gilt-ruled in double fillets, boards covered in rose-papered pasteboard, red sheepskin lettering-pieces and green volume labels, yellow edges; corners rubbed, bindings of the period.

Some rubbing and faint staining to the spines and boards with small losses to the rose paper, a tiny hole at the head of the spine of the first volume, scattered foxing and a few marks to the edges, not affecting the text.

Bound at the end of volume II is another work by the same author: "Appel au tribunal de l'opinion publique. Du rapport de M. Chabroud, et du décret rendu par l'Assemblée nationale le 2...

Very rare first edition (cf. Monglond VII 661).

Contemporary half brown sheep with corners, smooth spine gilt with floral tools and fillets, rubbing to spine and joints, marbled paper boards, grey endpapers and pastedowns, corners softened, yellow edges.

Pleasant, clean interior.

A shadowy figure who was by turns (and at times simultaneously) a secret agent, Tallien’s associate, a Revolutionary pamphleteer, and a double agent under the Directory and the Empire, Méhée de La Touche (1762–1827) left in 1784 on a covert diplomatic mission to Poland and Russia, from which he was expelled at the end of 1791. The correspondence he publishes here (running from 1788 to July 1791) abounds in valuable...

Rare collection, in first edition, of political texts relating to the affairs of Belgium (shaken by the Brabant Revolution since 1787) and the Netherlands (whose opponents of the Stadtholder had often taken refuge in France).

As indicated by the handwritten table bound at the beginning of the volume, this copy constitutes only the first of a series of collections compiled by Roederer (see below) from the memoirs and pamphlets he received while serving as a member of the Constituent Assembly.

Contemporary full mottled fawn calf, smooth spine gilt-decorated with garlands and urns (partly faded), rubbed head- and tailpieces, green morocco title-piece, gilt dentelle and garland borders on the...

First and only Franco-Chinese edition, illustrated with six etchings reproduced by Frédéric Chevalier.

A single copy recorded in the CCFr (Bulac).

Sole edition of this contemporary curiosity born of the French vogue for all things Oriental: born in 1831, Tin-Tun-Ling (or Ding Dunling) was a Chinese scholar from Shanxi and a political exile in France. Théophile Gautier met him in Paris, grew fond of him, and hired him to teach Chinese to his daughter Judith. Steeped in Far Eastern culture, she delighted in presenting herself as the reincarnation of a Chinese princess. Tin-Tun-Ling then lived in a pavilion built in the Chinese style, set in the garden of the Pré aux Oiseaux – Judith’s home in...

Second edition.

Half black sheep binding, smooth spine decorated with broad gilt fillets and dotted tooling, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, lightly rubbed corners, sprinkled edges, contemporary binding.

A few minor spots.

Scarce.

New edition.

Half calf binding in tan, spine with five raised bands tooled in gilt with gilt compartments decorated with floral motifs, blond calf title label, green paper boards with scratches, some rubbing to edges, red edges, contemporary binding.

Spine restored and rubbed, tear without loss to the head of pages 33–34 and 35–36, ink marginal note on the title page, which has been trimmed by the binder.

The first edition of Recherches sur l'origine du despotisme oriental dates from 1761, and the text was extensively revised by Baron d’Holbach to reflect his atheistic views, as he was in fact the editor of all the works attributed to Boulanger, who died in 1759.

Originally conceived as a...

Second edition, illustrated with a macabre engraved frontispiece (cf. Quérard II, 516; Cioranescu, XVIII, 13544, for the original 1712 edition).

Contemporary handwritten annotations on the title leaf.

Full brown calf binding, spine with five raised bands richly gilt in compartments with decorative tools, red morocco title label largely missing, gilt fillet framing the covers, sprinkled edges, corners rubbed, contemporary binding.

Headcaps worn down, some rubbing to spine and boards.

Second edition of this highly engaging work of early “libertine” philosophy, in the original sense of the term.

The project of the Réflexions was inspired by a remark from Montaigne: “Si j'estoy faiseur de livres, je...

First edition of the French translation, expanded with notes by the translator (cf. Loukia Droulia 1180; Quérard II 238 and VII 6, under: \"Pecchio\"; Blackmer 549 and Atabey 396, under: \"Emerson\").

The first volume opens with a frontispiece portrait of Andrea Miaoulis.

Contemporary half bronze calf, smooth spine decorated with gilt rolls and tools now slightly softened, minor rubbing to the spine, marbled paper boards, marbled edges.

Spine restored and lightly rubbed, some scattered foxing.

The original edition appeared in London in the same year. It also included Humphrey’s \"Journal of a visit to Greece\", omitted from the French edition. \"Important philhellenic collection (…) Emerson...

First edition, one of 24 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe issue.

With sections devoted in particular to Cesare Pavese and Alberto Moravia...

A rare and attractive copy of Dominique Fernandez’s first published work.

Rare first edition of this speech delivered in Honolulu on 4 July 1854, marking the seventy-eighth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, by David Lawrence Gregg, United States Commissioner to the Kingdom of Hawaii. Honolulu, no publisher stated, 1854, 22 pp., octavo. No copy currently located in the CCFr; not in Sabin.

