Writers' testimonies and interviews, autobiographical accounts, literary essays and criticism

First edition, no copies printed on deluxe paper.
Pleasing copy.

Signed autograph inscription from Robert Badinter: "Pour Claude Moncorgé, affectueusement, son cousin. Robert."

 

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.

First edition on ordinary paper.

Half black shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt garlands, marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt top edge, original covers and spine preserved.

Scattered foxing mostly affecting the edges.

First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on Holland paper.

Some minor foxing, two tears and slight losses to the spine.

Paul Léautaud’s handwritten signature beneath the colophon.

First edition on ordinary paper.

Half black shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt garlands, gilt date at foot, a small tear at the foot of the spine, marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt top edge.

Scattered foxing.

Partly original edition, expanded with a preface and entirely unpublished fragments.

Bound in contemporary half black shagreen, spines with five raised bands decorated with gilt garlands, gilt dates at the foot, marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers, gilt edges.

Some foxing, mainly at the beginning and end of the volumes.

Complete with the folding table bound at the beginning of the second volume.

Partly original edition, with no mention of a deluxe paper issue.

Half black shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands tooled with gilt garlands, gilt date at foot, marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt edges, contemporary binding.

Pleasant copy.

First edition.

Bound in black half shagreen, spines with five raised bands decorated with gilt garlands, gilt dates at foot, marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt edges.

Some foxing, mainly at the beginning and end of the volumes.

Preface by Prosper Mérimée.

The ‘Kehl edition’, the most renowned edition of Voltaire's works, illustrated and published on deluxe paper. It was printed on five different types of paper, and only the deluxe editions, such as ours on laid paper, feature engravings. These are naturally the most sought-after and rarest copies.

Binding in full painted sheep decorated with a “honeycomb” motif, smooth spine tooled with gilt fleurons, fillets and compartments, light beige calf lettering and volume pieces, gilt chain-roll border on covers, marbled endpapers, gilt roll on edges, all edges marbled, contemporary binding. Two volumes (nos. 50 and 70) with slight variations in gilt tools on the spines and with orange morocco lettering pieces, edges and covers treated somewhat differently. General condition of the 70 volumes: bindings with light rubbing to corners, gilt a little dulled, occasional foxing, a few wormholes and old restorations, not affecting the text. 28 volumes (vols. 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 24, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 43, 48, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 68, 70) with cracked joints at the ends, and 20 volumes (vols. 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 33, 34, 37, 42, 46, 49, 53, 56, 57, 60, 65, 66, 68, 70) with damaged caps.

Two editions were published at the same time. Our copy belongs to the prestigious in-8 edition on large paper published in 70 volumes (the other edition being in-12 format in 92 volumes). It is richly illustrated with 125 etched plates:

- There are 17 portraits, including 3 of Voltaire: a frontispiece portrait by N. de Largillière engraved by P. Alex. Tardieu; one drawn from Houdon's bust by Moreau le Jeune and engraved by P. Alex. Tardieu; and one allegorical portrait by Louis Croutelle after Moreau le Jeune, belonging to the second series of illustrations of Voltaire's works executed by Moreau for the publisher Renouard. The 14 other portraits include an allegorical frontispiece of Frédéric-Guillaume, Prince of Prussia, depicted in profile in a medallion by Dambrun after Moreau le Jeune; a portrait of Henry IV by Pourbus engraved by Tardieu; one of Charles VII engraved after the original in the King's Cabinet by Mavieri; another of Agnès Sorel drawn by Moreau the Younger after the original in the King's Cabinet and engraved by Mavieri; one of Joan of Arc engraved by Beisson; followed by the Count of Dunois engraved after the original in the King's Cabinet by J. B. Fosseyeux; one of Louis XIV drawn by Moreau Le Jeune after C. Le Brun engraved by J. B. Fosseyeux; one of Charles XII engraved by P. Alex. Tardieu after the original in the King's Cabinet; one of Pierre I engraved by P. G. Langlois after a painting by L. Caravaque; one of Madame du Châtelet after Marie Anne Loir and engraved by P. G. Langlois; one of the Count of Argental after J. Defraine and engraved by J. B. Fosseyeux; one of Frédéric II of Prussia painted from life by Van Loo and engraved by P. G. Langlois; one of Catherine II of Russia engraved by J. B. Fosseyeux; and one of d'Alembert after De La Tour engraved by N. F. Maviez.

