Politics in Writing

First edition, one of 65 numbered copies on Madagascar paper, this copy being one of 20 hors commerce reserved for the Henri Lefebvre bookshop, a deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

Inscribed and signed by Jean de La Varende to Monsieur Gorrée: "... ce livre où revivent plusieurs jeunesses éteintes..."

First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe issue.

A rare and handsome copy.

Inscribed and signed by Jean de La Varende to Monsieur Gorrée.

First edition, one of 55 numbered copies on pure Arches wove paper, the deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

First edition, one of 50 copies printed on pur fil du Marais, the only deluxe copies along with a few not-for-sale copies.
A handsome copy.

First edition, one of 25 copies printed on pure wove paper, the only copies on deluxe paper.

A rare and handsome copy.

First edition, one of 135 numbered copies on pure wove paper, the only deluxe copies.
A handsome copy.
Signed autograph note by José Cabanis on the half-title.

First edition, one of 25 numbered copies on Johannot pure rag paper, the deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

Inscribed and signed by Roger Vailland to the publisher Jean Chastel.

First edition, one of 26 numbered copies on Vélin du Marais, the only deluxe copies.

Rare and appealing copy.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe copies along with a few hors commerce also printed on alfa.
Fine copy.

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on Pur Fil du Marais, the only deluxe copies, alongside a few hors commerce also printed on Pur Fil du Marais.

A handsome and scarce copy of this anti-Gaullist pamphlet.

First edition of the French translation, one of 50 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the only deluxe issue.
Attractive copy, with minor foxing to the spine.

First edition, one of 158 copies printed on pur fil paper, following only 45 on Hollande.

A fine copy.

First edition of this uncommon study of the major international diplomatic crisis provoked by Mehmed Ali's expansionist policy (cf. Carré I, 294; Blackmer 261; Atabey 179; Walch, 398; Hage Chahine, 748).

Some foxing, occasional reading marks in pencil and red pencil in the margins of certain paragraphs.

Late 19th-century Bradel bindings in half khaki percaline, flat spines decorated with a gilt fleuron, gilt double rules at foot of spines, black shagreen title-pieces, marbled paper boards, original wrappers preserved, corners rubbed.

At the end of the first volume, the work is complete with the folding plate representing the Battle of Nezib.

Edmond de Cadalvène...

First edition, complete with the 15 etched portraits by Jeanron.
At the beginning of the volume, the index listing the engraved portraits has been discreetly marked in pencil in the left margin beside each name.
Scattered light foxing.

Contemporary red half shagreen binding, spine with four raised bands framed by double gilt fillets and broad black rules, some rubbing to the spine, marbled paper-covered boards faintly and very marginally faded, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, one split to an edge.

First edition, one of 15 copies on Japan paper, the deluxe issue.

Minor foxing to the edges of the covers, otherwise a desirable and uncommon copy with all edges uncut.

First edition, one of 120 numbered copies on Lafuma pure wove paper, the only large-paper issue.

Endpapers very slightly and marginally toned, two small tears at foot of spine.

A rare and much sought-after copy in original state.

Autograph letter dated and signed by Jean Hélion addressed to Raymond Queneau, 41 lines (four pages on two leaves) written in black ink.
Jean Hélion cannot respond favorably to an invitation extended by his friend Raymond Queneau, partly due to his homebody nature: "J'ai pris l'habitude de rester chez nous, le samedi après-midi : à l'atelier jusqu'à 5 heures et là-haut jusqu'à l'heure du dîner pour y recevoit toutes sortes de jeunes gens que je n'ai pas le temps de voir un par un... Mais j'aimerais davantage vous montrer à vous seul, un peu tranquille et à n'importe quelle heure. Ne passez-vous jamais de ce côté ?" ("I have gotten into the habit of staying at...

