20th Century Classics

Strange Interlude – Eugene O’Neil – A Pulitzer Prize Winning Play – 1928

Published in 1928 by the up market Boni & Liveright, New York. A reprint same year as the first.

Large thick octavo, 362 pages, decorative end papers, green cloth covered boards with simple gilt decoration and author’s faux signature. Striking Art Deco dust jacket – a few nibbles but really good. A super copy overall.

The great American play of its day. Later a film with Clark Gable. Pulitzer Prize Winner.

Experimental in nature, presented in nine acts, and uses the technique known as soliloquy [where the actor speaks directly to the audience about their inner thoughts. Nina, the main character looses her husband in World War I. She embarks on a series of relationships and her attitude / approach to life and desires and pains are explored.

A superb gift for the theatre lover - almost 100 years old.

$60.00

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The Potato Factory – Bryce Courtenay – First edition 1995

A very nice first edition published by Heinemann, Melbourne in 1995 an Australian first edition. Thick octavo, 665 pages.

This book is the first of a trilogy of books [also Tommo and Hawk and Solomon’s Song – we should have a copy]. The trilogy is based around the life and acquaintances of Ikey Solomon a London Jewish fraudster who finds his way to Van Diemen’s land aka Tasmania. Ikey was for sure the man behind the character Fagan of Charles Dickens fame.

Anyway, lots of goings on in the Old Dart and then Tasmania where Ikey’s old mistress achieves some elevation and starts a Brewery “The Potato Factory”. Ikey’s wife who arrived under her earlier own unfortunate circumstances is not happy.

Ikey Solomon a true Tasmanian character

$30.00

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Hornblower and the Hotspur – C.S. Forester – First Edition 1962

First edition published by Michael Joseph, London in 1962. Octavo, 266 pages, blue cloth covered boards, very good dust jacket, top page edge toned otherwise very clean.

The tenth volume in the Hornblower series and we make it third in chronological order. The last finished Hornblower novel “Crisis” being incomplete at Forester’s death.

Set in 1803 with war with France imminent Hornblower is promoted to Commander and given the Sloop HMS Hotspur. Sent off to enforce the blockade at Brest … does his usual super job not without difficulty and danger. Cornwallis considers him for promotion to Post-Captain … a position achieved when he executes his plan to deliver false documents to the French … it all had a bearing on “Trafalgar”.

Hornblower’s career develops with bravery and cunning

$40.00

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Envoy Extraordinary – E Phillips Oppenheim – 1940

Espionage at the brink of WWII this edition published by Triangle and offshoot of Little Brown, New York in 1940.

Octavo, 307 pages, printed on “war paper’ hence the normal even toasting of the paper. Otherwise a very nice copy in a very good dust jacket indeed.

the Earl of Matresser returns to his Norfolk estate after years of hunting and spying in Africa and Asia. Europe is rumbling and the powers that be seek to restore the balance by promoting Monarchy in Germany and elsewhere. What was Rosa Von Kampf doing in England – is she the guiding figure behind the attempt on Pilot Number Seventeen’s life?

Classic Oppenheim – usual dust jacket art.

$60.00

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The Damon Runyon Omnibus [Including Guys and Dolls] – 1944

A first of kind published by Sun Dial Press, garden City, New York in 1994. High quality production despite the war years. Note this is the novel not the musical narrative …

Largish octavo, 505 pages, a few chips to what otherwise is a super dust jacket – very good copy overall.

Damon Runyon was the man behind “Guys and Dolls” and much more on Broadway here are three of his stories, first published in this form – “Money From home”, “Blue Plate Special” and the aforementioned all-time hit.

Much compared with P.G. Wodehouse … which is three stars to start ….

“When you see a sport and his cash has run short – Make a bet that he’s banking it with some doll
When a guy wears tails with front gleaming white – Who the hell do you think he’s tickling pink
… on Saturday night?”

A rarity that takes you back

$50.00

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The Mardi Gras [New Orleans] Murders – Bristow and Manning – First edition 1932

First edition of this unusual murder mystery published by The Mystery League, New York and London in 1932.

Octavo, 286 pages, very good condition albeit obvious chips to rare dust jacket designed by Gene.

The Society dedicated to Dis – the Greek God of the Inferno are at the heart of murder at the New Orleans Mardi Gras. The gorgeous Cynthia Fontenay holds an elaborate costumed ball for Society members – everyone wears the satanic mask and scarlet lined black robe. Looks like number 47 had a bit of bad luck. The problem for the detectives is that there are fifty suspects.

1932 First – Mardi Gras in New Orleans – not for the faint hearted

$50.00

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Strange Interlude – Eugene O’Neil – A Pulitzer Prize Winning Play – 1928

The Potato Factory – Bryce Courtenay – First edition 1995

Hornblower and the Hotspur – C.S. Forester – First Edition 1962

Envoy Extraordinary – E Phillips Oppenheim – 1940

The Damon Runyon Omnibus [Including Guys and Dolls] – 1944

The Mardi Gras [New Orleans] Murders – Bristow and Manning – First edition 1932

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