Thomas Jefferson was arguably the greatest of all American book collectors. His first collection became the nucleus of the Library of Congress, after the original was destroyed by fire. But after selling his library to Congress, he found that he could not be without his books—so he set about building another library from scratch. He devoured books, recommended them to friends and colleagues zealously, and “spared no pains, opportunity, or expense” to acquire more. According to Arthur Bestor, his collections and his painstaking organization of them form “a blueprint of his own mind.”

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 authentic interpreter of Machiavelli is the whole of later history.” —Lord Acton”

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.

“One Of The Supreme Utterances Of The Principles Of Democratic Freedom”

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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“A Blueprint Of His Own Mind”

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.

A book can be the product of an obsessive drive for knowledge and a descent—for months or even years—into a sort of madness. T.E. Lawrence went to the desert, becoming Lawrence of Arabia and eventually writing Seven Pillars of Wisdom. John James Audubon set out to catalogue the birds of America in painstaking detail and created, at great personal cost, the finest plate book ever made. Thomas McKenney, George Catlin and Edward Curtis were each driven to preserve the history of the Native Americans before their way of life vanished. Each produced magnificently illustated epic works that constitute our only remaining records of many tribes. Richard Burton and Ernest Shackleton were similarly in thrall to consuming spirits of adventure, writing of everything from swords to dog-sledding, infiltrating the Hajj to navigating the ice of the South Polar Ocean. Wherever their seemingly mad quests took them, Bauman Rare Books can help you follow, pointing you toward rare books so beautiful and captivating that you may well develop an obsession of your own.

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.

“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”
—Winston Churchill

Some have led us into battle; others have guided nations and empires through their births, in their darkest hours, or to their greatest moments. And some have led by example, whether by persevering through adversity in the Antarctic or by quietly defying injustice on a Montgomery bus. Their courage has inspired us; their ideas have changed history.

Now it’s up to you to help pass on their legacies. Build a collection around the leaders who most inspire you. Our expert staff can help you to rediscover their courageous voices, captured in books and documents that will last for generations.

The items listed in our mini catalogue represent just a small selection of our offerings. Download our catalogue to begin building a valuable and enduring monument to history’s finest men and women: your own library.

“I will leave judgements on this matter to history – but I will be one of the historians.” – Winston Churchill

“In War: Resolution. In Defeat: Defiance. In Victory: Magnanimity. In Peace: Good Will.” Churchill penned his monumental six-volume History of the Second World War only a few years after the war’s end, including in it details privy only to him as Prime Minister, and offering his singular observations and memories of the people and events that shaped the course of history.

While he has published a number of books prior to the war, this was the work that would seal his literary reputation. Published separately from 1948-1954, the six volumes in Churchill’s masterpiece achieved immediate popularity in both Britain and the United States and earned Churchill the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. We offer a fine six-volume set of first editions, handsomely bound in morocco-gilt. Browse our current inventory.

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” (Constitution, Article II).

A reluctant if inevitable choice for the presidency, George Washington had hoped he might find some way to decline. After his brilliant leadership, however, any successor’s road to the nation’s highest office seemed as unsteady as America’s place in history. With the course of a presidential election eloquently described by Jefferson as a “bloodless revolution,” America’s leaders stand at the center of its very identity—even if, as Abigail Adams wisely pointed out, their election comes after the course of a “whole year” in which its citizens seem to hear “nothing else but abuse and scandal.”

As America prepares to choose its next president, Bauman Rare Books is especially privileged to offer this select group of important presidential books, speeches, treaties, correspondence, photographs and more. In the words of Lincoln, Madison, Grant, Reagan, Kennedy, Truman, Jackson, Clinton, FDR, Carter, Nixon, Wilson, Monroe and others—found in these exceptional items—we find confirmation of the ongoing strengths and difficult choices of America’s leaders, as well as affirmation of the “bloodless revolution” that continues to steadfastly author our future. Browse our inventory.

Why collect children’s classics? There is the familiarity of a beloved book that impressed us in our earliest years, the images that stir our recognition, the words and phrases that resonate in our memories. We carry so many of those first-loved, often best-loved books with us for a lifetime, and when we choose to approach them as a collector would, a fascinating world opens up.

Often not printed in large quantities, these first editions survived more perilous paths than many other books, as they usually ended up in children’s hands, where they were read, carried, dropped, drawn upon, tossed, clutched and loved.

These first editions have survived the vagaries of time because they were treasured, and in collecting them, we keep them safe for yet another generation. There is a tremendous pleasure in devoting one’s time, focus and energy to collecting such wonderful classics, and we invite you, in the books that follow, to rediscover the books you loved in your earliest years.