Original printed yellow wrappers, the title repeated within a ruled border. Lower wrapper lacking, a few small marginal spots.

First and only edition of the author's sole work.

Adorned with a fine engraved portrait of Jacques-Nicolas Colbert (1655–1707), youngest son of the minister and Archbishop of Carthage, to whom the book is dedicated.

Bound in full red morocco, spine with five raised bands, richly gilt compartments decorated with gilt fleurs-de-lys, gilt fillets, and Du Seuil-style panels on the covers; gilt tooling to headcaps and board edges, all edges gilt. Contemporary binding.

Some foxing, small wormholes at head and foot of spine, three black spots at the head of the upper cover.

Provenance: from the library of Alfred Massé (1911–1951), Radical-Socialist deputy for Nièvre under the Third Republic, with his...

First edition of this very rare legal memorandum, most likely printed for limited circulation. The former deputy and Bordeaux merchant Laffon de Ladébat (1746–1829), compelled to return to private life due to Napoleon’s enduring hostility, had been appointed to preside over the liquidation committee of the Banque Territoriale, established in July 1799, which faced insolvency in May 1803 following the Banque de France’s refusal to rediscount bills amounting to 255,000 francs.

No copies recorded in the CCF. Not listed in INED.

Our copy is preserved in its original temporary marbled-paper wrappers, modern but faithful to the period style.

Scattered foxing.

First edition of the French translation, based on the sixth English edition.

Copies listed in the CCF only at the BnF, Dijon, and Rouen libraries.

Our copy is preserved in its original state, in contemporary marbled paper wrappers.

The only edition of this curious political pamphlet, seemingly without any real connection to an English original, which proposes to reorganize Europe through joint—particularly military—control by the four principal continental powers (Austria, France, Spain, and Prussia) over all the others, in order to ensure peace and balance across the continent.

These prophetic, if still utopian, reflections are preceded by an analysis of Europe’s situation since the Seven...

Unpublished, handwritten, signed letter from André Breton addressed to critic Charles Estienne; one page and a few lines in black ink on a paper from the à l'étoile scellée gallery.
Two transverse folds from having been sent, a small corner missing in the upper right margin.
Very beautiful letter giving an account of the death of one of André Breton's dearest friends and of his quarrel with Albert Camus.
Breton tells his friend about the death of the Surrealist Czech artist Jindřich Heisler: “Your letter spoke of those days where it seemed “that there was only just enough fire to live”: on Monday there was far from enough fire, when it reached me: one of my two or three best friends, Heisler...

First edition, with no deluxe-paper copies printed.
Illustrations.

A handsome copy despite the slightly faded spine.

Precious and fine signed presentation copy from Louis Aragon to Maurice Druon: "A Maurice Druon, pour qu'il sache que de temps je m'égarée dans Césarée. [sic] Louis".

First collective edition on ordinary paper.

Pleasing copy.

Valuable presentation copy signed by Louis Aragon: "A Maurice Druon, pour n'en pas perdre l'habitude. Louis."

 

Extremely rare first edition, probably printed in Prussia, of this essay written directly in French by Baron de Bielfeld (1716–1770), inspector of Prussian universities and a friend of Frederick the Great since the time when he was still Crown Prince of Prussia.

GV 1700–1910, vol. 111, p. 374. Not in Conlon (who only cites the Amsterdam edition of the same year). No copy located in the U.S.A.

Full red morocco with gilt decoration, smooth spine elaborately tooled in the grotesque style, gilt rolls on the caps, triple gilt fillet border on the covers, gilt fillets on the edges, star-patterned gilt paper endpapers and doublures, gilt dentelle border on the inside covers, all edges gilt...

First edition of this collection of political speeches.

Full red percaline binding, smooth spine without lettering showing slight rubbing, gilt inscription stamped to the upper cover: "République de Guinée R.D.A. à S.E. Jean Paul Sartre. N°30"; endpapers partly toned, a contemporary presentation binding offered to Jean-Paul Sartre.

Frontispiece photographic portrait bearing the autograph signature of President Ahmed Sékou Touré: Secretary General of the Parti Démocratique de Guinée, Supreme Leader of the Revolution.

First edition, one of the numbered copies on alfa paper reserved for the press.

Spine very slightly sunned, otherwise a well-preserved copy.
Signed autograph inscription from Irène Némirovsky to Charles Laval.

First edition of T. N. Page’s second book, one of 1,500 copies printed (according to the Bibliography of American Literature).

Publisher’s binding, smooth spine in olive-green cloth, partially faded, head of spine worn away, cream paper boards speckled with pink, corners rubbed, endpapers browned.

Autograph inscription signed by Thomas Nelson Page at the head of the title page.

First edition of the French translation, of which no deluxe copies were printed.

Crease to the upper left corner of the lower cover and the last leaves.

Illustrations.

Precious inscribed copy to Bernard Kouchner: "To my dear friend Bernard always true to his beliefs and a great partner. With deep admiration and affection. Madeleine 15/11/03."