First edition, one of 70 numbered copies on pure thread paper, ours being one of 15 hors commerce copies lettered under Ingres covers, deluxe copies after 2 reimposed on pure thread laid paper hors commerce reserved for Jacques Hébertot and 13 holland paper copies.
Minor marginal tears of no consequence to the covers.
Handsome and rare copy of this response by Albert Camus to Jean-Paul Sartre's "Les mains sales".

First edition, one of 12 numbered copies on hollande paper, the only large paper copies.

Full red shagreen binding, spine with three raised bands decorated with gilt fillets and gilt cartouche enriched with black typographic motifs, marbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, bookplate affixed to pastedown, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, other edges uncut.

Foxing to some uncut edges.

Autograph inscription signed by Georges Clemenceau to Monsieur Henry Leyret, political and judicial chronicler...

First edition, with no deluxe copies issued.

A vertical crease to the front wrapper.

Signed presentation inscription from Paul Ricoeur to Jean-Luc Drouin.

Illustrated edition of Victor Hugo's speeches and political writings.

Wide-margined copy on chine, numbered (32), unopened.

Illustrated wrappers with some soiling, dampstaining and minor marginal tears, cracked spine, occasional foxing to the leaves.

First edition, with no deluxe copies printed.

A pleasant copy.

Precious dated and signed presentation inscription from Jean Raspail: "A M. Marcel Jouhandeau de son ancien élève toujours fidèle. en respectueux hommage. Jean Raspail. 27 X 66".

First edition on ordinary paper.

A few small stains to the bottom edge, otherwise a pleasant copy.

Signed presentation inscription from Jean Raspail to Monsieur Patrier, dated 12 November 1973.

Rare first edition of the French translation, one of 350 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe issue after 50 copies on pur fil.

Spine and boards very slightly and marginally sunned, of no consequence.
Rare and attractive copy.

First edition on ordinary paper, with a spurious statement of sixth edition.

Illustrated with drawings by Henry-Paul Gassier.

Spine and covers faded and sunned, as usual.

Signed presentation copy from Joseph Kessel to René Arcos, poet and member of the Abbaye group: "A René Arcos confraternel hommage J. Kessel." additionally signed by Georges Suarez.

First edition, illustrated with drawings by the author.

A very good copy.

Our copy is further enhanced with a dated original drawing by Georges Wolinski depicting two figures; the first confessing "J'avoue que ma femme me rend heureux", the second replying: "toi aussi ? "

First edition on ordinary paper.

A very good copy.

Signed presentation copy from Jorge Semprun to Sylvie Genevoix.

New edition.

Preface and afterword by Francis Jeanson.

Slight rubbing to spine, three small stains at foot of rear board, otherwise a pleasant copy.

New edition.

A very good copy.

Signed presentation copy, inscribed by Louis Aragon to his friends Marie-Noëlle and Jean-Pierre (Lecointre).

First edition on ordinary paper.

A pleasant copy despite two small areas of sunning at the head and foot of the spine.

Signed presentation copy inscribed by Louis Aragon to Jean-Pierre Lecointre.

First edition, with no deluxe copies issued; one of the review copies.

Spine and covers lightly and marginally sunned, a crease mark to the lower right corner of the rear cover, complete with the publisher's review slip.

Signed presentation copy from Jehan Laurent Gheerbrandt to the writer Jean Henri Guillaumet.

First edition, one of 200 numbered copies on Lafuma pur fil paper, the only deluxe issue after 125 copies on alfa paper and 25 on Hollande.

A few minor rubs to the slightly sunned spine.

Important signed presentation inscription from Lise Lamarre to the eminent Resistance figure Jacques Debû-Bridel: "Puisse ce livre vous aider à conserver le souvenir de Lise Lamarre, française de bonne souche, dont le coeur et l'esprit surent dans la pire adversité dominer les évènements..."

This presentation inscription alludes to the ordeal endured by Lise Lamarre and her husband, who were accused of collaboration and imprisoned despite having themselves...

First edition, one of 70 numbered copies on Japan paper, comprising the deluxe issue.

