L'écriture ou la vie[Literature or Life]
First edition on ordinary paper.
A very good copy.
Signed presentation copy from Jorge Semprun to Sylvie Genevoix.

“We have completely forgotten that freedom is hard won, [...] The idea that human rights are citizen’s rights has been the subject of great historical repression.” (C. Gillepsie, Manufacture de l’homme apolitique)
Fortunately, books act as essential actors and historical witnesses of human progress. Keepers of stories of founding struggles, while under their covers the unquenchable embers of revolt are still smoldering.
First edition on ordinary paper.
A very good copy.
Signed presentation copy from Jorge Semprun to Sylvie Genevoix.
First editions of two works by Baron Jean-Baptiste de Cloots, known as Anacharsis Cloots.
Contemporary half green basane bindings, green paper boards, smooth spines decorated with gilt fillets and dotted rolls, red basane title-labels, yellow edges. Bindings rubbed, some scuffing and losses, a few light corner creases. The "Lettres d'un jeune philosophe à un jeune théologien," a text intended to close La Certitude des preuves du Mahométisme, is bound in the first volume after the first part of the work. It is followed by the "Supplément à la certitude des preuves du mahométisme," and, also in the first volume, by another work by Cloots, the Lettre sur...
First edition of one of the most important revolutionary publications against the African slave trade and the first manifesto of the Society of the Friends of the Blacks, founded in February 1788 by Jacques-Pierre Brissot, Étienne Clavière, and Mirabeau, barely nine months after the London Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade, which served as their model.
Autograph letter signed by George Sand, addressed to her friend Stéphanie Bourjot, daughter of Étienne Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire. Four pages written in blue ink on a folded bifolium bearing George Sand’s monogram. Fold marks as usual.
This letter was partially published in Correspondance, vol. XIV, no. 7846.
A beautiful and partly unpublished letter in which George Sand discusses Marie Pape-Carpantier’s book and the education of her young maid, Marie Caillaud : « It is an excellent book, which I use to teach my young maid to read. She is extraordinarily intelligent, and this book opens her mind to all sorts of...
First edition, a numbered copy on alfa du Marais paper, this one not included in the justification.
Handsome autograph inscription signed and dated by Aimé Césaire to Raymond Queneau: “Très sympathique hommage de ces bucoliques de sang et de soleil... [a very affectionate homage of these bucolics of blood and sunshine...]”
Covers and spine slightly sunned at edges (but not seriously).
Autograph letter by Pierre-Joseph-Marie Proudhon, signed and dated 7 November 1862. 3 pages in black ink on a bifolium. Fold of the bifolium weakened, without affecting the text. Not included in the correspondence published by Lacroix in 1875.
Significant and likely unpublished letter from Proudhon to his publisher Alphonse Lebègue, whom he considers "the cause of liberty in France and independence in Belgium" in these lines.
Proudhon underscores the importance of his ideological struggle for federalism in Europe, following the controversial publication of his pamphlet La Fédération et l’unité en Italie, and a...
First edition in French, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Foxing to spine and margins of boards, retaining the dust jacket which has small marginal tears.
Rare dated autograph inscription signed by William Styron to journalist Paule Villers.
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.
First edition, one of 35 numbered copies on deluxe paper, the only deluxe copies.
Rare and handsome copy.
First edition.
Former owner's name on upper left corner of title page, spine wrinkled.
Our copy exceptionally contains signatures of several members of the editorial committee of the Association des déportées et internées de la Résistance or former deportees to the Ravensbrück camp, including: Renée Mirande-Laval, Jacqueline Souchère-Richet, Hélène Renal, Rose Guérin, Jacqueline Rigault, Simone Gournay, Marie-Antoinette Allemandi-Clastres, some of whom have added their deportee registration number below their signatures.
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, 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.]
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 edition, one of 175 numbered copies on pur fil wove paper, this being copy No. 1, specially printed for Madame General Frère, one of the deluxe issue.
Contemporary full red shagreen, spine with four raised bands decoratively tooled in blind with fillets and a coat of arms, light rubbing to the joints, gilt rolls to the spine ends, spotting to the boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillet border to the pastedowns, gilt rules to the edges, corners slightly bumped, top edge gilt, others untrimmed.
General Aubert Frère was notably a hero of the French Resistance, serving as organizer and commander of the Resistance within the Army; he was arrested by the Nazis in...
Original albumen print photograph of Charles de Gaulle, wearing the Cross of Lorraine and the insignia of the Free French Forces, likely taken shortly after the Liberation. Studio stamp of Harcourt Paris within the photograph, under mat and light wood frame, with some minor damage to the frame.
Signed and inscribed by Charles de Gaulle below the portrait: "A M. Jules Guichet / Bien amicalement ! / 19.2.58 / C. de Gaulle".
