We guarantee the authenticity and completeness of all items (unless otherwise described), and are happy to provide a certificate to this effect. All items can be assumed to be in good condition, with any defects being described in our description.
We guarantee the authenticity and completeness of all items (unless otherwise described), and are happy to provide a certificate to this effect. All items can be assumed to be in good condition, with any defects being described in our description.
Adam Blakeney writes –
‘I sometimes equate Graham Greene with milk, truly! And I’m not talking about oat milk either.
Here’s why: it’s a staple. In the field of modern literature collecting – particularly in England - his works are, for many people a starting point. And the reasons for THAT are cognate with that which makes all manner of authors and subjects collectable.
First and foremost – he’s popular. He wrote in numerous fields, from mystery to thriller, from travel to drama, was filmed, wrote children’s books, wrote about politics and humour. That’s a wide net. And books in general are a wide net. There’s a book for everyone in this world, you know.
And then he’s obtainable. And to start with for not much money. Masterpieces like The Comedians or The Quiet American, or Our Man in Havana can be had for low hundreds of pounds. And many of the later books can bought for tens of pounds in lovely condition to boot. Even the mighty early works like Brighton Rock or A Gun For Sale can be found (sans dust jackets, of course) for perfectly affordable prices.
Which brings me on to a third factor. And this is key: he is very hard to complete. And that implies the chase, the hunt, the quest. For what on earth is the point of being a collector of something easily obtainable? Then you’re not a collector, you are merely a buyer. So with Greene – you could search for years and only hear whispered mentions of After Two Years, or For Christmas. Mercy – even I’ve only seen those two books twice! And then even the best heeled collectors have to wait for their chance of a fine dust jacket on A Gun For Sale, of a beautiful Journey Without Maps, or the correct first (in the right jacket!) of Stanboul Train!
All these factors are true to a lesser or greater degree for all species of book collecting. And that brings me back to the milk. It would be easy – seeing how often you find milk in every store – to imagine it never sells. Whereas the truth is that like books, they come and go in droves. You buy a bunch and they sell and you look round and they’ve gone. Right now we happen to be on the upswing, having lately acquired a few runs of his works and some especially good inscribed works. Real ones! With real associations. And soon, if the trend continues they will have gone. Just saying!’
Discover more: Graham Greene
Shapero Rare Books is an internationally renowned dealer in London, specialising in antiquarian & rare books and works on paper, with particular expertise in fine illustrated books from the 15th to the 20th century, travel & voyages, natural history, modern firsts, rare children’s books, guidebooks, Hebraica & Judaica, Eastern European, and Islamica.
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Presentation copy. First edition with the author's signed presentation inscription to the front free endpaper, 'To Marcelle with love & thanks ...
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Presentation copy. The first English language edition, preceded by a translation in Swedish published by P.A. Norstedt & Soners in the previous...
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First edition. The first edition, published in New York, of Greene's (1904-1991) classic murder-thriller Brighton Rock. The original pictorial dust...
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First edition of this post-war collection of stories, uncommon in the dustjacket. Stories include 'The Basement Room', subsequently filmed memorab...
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Inscribed by Greene to the author Paul Gallico. This first English language edition, was preceded by a translation in Swedish published by P.A. Nor...
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A beautifully crafted novel portraying the intricate machinations and agonies of an illicit affair and possible divine intervention; a semi-auto-b...
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Presentation copy. Author's signed presentation inscription to the front free endpaper, 'For Ragnar & Greta (my collaborator) with love from Gr...
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First edition, first impression; original red cloth-backed green boards, titles to spine gilt, green topstain, illustrated endpapers, with the dus...
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Author's corrected copy with autograph revisions. The revisions include the changing of 'Gare de l'Ouest' to 'Gare Montparnasse' on several pages; ...
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Something of a Greene curioso, albeit very much in line with the author's personal preoccupations and interests. Nino Caffè was an Italian painter...
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The inscription reads: 'For Ralph & Mur, with love from Graham. Christmas 1960.' Ralph Richardson's bookplate is below the inscription. The bo...
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The great thing about collecting books is that they were produced as multiples giving lots of collectors a chance to own a copy. To distinguish between copies the most desirable factors are condition and provenance and for me the greatest...
In anticipation of the approaching London Antiquarian book fairs, this May, we are spotlighting rare African exploration works. Featured, are four first editions, with inscriptions linking them to historical figures, enhancing their collectability.
Join us as we journey through time to discover some of the rarest books in the world. The following texts have shown an extraordinary ability to survive, with some books having survived the ravages of flood and fire, and others counting only a single surviving copy.
The public perception of the East India Company, an organisation which was to become one of Britain's most notorious colonial ventures, was mediated by a collective of artists. Diplomatic wrangling, imperial posturing, trade and warfare became the subjects of a significant artistic movement, aimed at depicting and dissecting the Company’s involvement in the political and social life of the period.
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