- 93 engravings by Moreau le Jeune, including 44 figures for le Théâtre (engraved by Lingée, Simonet, de Launay, Trière, Halbou, Duclos, Romanet, Dambrun, de Longueil, Delignon, Le Mire, Le Veau), 10 for la Henriade (engraved by Masquelier, Delignon, Dambrun, Patas, Gutemberg, Helman, Simonet, Duclos, Romanet), 21 for la Pucelle (engraved by Simonet, Dambrun, Halbou, Baquoy, Trière, Delignon, de Longueil, Croutelle and Duclos), 4 for the Contes (in verse, engraved by Langlois, Duclos, Delignon and Le Veau) and 14 for the Romans (engraved by Trière, Duclos, de Longueil, Dambrun, Baquoy, Delignon, Simonet, Langlois and Halbou). 

- 14 scientific plates in volume 31, illustrating the experiments of Newton, Descartes and Leibniz.

- 1 battle plan in volume 24 about the Histoire de l'Empire de Russie sous Pierre le Grand.

According to Bengesco (IV, no. 2142), our copy is missing a portrait of Louis XV in volume 22, as well as a portrait of Voltaire by De La Tour (replaced here in the last volume by an allegorical portrait by Louis Croutelle after Moreau le Jeune). This copy includes all the additional portraits, with the exception of two illustrations that are almost always missing: a portrait of Vertot and an engraving of the Œuvres.

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on alfa vellum, the only copies on deluxe paper.

Slight sunning at the foot of the spine.

A handsome copy.

Partly original edition, entirely revised.

Some foxing.

Rare copy preserved in its original wrappers.

First edition.
Elegant half navy blue morocco over marbled paper boards by Pierre-Lucien Martin, spine in six compartments with gilt fillets to bands and geometric decoration of red morocco onlays, date gilt at foot of spine, gilt fillet to boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt dentelle frame to pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt.

A very good copy in a handsome binding. 
Exceptional autograph inscription from Claude Farrère : "A Pierre Louÿs son très petit disciple [To Pierre Louÿs, his very humble disciple]", along with Chinese ideograms.

First edition, one of 1,200 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only large paper copies after 50 on Marais.

Spine very slightly faded as usual.
Handsome autograph inscription signed by Henri Michaux to Raymond Queneau.

First edition, one of 25 numbered copies on bouffant vellum paper from the Salzer mills, ours being No. 1, the only deluxe paper issue.
Handsome copy of this work awarded the Grand Prix du Roman of the Académie française. 
 

First edition, printed in a small number of copies, of this offprint from the April 1958 issue of Critique.

Minor tears at head and tail of spine.

Rare and appealing copy.

Rare first edition (cf. Quérard IV, 138. NUC: 3 copies).

Written in French by J.A. Borelly (a German translation by G.W. Bartoldy appeared simultaneously from the same publisher), these engaging memoirs are the work of the Swedish general Johann Ludwig von Hordt [1719-1778].

Contemporary full grey paper boards, red shagreen title-piece with a small marginal defect, smooth spine, joints rubbed, binding of the period.

Preserved in a modern green paper box; title label at the head of the spine.

Some light foxing.

Rare copy in its original state: uncut and in the publisher’s boards.

First edition, printed in 1,500 copies on bouffant paper.

Includes numerous contributions by Marcel Béalu, Pierre Béarn, Blaise Cendrars, Jean Follain, Paul Fort, Max Jacob, Pierre Jean Jouve, Pierre Mac Orlan, Michel Manoll, Pierre Reverdy, André Salmon, Jules Supervielle...

A minor tear without consequence at the foot of the spine, which shows light sunning.

A fine and moving signed autograph inscription from Dominique de Roux, founder of the Cahiers de l'Herne, to his brother Xavier: "Pour Xavier qui est à l'origine de [L'Herne] ce premier cahier dont le second verra son nom au comité en témoignage de mon affection reconnaissante son vieux et fidèle Dominique. 8 Mai 1961."

First edition, on ordinary paper, of the French translation.
A small tear restored at the foot of the spine, a pleasing copy.
Letter-preface by Jean Cocteau, preface by Somerset Maugham.
Illustrated cover with a portrait of the Aga Khan by Kees Van Dongen, with iconography.

Rare and precious signed autograph presentation from the Aga Khan to Madame Avrillier.

 

First edition, one of 85 copies on pur fil paper, from the deluxe issue after 26 on Hollande.

Spine and covers slightly sunned, marginal tears to the covers and at the foot of the spine.

Rare copy with full margins.

First edition, one of 45 numbered copies on Vélin du Marais, ours one of 15 lettered copies not for sale, the only copies on deluxe paper.

