We are pleased to offer Jefferson’s very own eight-volume set of the Duc of Sully’s Memoires, a fascinating work penned by a key advisor to King Henry IV that was “usually included in Jefferson’s lists of recommended historical reading” (Sowerby). It was Jefferson’s unique custom to write his ownership initials in among a book’s pages—as he has done in each of these eight volumes. Books from Jefferson’s personal collection are exceptionally scarce on the market. To find such a set of books that he thought of so highly is rare indeed.

The pseudonymous publication of Jane Eyre in 1847 by “Currer Bell” sparked one of the greatest literary controversies of the 19th century. The novel proved an immediate and almost unprecedented success, selling out within three months while the public clamored for any information on the identity of its mysterious author.

Speculation was rampant in contemporary papers, with many reviewers attributing the book to a man because of the quality and complexity of the prose. However, William Thackeray, Charlotte Bronte’s literary hero and later an important member of her circle, wrote, “It is a fine book… I have been exceedingly moved & pleased by Jane Eyre. It is a woman’s writing, but whose?” Bronte’s identity was revealed only after the work had gone through several editions. By that time, it was already clear that she had written a classic of English literature. View our current selection.

Almost immediately upon its 1532 first appearance in print, The Prince exerted a formidable and far-reaching influence. Henry VIII’s agent Thomas Cromwell obtained a manuscript copy only a few years after the first publication. The works of Shakespeare and Marlowe abound with references to the author, and while Machiavelli’s seemingly amoral stance earned him a villainous reputation in Elizabethan England, his keen and practical analysis was admired by major Enlightenment figures such as Bacon, Rousseau and Hume. But The Prince was placed on the Index of Prohibited Books in 1559— in the “banned absolutely” category—and did not appear in a printed English translation until the Episcopal censorship broke down in 1640, when it was published in a small-format volume that is now exceedingly scarce.

We are currently pleased to offer this very rare and important 1640 Machiavelli’s Prince first edition in English, a seminal work in the foundation of modern political theory and a great classic of political science. Browse our inventory of Niccolo Machiavelli rare books or contact us for more information.

A few short lines scrawled, according to popular legend, on scratch-paper and the backs of envelopes, the Gettysburg Address ultimately became one of the most revered and brilliant documents in the history of the United States. On November 19, 1863, Lincoln arose after Edward Everett’s two hour
dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg and “delivered the ‘few appropriate remarks’ requested of him, and in ten sentences did unforgettable justice to the thousands of young Americans who had struggled with incredible bravery” (Bruce Catton). We are pleased to offer the rare first book-form appearance of Lincoln’s magnificent Gettysburg Address in original wrappers for $42,000.
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Arguably Jefferson was the most famous of all American book collectors; his library and its meticulous organization have been called “a blueprint of his own mind.” A tireless book lover, he had built a library of 6700 volumes by 1815—easily the most significant library formed by an American at that point. In a letter to a friend, Jefferson wrote that he “spared no pains, opportunity, or expense” on his collection.

After the original Library of Congress was destroyed during the War of 1812, Jefferson sold his entire library to Congress to ensure that American government had access to the best books of the day. Almost 200 years have passed and his library still stands as a testament to the man and his distinctive taste: his pride in America, his fascination with modern science, and his emphasis on the importance of preserving knowledge. His library remains a reflection of his identity.

What pieces of history will you preserve? Browse our current books on and about Jefferson.

Throughout the history of book collecting, among the most sought after copies have been those inscribed and presented by their authors. The list of what one could dream of acquiring is endless. The first edition of Leaves of Grass that Whitman presented to Thoreau. The copy of The Great Gatsby that Fitzgerald inscribed to T. S. Eliot, from “his enthueusiastic worshipper” (Fitzgerald was renowned for his poor spelling). The publisher Sylvia Beach’s copy of Ulysses, inscribed to her, with poem, by Joyce: “in token of gratitude.”

For the collector, the significance of the inscribed copy is tremendous; not only do we have proof that this copy was actually once in the author’s hands, but it shows a personal glimpse as well — a phrase, a quote, an intimate message, a beautifully written script or an illegible scrawl. View our current selection.

TRAVEL. EXPLORE. DREAM.
“I had ambition not only to go farther than any man had ever been before, but as far as it was possible for a man to go.” —Captain James Cook
Homer dreamt of travel—and Odysseus set out across the sea. Lewis and Clark explored a continent—with well-thumbed books in their pockets. Mark Twain saw hope in a nation’s restless genius and swept Huck out into the swift currents of the Mississippi. Ernest Shackleton braved frozen worlds in a testimony to the human spirit. These stories are recorded for all time in the pages of great books. They are the legacy of those who dared to dream.

Join the adventure. Let us at Bauman Rare Books help you to build a collection of exceptional and valued books that will let you see into the past and dream of the future. Browse our current Rare Book Travel inventory.

An officer in His Majesty’s Secret Service during World War II, Fleming burst onto the literary scene in 1953 with the first in his series of spy novels, thrilling readers for over fifty years.

007 is the ultimate man of action, his high-stakes missions propelling him to exotic locales where he seduces exceptional (and exceptionally named) women. He bests some of literature’s most sinister masterminds and he does it all mixing glamour and grit, subterfuge and style.

The first editions of Bond’s adventures, like diamonds, are forever. And you don’t have to be richer than Goldfinger to start a collection. Call or visit us today to begin building a library whose value will never be shaken—but whose contents will surely leave you stirred. Browse our current Fleming selection.