A few spots of foxing to the boards, spines and some deckle edges.

Rare untrimmed copy, preserving the full margins, of the Tiger's philosophical testament.

First edition, no deluxe copies were issued.

A handsome copy.

Signed presentation copy, inscribed by Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine to the political scientist and essayist Evelyne Pisier: "... en remerciement de son aide..."

In 1989, she was appointed Director of Books and Reading at the French Ministry of Culture by Jack Lang.

First true edition as an earlier, truncated and inaccurate edition of this book had already appeared the same year in Brussels.
Copy in the original wrappers, as issued. Trace of a crease to the lower right corner of the front wrapper.

One of Hugo's masterpieces, containing some of the most powerful and sarcastic poems of the century. The emperor so reviled is treated here more mercilessly, if that is possible, than in Napoléon le Petit.

First edition, illustrated with 10 compositions by Jean-Jacques Sempé, one of the numbered copies.

Publisher's full wood-grain style marbled boards, plain flat spine.

An attractive copy of this fable recounting the sudden disappearance of every form of paper, bringing modern society to a standstill.

First edition, one of 15 numbered copies on Arches wove paper, the only deluxe-paper copies.
A rare and fine copy.

First edition, one of 20 numbered copies on Japan paper, the deluxe issue.

Spine slightly sunned, otherwise a very good copy.

Preface by Léon Bocquet.

First edition of the French translation, with no deluxe-paper copies issued.

Preface by Annie Le Brun.

A pleasant copy despite a few small stains to the lower edge.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Spine slightly sunned, with a few small nicks.
Signed presentation copy from Léo Ferré to a woman named Véronique.

 

First public edition of this foundational text of the intellectual Resistance.

Handwritten ownership inscription recording the volume as a gift, small tears and one snag to the spine, rear cover creased along the right-hand edge.

First edition of the French translation, illustrated with an engraved frontispiece and a folding plate.

Bradel binding in half red morocco-grained shagreen with small corners, smooth spine richly decorated in the grotesque style, orange paper-covered boards with a few small areas of paper loss and some staining, yellow edges.

A few minor spots of foxing.

After witnessing the plight of enslaved Black people in the West Indies, the Danish botanist Paul Erdmann Isert returned from his travels as a fervent abolitionist. His writings prompted Prince Frederick of Denmark to abolish the triangular trade throughout his dominions in 1803.

First edition, false statement of ninth edition, no deluxe issue printed.

Small marginal tears without significance to the soiled boards.

Presentation copy signed by feminist activist Yvonne Netter of her important essay on the emancipation of women and their right to vote.

First edition of Anne Guérin's French translation, for which no deluxe copies were issued; one of the review copies.

A small, unobtrusive nick to the head of the spine.

Introduction by Daniel Guérin.

An attractive copy, complete with the publisher's printed notice.

First edition, printed in Russian by the London-based Stenvalley Press.

Publisher's red cloth binding, author, title and publisher lettered in gilt on the spine, complete with its two-colour printed dust jacket showing light wear.

A few ballpoint pen annotations on some pages, presumably by the recipient.

Autograph presentation inscription, signed and dated by the author, to Michel Garder: "Дорогому Мишелю Гарде - с глубокой признательностью. На добрую память. 29.I.1975." [To dear Michel Garder - with profound gratitude. In fond remembrance. 29.I.1975.]

Autograph letter signed "Luzio," by Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca. Two and a half pages in black ink on a bifolium, with autograph date (8 Prairial - 28 May 1798) and address. A few minor marginal tears affecting two letters with no loss of text, and a small corner loss to the address leaf without loss of text.

A precious letter written by Luce de Casabianca "aboard the Orient" to his brother-in-law, André Colonna Ceccaldi who led a Corsican uprising for independance the following year. 

Casabianca speaks...

First edition, one of the review copies.

Spine sunned, small losses to the spine and covers, paper brittle in the margins of the leaves.