Attractive copy despite a faint shadow along the margin of the upper cover.

First edition, one of 160 numbered copies on pur fil, the only deluxe paper issue.

Half red shagreen binding with corners, spine with four raised bands framed by black fillets, gilt date at foot, boards covered in moiré-effect paper, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt.

A handsome copy in an attractive binding.

Uncommon first edition, cf. Polak 7724 (only three copies recorded in the CCF: Musée de la Marine, Angers, and Caen), illustrated with a portrait frontispiece of Count Martin lithographed on cream paper mounted, together with 6 folding lithographed maps hors texte.

Spine cracked with small losses, some foxing.

Rare copy complete with the extensive printer’s catalogue at the end of the volume.

This account of Admiral Pierre Martin (1752-1820) was published by his grandson, Denis Pouget (1808-1892), through his only daughter Marguerite. It notably discusses the fire-ship affair off the Île d’Aix, a naval battle between the British and the French which took place on 11–12 April 1809 during the Fifth Coalition, and which led to the Admiral’s near-permanent disgrace.

First edition, of which no copies on deluxe paper were issued.

Spine slightly faded as usual.
Precious signed presentation inscription from Eugène Ionesco to Raymond Queneau: "Pour Raymond Queneau, le Satrape, avec mon admiration affectueuse (et que tant je voudrais revoir plus que de temps à autre). Eugène Ionesco."

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on Lafuma, the only copies on deluxe paper.
Very handsome copy despite a slight shadow on the half-title page.

First edition on ordinary paper, despite a false statement of third edition.
Handsome autohgraph inscription from Marcel Proust to René Boylesve.
This copy has a chemise and slipcase (with flaps) of half kaki morocco over marbled paper boards, spine very slighlty faded with bibliophilical gilt inscriptions to the foot, lined with liht green paper.
One very pale angular dampstain Mouillure angulaire très pâleto the first leaves.
Provenance : Heilbronn's library, with his ex libris.

René Boylesve découvre l'œuvre de Marcel Proust en 1913, à l'occasion de la parution du premier volume de la Recherche. D'abord dérouté par l'écriture proustienne, il se montre bientôt dithyrambique : « Notre œuvre, à nous, est ruinée par celle-là. Nous avons travaillé en vain. Proust supprime la littérature des cinquante dernières années. » (cité par GERARD-GAILLY Émile, « Note liminaire », dans BOYLESVE René, PROUST Marcel, Quelques échanges et témoignages, 1931, p. 24). Quant à Proust, l'admiration à l'égard de son aîné évoquée dans notre envoi n'est pas feinte ; ainsi quelques mois avant sa mort louait-il les romans de Boylesve, célébrant non seulement un « art en apparence si simple et qui dit tout » mais aussi « un perfectionnement suprême de technique » (PROUST Marcel, Correspondance, t.XX et XXI, 1991, p. 332 et 778).
Les deux hommes n'étaient pas proches mais correspondirent à partir de 1917. En faisant parvenir à Boylesve un exemplaire de ses Pastiches et mélanges, Proust dut le ravir : quand il n'écrivait pas, Boylesve était bibliophile. Ainsi, à propos d'un autre de ses ouvrages, Proust eut cette délicate attention : « J'avais une hésitation en ce qui concerne votre exemplaire. D'habitude, ceux qui sont tirés pour moi sans marque d'édition, sont un peu mieux que les "originales". Cette fois-ci, le "mieux" ne m'apparaît pas ; et comme je suis incapable de distinguer le "pur fil" du reste, je ne sais pas, des deux sortes d'exemplaires, ce qui est préférable. [...] Vous seriez mille fois gentil de me dire ce que vous voulez. C'est parce que je vous sais bibliophile que vous écris à propos d'un livre de moi, chose de peu d'importance [...]. » (PROUST Marcel, op. cit., t.XXII, p. 156-157)

First edition on ordinary paper, issued after the destruction of the 1923 printing following a dispute between Tzara and the publisher.
Double autograph inscription, signed and dated by Tristan Tzara, first to Paul Éluard – « à Paul Éluard. Tristan Tzara. Juillet 1929 » – then, after striking through this initial dedication, to René Char in September 1934: « à René Char avec toute l'amitié grande de Tristan Tzara ». This second inscription is further embellished with a small drawing by Tzara, a hand pointing with its index finger to Char’s name.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Handsome, fine autograph inscription signed by Albert Camus : "à Albert Béguin qui trouvera ici les raisons de mes désaccords avec Esprit, avec mon bien cordial souvenir...[to Albert Bégiun who will find here the reasons for my disagreements with the Spirit, in friendly remembrance…]"
A little light spotting primarily to upper cover and ffep.
Retaining its advertising notice, entitled "Lettres sur la révolte".

