On February 20, 2012, people across America will celebrate Presidents Day, a holiday commemorating the leaders who have built the country. Though the day honors all presidents, it was originally intended to recognize George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Presidents as Authors
Presidents are famously men of letters: educated, erudite, and charismatic. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and other founding fathers established their reputation by contributing to beautifully written documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Modern presidents have followed that literary tradition, writing books that capture not only their own experiences, but also the evolution of a nation.
Herbert Hoover completely eschewed writing about his life as president, opting instead to write about his favorite pastime in Fishing for Fun and to Wash Your Soul.
Gerald Ford is the author of the most diverse works; he not only wrote the autobiography A Time to Heal, but also the much lighter fare, Humor and the Presidency.
Bill Clinton took up the pen to write My Life and Giving¸ both of which have remained popular.
President Barack Obama has already joined the ranks of presidential authors with The Audacity of Hope and Of Thee I Sing.
Numerous other luminaries, including first ladies and world leaders, have contributed to our understanding of US presidents and our country. These books make exceptional additions to the personal library.
The nominations are in, and “Hugo” tops the list with 11 Academy Award nominations. The film, directed by Martin Scorsese, earned nominations for best film and best director. It is one more example of books’ inspiring movies we love!
Already an Award-Winning Story
“Hugo” is based on the 2007 book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which won the Caldecott Medal in 2008. Written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, it was the first novel to earn the honor. The book has 533 page, which include 284 illustrations. Selznick says The Invention of Hugo Cabret is “not exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things.”
Selznick drew inspiration from the life of French filmmaker Georges Méliès. Méliès had an extensive collection of automata, or wind-up figures, though these have long since been lost or sold. The filmmaker died without having made his fortune, even though his films were exceptionally popular in the United States. Selznick also chose to set the book in a Paris railway station because Méliès actually had a booth there—his door is one of the illustrations in the novel.
In the book, Méliès is godfather to Isabelle, who accompanies the orphaned Hugo on most of his adventures. The 12-year-old Hugo works in a busy Paris rail station as a clock keeper. The beauty of the illustrations and the ingenuity of the story made the novel an easy choice for a movie adaptation, and there’s even talk of a French television series based on the novel.
As the movie has garnered so much attention, the book has once again found a well deserved place in the spotlight. Signed first editions will make exceptional additions for collectors who focus on movie tie-ins, Caldecott winners, or children’s books. What’s your favorite book that has found its way to the big screen? And what are your predictions for the Academy Awards?
This month Tom Cruise has been making headlines as Ethan Hunt in the latest “Mission Impossible” movie. But before “Mission Impossible,” another famous spy arrested our imagination: James Bond. The dashing and debonair 007 was the creation of Ian Fleming, who has earned a reputation as a legendary author.
Inspiration in Action
Fleming got his start as a journalist, but later entered the British Royal Navy as an intelligence officer. It was here that he gained experience in the world of espionage. Fleming’s first appointment was as a personal assistant to Rear Admiral John Godfrey, who was the Director of Naval Intelligence. Though Fleming had no real qualifications for the position, it proved an excellent fit, and he quickly grew into the role.
Fleming later worked with Godfrey, Colonel “Wild Bill” Donovan, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt to coordinate information among various intelligence agencies, including the US agency that eventually evolved into the CIA. That experience prepared Fleming for Operation Golden Eye, an endeavor to secure an intelligence framework in Spain if the country were taken over by Germany.
Transition to Authorship
Before Fleming ever had aspirations of authorship, he was an unabashed bibliophile who began building an extensive personal library in 1929. Fleming concentrated heavily on books about science and technology, though he also collected other “books that made things happen.” His wide reading is often evident in his own work.
In 1942, Fleming visited Jamaica and determined that he’d build a home there after World War II ended. Three years later, Fleming named his estate Goldeneye, not only after his own eponymous military operation, but also after Carson McCullers’ Reflections in a Golden Eye. He didn’t set about writing his own novel until 1952.
The manuscript for Fleming’s first novel, Casino Royale, took Fleming only a few months to write. He was reluctant to share the novel because, as he told close friend William Plomer, “the element suspense is completely absent.”
Fleming himself designed the original cover art for Casino Royale, and the book sold out in the UK in less than a month. Subsequent printings remained equally popular.
The real James Bond was a British ornithologist who authored Birds of the West Indies. The book attained world fame as Fleming, a birdwatcher himself, chose the name of its author for the spy hero of Casino Royale, as he was looking for a name as “ordinary as possible.” A reference to this connection pops up in the 2002 adaptation of “Die Another Day,” which stars Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry (watcha clip here).
Fleming’s brother Peter provided significant inspiration for James Bond’s character. Peter served as an intelligence officer behind the lines in Norway and Greece.