First edition, with no deluxe paper copies issued (except for No. 7) for each volume.
Our complete set comprises:
Céline Notebooks 1: Céline and the Literary Scene 1932–1957.
Céline Notebooks 2: Céline and the Literary Scene 1957–1961.
Céline Notebooks 3: Semmelweis and Other Medical Writings.
Céline Notebooks 4: Letters and Early Writings from Africa 1916–1917.
Céline Notebooks 5: Letters to Female Friends.
Céline Notebooks 6: Letters to Albert Paraz 1947–1957.
Céline Notebooks 7: Céline and Current Events 1933–1961.
Céline Notebooks 8: Progress followed by Works for Stage and Screen.
Illustrations.
Rare complete set.

First edition, of which no deluxe copies were printed.
Pleasing copy.
Inscribed and signed by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing to Michel and Suzanne Blanvart.
 

First edition, with no copies printed on deluxe paper.

Minor spots to the covers, not affecting the condition.

Inscribed and signed by Georges Didi-Huberman to a friend named Annick.

First edition, one of the review copies.

Bradel binding in full patterned paper with abstract motifs, smooth spine, date gilt at foot, rust-coloured morocco title label, wrappers preserved, binding signed by P. Goy & C. Vilaine.

Signed autograph inscription from André Malraux to J. Ernest-Charles.
 

First edition of the French translation by Isabelle Rivière, one of 33 numbered copies on pur fil de Voiron, ours being one of 5 hors commerce copies, reimposed in quarto Tellière format, the only deluxe copies.

A handsome and rare copy.

Paris, Auxerre and various places, January 1886-August 1887.

A collection of 59 autograph letters signed by Gustave Borgnis-Desbordes and addressed to members of his family, comprising approximately 180 pages, mostly octavo. Most are written on black-bordered mourning paper; several bear the letterhead of the French Ministry of the Navy and Colonies, Inspectorate-General of Artillery.

The letters extend from January 1886 to August 1887. Almost all were written in Paris, a few bear no place, and one was written at Auxerre on 1 July 1886. Forty-seven are addressed to his sister Claire, wife of Henry Lethier, an engineer of the Ponts et Chaussées then stationed at Auxerre; eleven to his...

First edition of the French translation, one of 200 copies numbered on Marais vellum, the only deluxe paper issue.

Minor rubbing along the joints. A rare and attractive copy.

Edition limited to 60 copies of this rare and celebrated pamphlet tracing the history of the bean and Epiphany.

"Cette dissertation était devenue si rare qu'on en connaissait que deux exemplaires; elle a été réimprimée en 1808, à Besançon". Brunet I, 1387.

Our copy is preserved in its original stitching, in contemporary plain marbled blue paper wrappers.

Foxing to the title page, small angular paper losses to the wrappers.

A rare and handsome copy, with wide margins, as issued.

Second, enlarged edition of these rather protectionist ideas, which prompted Dupont de Nemours to write a refutation (Lettre à la Chambre de commerce de Normandie).

Our copy is preserved in its original wrappers, now covered with modern marbled paper, red edges.

The second part is entitled Plan d'une banque nationale de France, ou d'une caisse générale de recettes & paiements des deniers publics & particuliers, and bears the Jersey imprint, 1787. Frère I, 210 (for the first edition of 1787).

Autograph signed calling card addressed to theatre director Simone Benmussa, 8 lines in black felt-tip, with the original envelope.

"Chère Simone Benmussa, quel succès ! J'en reçois les échos de tous côtés ! Nous vous devons tous cette merveilleuse soirée. Laiseez-moi vous dire encore Merci et Bravo. En toute amitié. R. Badinter."

Literary adviser to the Jean-Louis Barrault – Madeleine Renaud Company and, from 1957, editor-in-chief of the Cahiers Renaud-Barrault, Simone Benmussa also headed, from the Odéon Theatre, the company’s cultural department and its journal. She adapted for the stage several works by her friend Nathalie Sarraute, including Enfance in 1984 (featuring Sarraute’s recorded...

First edition.
Contemporary half red shagreen over marbled paper boards, (a few discreet repairs), spine in six compartments, date to foot, marbled paper-lined endpapers and pastedowns, covers preserved, top edge red.
A very handsome autograph inscription signed by Victor Hugo to Alphonse Daudet.
Mrs. Daudet's collection stamp to first endpaper.

Victor Hugo represented for Alphonse Daudet, as for the other writers of his generation, the incontestable master of the Pantheon of the arts. His benevolent attention runs through Daudet's work, often listed side by side with Rousseau, Byron, Sand and Delacroix.
If during Daudet's childhood and youth, Hugo, an exile of enormous stature in Guernsey...

Rare first edition, no deluxe paper copies mentioned.

Bradel binding in cream half-cloth, smooth spine decorated with central gilt tooled flower, gilt date and twice ruled in gilt at foot, brown sheep title label with scuffs and a small loss of leather, boards covered in cat’s-eye patterned paper, some staining to the lower board, original wrappers preserved, contemporary binding.

A few small tears to margins, occasionally with very slight lacks of paper to the first few leaves; an inscription by the author on the half-title neatly erased.