A fine and rare signed autograph inscription by Roger Nimier, in the purest Hussard manner: "Pour Henry Grave et le Colonel Monier avec les claquements de talons et un arrière goût de rhum blanc du Cavalier Nimier".

First edition, one of 70 named and numbered copies on Madagascar paper.

Faint marginal crease marks to the lower right-hand corner of the front wrapper.

Illustrated with a frontispiece drawn and wood-engraved by Vassily Photiadès.
Signed presentation inscription from Joseph Kessel to Emmanuel Arago, for whom this copy was specially printed.

First edition, actually printed in Nantes by Malassis despite the Paris imprint on the title-page, as revealed by a manuscript note by Mangourit himself cited by Barbier.

An anonymously published pamphlet, with a typographical vignette on the title-page.

Copy preserved in its original stitched state and therefore without wrappers, with a pencilled manuscript note on the title-page identifying the author.

Our...

First collected edition, one of 30 copies on alfa paper, this copy unnumbered but duly identified as printed on alfa at the foot of the spine and in the limitation statement, the only deluxe-paper copies.
Albert Camus's foreword appears here for the first time.
A pleasant copy.

First edition, one of 455 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the only deluxe-paper copies after 170 on Holland paper.
A fine copy despite some minor foxing, chiefly to the top edge.

First edition, one of 45 numbered copies on hollande, most limited deluxe issue.

Contemporary full red morocco, spine with four raised bands framed with black fillets, date gilt at foot, taupe morocco doublures, red silk endleaves, gilt fillets and dots to board edges, all edges gilt, slipcase, an elegant binding signed Favre-Petit-Mermet.

A fine copy, handsomely bound in full morocco with morocco doublures by Favre-Petit-Mermet.

The first Paris edition, published simultaneously with the Brussels edition.

Most of the volumes bear a statement of fourth, seventh, or eighth edition.

Some foxing to several volumes.

Contemporary half tawny speckled sheep bindings, smooth spines decorated with double gilt fillets, red sheep lettering-pieces lettered "Oeuvres de V. Hugo", sky-blue sheep title and volume labels, volume label lacking from the fifth volume, three others partially lifting, marbled paper-covered boards, decorative endpapers and pastedowns.

New edition, revised, corrected and enlarged.

Bound in full red morocco, spine with five raised bands ruled in double black fillets, boards framed with double black fillets, wide gilt dentelle border to the red morocco doublures, following endpapers of combed paper, bookplate pasted to an endpaper, gilt fillets to the board edges, all edges gilt, superb signed Duru binding dated 1848.

With an introductory history of satire in France by Viollet Le Duc.

A very handsome copy in an elegant red morocco doublure binding by Duru.

First edition, one of 1,040 numbered copies printed on Navarre alfa paper.
Publisher's paper-covered boards after Paul Bonet's original design.
Endpapers fully shaded throughout, as often encountered.

First edition on ordinary paper.

Bound in half red shagreen with corner pieces, spine with four raised bands ruled in blind and gilt, a few rubs to the spine, marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, upper cover preserved, corners lightly bumped.

First edition, issued without any edition statement.
Contemporary half mottled fawn sheep bindings, smooth spines ruled in gilt with double fillets, red sheep lettering pieces bearing the author's name "Works of V. Hugo", sky-blue sheep title and volume labels, marbled paper-covered boards, decorative endpapers and pastedowns.
Some occasional foxing, small holes at the head of the half-title leaf of the first volume.
Widely regarded as Hugo's masterpiece in the realm of fiction, a dark and baroque work in which his poetic style, built upon antitheses and oxymora, is carried to its furthest limits, anticipating qualities later embraced by the Surrealists.

Definitive edition with a foreword by the author, one of 12 numbered hors commerce copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe paper issue.

The first edition of 1935 was not issued on deluxe paper.

A rare and pleasing copy.

Signed autograph inscription from Jacques Debû-Bridel to Monsieur and Madame Claude Gallimard.