From 1953 to 1964, Fleming wrote a new Bond novel every year during his annual holiday in Jamaica. By 1966, twelve novels and two short-story collections had been published. The last two (Man with the Golden Gunand Octopussy and the Living Daylights) were published after Fleming’s death.
Only Bond’s first five novels received positive reviews from critics. The tides began to turn with Dr. No, which received extremely harsh criticism from a number of prominent reviewers. Despite the reviews, Fleming’s work remained wildly popular among readers.
To date, Ian Fleming’s Bond books are some of the most popular fiction books of all time; they have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Seven different actors have played James Bond, and the character still continues to capture our imagination.
Charles Dickens has inspired generations of writers, readers, and book lovers. Born in 1812, Dickens earned the reputation of preeminent novelist of the Victorian era. His contributions to literature mean that Charles Dickens’ books remain incredibly appealing to rare book collectors. Bet you didn’t know these tidbits about Charles Dickens:
Dickens’ novels and stories first appeared in monthly or serial format. Most authors of his day would write entire novels, and publish sections at a time. Dickens, on the other hand, wrote each episode as he went along.
His novels and short stories are so popular that they have never gone out of print.
Dickens’ father, John, was a notorious spendthrift who eventually ended up in debtors’ prison. The rest of the family soon joined him–with the exception of 12-year-old Charles, who went to live with an old family friend.
Dickens was eventually forced to leave school and take a job in a blacking factory. He worked ten-hour days in often cruel conditions. Dickens’ experience there formed the foundation of Dickens’ opinions on labor and socioeconomic conditions.
For almost four years, Dickens served as a court reporter. That inside look at the court system informed novels like Dombey and Son. It also provided Dickens’ contemporaries with an enlightening glimpse at how England’s court system really worked.
Dickens met his first love, Maria Beadnell, in 1830. Her parents disapproved of Dickens and sent Maria to boarding school in Paris. Most scholars agree that Maria was the inspiration behind Dora in David Copperfield.
When Dickens published his first work, Sketches by Boz, he certainly chose an odd pseudonym. Dickens had nicknamed his brother “Moses,” which when pronounced through the nose, sounds like “Boses.” Boz was the shortened version of this nickname.
For years, Dickens’ full pseudonym was “The Inimitable Boz.” Eventually he dropped “Boz” and was known simply as “The Inimitable.”
Dickens, an avid abolitionist, made his first visit to the US in 1842. He carefully documented the atrocities of slavery. Dickens also visited President John Tyler.
In May 1846, Dickens undertook to establish a home for “fallen women” at the behest of Angela Burdett Coutts. He became extremely active in daily operations, and even interviewed potential residents personally.
In 1858, Dickens separated from his wife, Catherine, with whom he had ten children. He embarked on an ambitious reading tour, sometimes doing both matinee and evening performances.
Dickens burned virtually all his personal correspondence in September 1860, ostensibly to destroy evidence of his affair with Ellen Ternan. Ternan received an annuity from Dickens when he died, and it is hypothesized that the two had a child who died in infancy.
Dickens exercised an odd obsession with the paranormal. He was one of the early members of The Ghost Club, an organization devoted to investigation of paranormal activity.
Collectors of Charles Dickens rely on the definitive bibliography compiled by John C. Eckel in 1932.
This week the 2011 winners of the Nobel Prize are unveiled. Alfred Nobel, for whom the Prize is named, specified that prizes be awarded in several different disciplines: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Peace, Economics, and of course Literature. Nobel’s own interest in literature began in childhood, and the contents of his personal library are quite impressive.
While the other Nobel Prizes are announced every year in early October, the Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded later. The first prize was awarded in 1901, and since then 107 people have earned the award. And you’re right; those numbers don’t add up! That’s because in some years, the prize has been shared, while in others no Nobel Prize was awarded for Literature. Nobel stipulated that if no nominated works fit the criteria for the prize, then no prize should be awarded.
Nobel Trivia
The Nobel Prize in Literature has an incredibly rich history. A few interesting facts about the prize:
The prize has been shared four times:
1904 – Frédéric Mistral, José Echegaray
1917 – Karl Gjellerup, Henrik Pontoppidan
1966 – Shmuel Agnon, Nelly Sachs
1974 – Eyvind Johnson, Harry Martinson
The youngest Nobel laureate in Literature was Rudyard Kipling, who was only 42 years old when he earned the prize in 1907.
Doris Lessing was the oldest winner. She was 88 years old when she won the prize.
The first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature was Selma Lagerlöf. She was later nominated to the Swedish Academy to select Nobel Prize winners.