First edition.

Contemporary Romantic bindings in half green Empire calf, flat spines slightly faded, richly gilt with Romantic decorative motifs, marbled paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns; Romantic period bindings.

A few light spots of foxing; a discolouration mark on a blank endpaper of the first volume.

First edition, of great rarity (cf. Sabin 4182).

Bradel-style binding in full orange paper-covered boards, with a brown shagreen spine label; modern binding.

A very good copy.

A vindication of France’s conduct during the uprising of the British colonies in America.

First edition, with a photographic portrait of H.G. Wells as frontispiece to the first volume.

Illustrated throughout.

Some minor foxing, mostly to the edges.

Contemporary black half-shagreen bindings with cornerpieces, spines with three raised bands, gilt-stamped marine anchors at the foot (a few showing some loss), and gilt medallions on the upper boards featuring the ocean liner Normandie with three inlaid red and black shagreen pieces representing its smokestacks; marbled endpapers and pastedowns, with small red dots in the upper corners of the first flyleaves. Bound at the time for the Normandie.

A handsome copy with distinguished provenance.

First edition, one of 50 copies numbered on pure white rag paper, deluxe printing.

Binding in red half-shagreen with corners, spine with five raised bands framed by black fillets, some small rubbing on a few of the bands, date in gilt at the tail, framed by black fillets on the boards of speckled paper, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt on witnesses.

Illustrated with 60 heliogravure plates hors-texte.

Pleasant copy despite minor marginal spots of little significance on the endpapers.

Our copy is enriched with an autograph note dated June 1929 and signed by Pierre Abraham, mounted on tab, thanking Joseph Gabalda, then president of the Balzacian Circle, for his active contribution to the realization of this work.

The work also contains another autograph note, dated and signed by the author, mounted on tab, addressed to the same person, discussing the iconographic documents used to illustrate the book.

He promises him, in return for his investment, a copy from the deluxe printing.

First UK edition.

Publisher’s binding in full grey cloth, smooth spine, a fine copy complete with the illustrated dust jacket featuring a photographic portrait of the author by Yousuf Karsh.

Illustrated with maps on the endpapers and pastedowns, and 37 photographs.

Extremely rare inscribed copy signed by the last leader of the Soviet Union to a USSR émigré, the journalist Sam Yossman.

First edition.

Bradel binding in full brown roan, flat spine gilt-tooled, covers  with Alfred Piat's gilt monogram in the corners, central gilt stamp of his ex-libris, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt. Contemporary binding for Alfred Piat. Rubbing to corners and lower spine-end, some foxing.

Illustrated with two portraits of Hugo as frontispieces.

The finest copy of this biography of Victor Hugo published during his lifetime, bearing the supralibros of the great bibliophile Alfred Piat.

First edition of the English translation by Michael Glenny, who first came to prominence with his translation of Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita in 1967. No deluxe paper copies issued.

Publisher’s binding in full black cloth, flat spine which shows some inherent creasing due to the laminated covering.

A handsome copy, with illustrations.

Very rare inscribed copy dated 27 April 1990 and signed by Boris Yeltsin.

From the library of Sam Yossman (Sam Jones) of the BBC Russian Service.

First collected edition. No deluxe paper copies issued.
Publisher’s binding in full green cloth, smooth spines, with their dust jackets designed by Adam Rusak, showing only minor and insignificant marginal tears.

Rare presentation copy dated May 1, 1992 and signed by Solzhenitsyn to USSR émigré journalist and writer Sam Yossman, on the title page of the first volume.

First edition of these extremely scarce memoirs (cf. Bourquelot V, 374. Tulard 1007. Bertier de Sauvigny 720).

Contemporary bindings in brown half sheep, flat spines decorated with gilt Romantic rolls and black floral tools, red morocco labels for volume numbers and titles, marbled paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, some corners worn, marbled edges.

Spine of volume four damaged, restorations to the spines, two lower caps rubbed, occasional foxing.

The Countess Merlin was born Maria de las Mercedes de Santa Cruz y Montalvo (1789–1852) in Havana.

Her memoirs offer valuable anecdotal insight into society life in Cuba, the Peninsular War, and more.

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

First endpaper slightly and partially toned, without consequence.

A handsome copy with full margins.