First edition, one of the press review copies.
Trimmed copy, joints soiled and restored, stain to the lower cover.
Humorous signed autograph inscription by Paul Morand: "Cher Caracalla, j'apprends que vous n'avez jamais reçu mon Fouquet ; en juin dernier je vous l'envoyais avec ma fidèle pensée. Que le diable patafiole le facteur ! Je vous renouvelle ici ma très amicale sympathie. Morand."

First edition, one of 24 numbered copies on pure wove paper, the deluxe issue.

Spine showing two small areas of sunning at the head and foot.

A rare and pleasing copy of this novel set against the backdrop of the French collapse during the Second World War.

First edition, without the mention “oeuvres complètes de Victor Hugo” (see Clouzot).

Contemporary red polished half calf bindings, spines slightly mellowed and decorated with four raised bands framed by gilt garland tools and gilt quintuple rules, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges.

Very slight rubbing to the spines, a pleasing copy, lacking the preliminary preface leaf, attractively bound in a contemporary Romantic-style binding.

First edition, one of 35 numbered copies on hollande paper, top-of-edition issue.

A very fine copy.

Very rare first edition, with second edition statement on title page.

Bradel binding in half blue-grey percaline, smooth spine decorated with a central gilt fleuron, double gilt fillet at tail, title label lacking, cat's-eye paper boards, original wrappers preserved with angular losses and discolouration, corners slightly rubbed, period binding.

Foxing, front wrapper and first free endpaper clumsily restored, small tears repaired on the first three leaves.

Rare presentation copy inscribed by Louise Michel: "... à de méchants amis que l'on aime quand même et toujours. LMichel." [to...

Rare first edition. First volume published on 6 May 1867, the second on 27 July and the third the next year (28 January 1868). All of 18° format are first editions of Verne's novels.

Contemporary brown half shagreen bindings, spines with four raised bands ruled in black and decorated with double black panels featuring central gilt floral tools, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, two upper corners slightly bumped, speckled edges, contemporary bindings.

A handsome copy attractively housed in its contemporary bindings. In Search of the Castaways is the very first Verne novel to be adapted for the cinema. predating even...

Rare first edition. The first volume dated 4 August 1876, followed by the second volume published on 6 November with Un drame au Mexique bound in. All first editionswere published in 18° format. 

Half brown shagreen bindings, spines with four raised bands ruled in black and framed in black with with central gilt fleurons, marbled paper boards, paste-down endpapers and flyleaves of hand-marbled paper, sprinkled edges, contemporary bindings.

A handsome first edition copy of this celebrated Siberian adventure, attractively bound in contemporary bindings.

This first appearance of the text in book form was Jules Verne's preferred format, as Jauzac...

First edition, one of the press review copies.
Spine with a small waterstain at the foot.
Signed autograph inscription from Jorge Semprun: "A Mr Pierre Pain, a good bookseller like good bread, in memory of a signing day and of a shared memory far richer. With warm regards. JSemprun."

 

First edition, one of a limited issue for which no deluxe paper copies were produced.

Small stains to the lower left corner of the upper cover and to the top edge.

Presentation copy by Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine : "à M. Maurice Genevoix, écrivain et pêcheur comme moi, ces images d'un Maroc étrange, en hommage fraternel. Khaïr-Eddine."

First edition of the French translation, one of the ordinary issue copies, as no deluxe paper copies were produced.

A very good copy.

Signed autograph inscription from Richard Wright to Pierre Descaves.

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

Rare copy.
Rare signature by Alexandre Solzhenitsyn on the title page.

First edition, one of 2,270 numbered copies printed on alfa paper, the only printing.
A pleasing copy despite small marginal tears to the wrappers.

First edition, one of 35 numbered copies on Ingres d'Arches paper, this being one of 10 hors commerce copies.

Text established, with notes and preface by Jean-Pierre Barril; unpublished texts, letters and documents selected by Léon Aichelbaum and Jean-Pierre Barril.

A very fine copy.