Only two people have ever declined the award. Boris Pasternak accepted the prize in 1958, but was “later caused by the authorities of his country (Soviet Union) to decline the Prize.” Jeal Paul Sartre also declined in 1964 because he declined all official recognition.
The prize has been awarded posthumously twice: first to Erick Axel Karlfeldt in 1931, and to Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961, The Nobel Foundation stipulated in 1974 that prizes not be awarded posthumously, unless the winner dies after the winner has been selected.
Want to watch the Nobel Prize announcements unfold? Watch them live right here! Then take a moment to browse our selection of literature by Nobel laureates.
“A novel is balanced between a few true impressions and the multitude of false ones that make up most of what we call life.” So spoke Saul Bellow, one of the greatest American authors of the twentieth century. Rare book collectors have consistently been interested in Bellow’s works, and that interest will only grow as his books get more scarce over time.
Bellow entered the American literature scene in 1947 with Dangling Man. Though reviewers criticized the novel’s lack of definitive plot, they also noted that the book wonderfully captured the character and challenges of the American intellectual during the Great Depression.
Bellow published his second novel, The Victim, later that same year. These two first novels are considered Bellow’s “apprentice works.” First editions tend to be more scarce not only because fewer copies were printed in the first place. Dangling Man’s wartime printing meant cheaper materials that have not withstood the test of time very well.
Bellow established his literary prowess with The Adventures of Augie March (1954), which later won the National Book Award. Bellow won the award twice more, with Herzog (1965) and with Mr. Sammler’s Planet (1971). He went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Humboldt’s Gift (1976). These award-winning novels are easier for collectors to find. They fetch a premium if they’re in exceptional condition or are inscribed by Bellow.
Meanwhile Bellow also ventured into play writing. His 1965 Last Analysis is considered an excellent addition to any Bellow collection, although it can be difficult to find. He also penned numerous short stories. By his death in 2005, Bellow had published 14 novels and novellas; four short-story collections; a memoir (To Jerusalem and Back, 1976); and an essay collection (It All Adds Up, 1994).
Following Bellow’s death, executors of his estate collaborated with Evelyn Stefannson Nef to establish the PEN/Saul Bellow Award. The award is granted to a “distinguished living American author of fiction whose body of work in English possesses the qualities of excellence, ambition, and scale of achievement over a sustained career which place him or her in the highest rank of American literature.” In 2007, Bellow’s colleague Philip Roth was named the first winner.
In 2010 Bellow’s friend and fellow author Benjamin Taylor published Saul Bellow: Letters. The anthology of Bellow’s correspondence earned widespread acclaim for capturing Bellow’s life so beautifully.
The University of Illinois has an outstanding Bellow collection of over 900 volumes. Dr. Joe Walker Kraus curates the collection. Dr. Kraus’ dedication to Bellow illustrates the devotion so common among Bellow enthusiasts and collectors. Interest in his work has grown over time, and his books promise to remain popular among rare book collectors in the future.
Saul Bellow’s status as a Nobel laureate also places him in the illustrious company of other renowned authors like Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Doris Lessing. We offer one of the most extensive collections of rare books by Nobel Prize-winning authors. How do these legendary authors figure into your collection?
Julian Sands’ one-man show recently closed in Edinburgh, and in September it will head on national tour. Directed by none other than John Malkovich, the play’s subject may surprise you: poet and playwright Harold Pinter.
Pinter asserted himself not only as an author, but also as an actor and political activist. The recipient of 18 honorary degrees, Pinter won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005. Horace Engdahl, Chairman of the Swedish Academy, described Pinter as an artist “who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression’s closed rooms.”
Long before his literary career began in 1957 with The Room, Pinter had stood out as an exemplary student of English and literature—and as an actor. He played both Romeo and Macbeth in the late 1940’s. In 1950, his first poem was published outside of school magazines.
Despite favorable reviews Pinter’s second play, The Birthday Party, was performed only eight times. However he later adapted the play for the screen, as he later did with The Homecoming and Betrayal. It was not until 1960, with The Caretaker, that Pinter found commercial success.
Why Collectors Love Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter’s wide variety of literary interests affords collectors the same wide variety of collecting opportunities.
Pinter’s beautiful poetry lends itself well to fine press editions. The 2002 Enitharmon edition of The Disappeared and Other Poems features particularly lovely illustrations by Tony Bevan.
Pinter frequently teamed up with other directors and screenwriters. For example, he famously worked with both film director Joseph Losey and Proust scholar Barbara Bray to write The Proust Screenplay: À La Recherche Du Temps Perdu. These collaborations make Pinter’s work relevant to a diverse group of enthusiasts.
Pinter’s relationship with his second wife, Lady Antonia Fraser, inspired sweet, gentle poetry. The books he gave her also make for lovely association copies.