Edition of this work of popular science, composed in prison by the celebrated Brazilian anarchist and philologist José Oiticica.
Minor losses at the upper headcap, spine sunned as is common, together with some wear and a split at the lower left joint measuring 4 cm, and very slightly split at the upper joints as well, offsetting and marginal colour loss to the boards, small tear at the head of the rear board, untrimmed edges.
First edition of a play regarded as historically significant, performed for the first time nineteen days before the execution of Louis XVI, which set all of Paris and then France ablaze to the point of interrupting the King's trial, by a constitutional monarchist playwright.
Nineteenth-century Bradel binding in half brown percaline, smooth spine decorated with a gilt fleuron, red morocco lettering-piece, pebble-pattern marbled paper boards, edges lightly red-speckled.
First edition of this important royal declaration partially reversing the compulsory deportation measures established by the declarations of 8 January and 12 March 1719.
Responding to repeated complaints from colonial governors, the royal government henceforth resolved that only voluntary emigrants should be sent to populate the colonies.
Our copy is offered disbound.
First edition - only published issue of this journal of the Resistance.
Minor rubbing at head and foot of spine, slight tears in margins of covers.
Anonymous texts by Claude Bourdet, Maurice Clavel, Jean-Louis Curtis, Yves Gandon, Flavien Monod and Maximilien Vox, who was the magazine's director.
This single issue was put together between December 1943 and March 1944, but La Revue noire could not be published during the Occupation. The final press proof was given on 15 February 1944 and the imprint is dated 15 February 1945.
A rare and pleasant copy.
Autograph letter dated and signed by Charles Vildrac to Henri Barbusse; one page with his monogram blind-stamped in the upper left corner and written in black ink on one leaf, 18 lines.
Postal folds, a small tear at the foot of the letter without any damage to the text.
Charles Vildrac congratulates Henri Barbusse for his militant devotion and dynamism: "J'ai pris connaissance du Manifeste appel pour une ligue internationale des écrivains et j'y adhère sans réserves en applaudissant à votre généreuse initiative." ["I have read the Manifesto calling for an international league of writers and I join it without reservation, applauding your generous...
First edition, one of 55 numbered copies on pur fil paper, most limited deluxe issue.
Endleaves and half-title slightly and partially shaded.
Exceedingly rare and handsome copy of this seminal text of modern feminism.
Our copy is housed in a custom gray clamshell box, square spine titled in red, author's name and subtitles in black, first panel hollowed revealing a black and white photograph of Simone de Beauvoir as a young woman under a plexiglass, title in red, author's name, first volume number and subtitle in black, second panel hollowed revealing a color photograph of the author in her prime under plexiglass, titled in red, author's name, second volume number and...
"Si quelque part au monde le coeur de la liberté continue à battre, s'il est un lieu d'où ses coups nous parviennent mieux frappés que de partout ailleurs, nous savons tous que ce lieu est l'Espagne." ["If anywhere in the world the heart of freedom continues to beat, if there is a place from which its beats reach us more clearly struck than from anywhere else, we all know that this place is Spain."]
First edition, one of 350 numbered copies on deckle-edged paper, ours specially printed for General Koenig.
Bradel binding in full white cardboard simulating vellum, spine with four compartments decorated with panels outlined in red, red fillet frame on boards, front cover preserved, top edge red.
Precious autograph inscription from Marcel Bleustein, who took the pseudonym Blanchet during the Resistance, to General Koenig, the great victor of the battle of Bir Hakeim: "Pour monsieur le général Koenig, en témoignage de ma grande admiration et de mon respectueux attachement. Son ancien officier de presse Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet le 24 Nov. 1948" [For General Koenig, as a...
First edition of the French translation established by Emmanuelle de Lesseps.
Handsome and very rare copy.
With a presentation by Christiane Rochefort.
Gender discrimination, hate speech and calls for genocide, violent action with a furious, premeditated and unrepentant murder attempt on one of the most famous artists of the 20th century, promotion of violent anarchy with great scatological laughter, programmed elimination or humiliation of half the human race...
In her misandrist pamphlet, Scum manifesto ("Society for Cutting Up Men"), Valerie Solanas shows no empathy, leaves no room for moderation or reconciliation, and grants no exception to her project of...
First edition, one of 17 numbered copies on alfa mousse, the only deluxe copies.
Fine and rare copy.
Henri Alleg describes here his three years spent in preventive detention at Barberousse, the civil prison of Algiers, among his fellow fighters.
First edition of this special issue dedicated by the Fidel Castro's Cuban State to Ernesto Che Guevara, who passed away a month earlier after being executed by the Bolivian army.
Tribute issue illustrated with many photographs of Che.
Text in Spanish.
A very beautiful copy despite some small minor folds on the last sheets.
Rare issue that participated greatly to the hagiography of Che, who still today remains the Christ of anti-capitalist revolutionaries and third-worldists.