Karnac issued wonderful limited first editions of many of Pinter’s works. The red and black cloth editions feature gold embossed lettering
Last week Frida Kahlo’s copy of Edgar Allan Poe sold at auction for $24,000. Why was the rather tattered copy so valuable? Kahlo filled the book with artistic marginalia. The price of this book reflects the value of association copies, that is, books that are affiliated with a famous person or someone close to the author.
Frida Kahlo's doodles vastly increased the value of her copy of The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe.
So why all this fuss over association copies? Collectors value association copies for a variety of reasons. Association copies are more personal than signed or anonymously inscribed copies, providing a glimpse into the author or owner’s life and environment. They can also illustrate relationships between the author and the author’s family, friends, and colleagues. Here’s a look at some of the notable association copies from our collection:
Umberto Eco inscribed a limited edition of Filosofi In Libertà for his bibliographer, James Contursi. This is one of many different books Eco inscribed for Contursi.
Both Cornelia Funke and her translator Anthea Bell inscribed an advance reader’s edition of Inkspell for award-winning author Shar Levine.
Budd Schulberg inscribed a first edition of What Makes Sammy Run? “to two of his dearest friends in all this world,” Joaquin and Karin Godoy.
Thomas Harris inscribed first editions of both Black Sunday and Red Dragon for the mother of a childhood friend.
We’ve recently been lucky enough to acquire a beautiful collection of Edgar Rice Burroughs books. Best known for his Tarzan novels, Burroughs was one of the most prolific authors of the early 20th century. His sci-fi and fantasy novels inspired a generation of writers, artists, producers, and even scientists.
A Bit about Burroughs
After graduating from the Michigan Military Academy, Burroughs enlisted in the Army. He was discharged due to a heart condition and found himself working a string of low-level jobs. Burroughs eventually took a job with his father’s firm, but after seven years of earning low wages, it was time to move on.
Burroughs took a job as a pencil sharpener wholesaler, where he found himself with plenty of time on his hands. That’s when he began reading pulp fiction magazines. Burroughs quickly realized that “…if people were paid for writing rot such as I read in some of those magazines, that I could write stories just as rotten. As a matter of fact, although I had never written a story, I knew absolutely that I could write stories just as entertaining and probably a whole lot more so than any I chanced to read in those magazines.”
What soon followed was Burroughs’ first work, Under the Moons of Mars, which was serialized. He later published it as a novel, with the title A Princess on Mars. Over the next 40 years, Burroughs went on to write over 70 novels, including the following series:
Barsoom series: The setting of this series is the planet Barsoom, a romanticized version of Mars. The series earned Burroughs the honor of a crater named after him on the red planet.
Tarzan series: After the Tarzan series gained popularity, Burroughs defied popular wisdom and used the character in comic books and other spin-offs. Burroughs even named his California ranch “Tarzana,” and it later grew into a town of the same name.
Pellucider series: Set at the core of Earth, the Pellucider series Burroughs envisions the earth as a hollow shell, with the world of Pellucider at its center. Its continents mirror the world’s oceans, and its bodies of water mirror the seven continents.
Venus series: The protagonist of the Venus series sets out for Mars, only to land on Venus. The planet turns out to be a water world whose human-like inhabitants call the planet Amtor.
Caspak series: After a series of unfortunate events, the hero Bowen Tyler finds himself in the land of Caprona, where dinosaurs still roam and the inhabitants are still in various stage of hominid development.
Burroughs also wrote multiple historical and Western novels, along with other jungle adventures not featuring Tarzan. Many of his books were first published in serial form, including the works in the Moon series. The definitive bibliography of Burroughs’ works, by Robert B. Zeuschner, is an indispensible tool for anyone who plans to assemble an outstanding Burroughs collection.
Our Edgar Rice Burroughs collection includes wonderful first editions of many of Burroughs works. If you’d like to see some of his well-known works or discover new favorites, we invite you to peruse the collection.
Last week, JK Rowling finally let fans on the secret: the much anticipated Pottermore would not be a Harry Potter game, but rather an interactive website. The site means that avid Potter fans can continue to enjoy the series, even without new books to read.
Rowling said that she has no plans to write any more Harry Potter books, but she will be sharing plenty of “bonus material” through Pottermore. She has over 18,000 words of background information and special details about Harry’s world to share.
The purpose of Pottermore is to create a “safe and friendly” place where fans can share Harry Potter content they create on their own, said Rowling. This novel approach to fan interaction represents an exciting opportunity for readers.
Meanwhile, Pottermore will also be the only place to get Harry Potter e-books. These will be released one at a time. The site will launch July 31 to one million registered beta users. The full launch will happen in October. (For collectible first editions and signed Harry Potter books, check out our selection!)
Hear more of what Rowling had to say about Pottermore:
