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NY, Viking, 1961. His fourth book, third novel, a tale of an outcast seaman on a World War II troop ship. Inscribed by Matthiessen to his brother-in-law, Kennett Love. Love's ownership signature on front flyleaf and a couple pencilled notes, apparently in his hand, on the rear pastedown. A near fine copy in a very good, spine-sunned dust jacket with a couple closed tears at mid-spine. A nice association copy. [#016306] $750

London, Heinemann, (1962). The uncorrected proof copy of the first British edition of his third novel. Signed by the author. Matthiessen was one of the very few authors who has won the National Book Award for both fiction and nonfiction. His novel after this one, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, a National Book Award nominee, represented a significant jump from this book in terms of literary accomplishment. The book prior to this, Wildlife in America, started him on the path toward becoming one of our most highly regarded writers of natural history. This short novel, a tale of the sea that is reminiscent of Conrad, dates from an early period in Matthiessen's career and is uncommon even in the U.S. trade edition. This is the only copy of the British proof we have handled. Spine-sunned, else fine in wrappers. [#015912] $565

NY, Viking, (1978). A second printing of his first National Book Award winner, which recounts a trip to the Himalayas with naturalist George Schaller in the hopes both of encountering a snow leopard in the wild and of coming to terms with his wife's recent death from cancer. From Matthiessen's own library and with more than a dozen passages marked in pen by Matthiessen, all having to do with the porter and camp assistant Tuktken. There are a couple of other passages marked in pencil, with page notations in the prelims. Rear flyleaf excised, else a very good copy, lacking the dust jacket. [#032371] $565
On Sale: $396

London, Heinemann, (1952). Peter Matthiessen's copy, in which he has re-drafted his included story, "The Centrepiece." Roughly two dozen changes, in the space of ten pages, including a change in the ending. Matthiessen has written, on the flyleaf, "PM story edited in this volume." These changes were incorporated when the story was republished in the collection On the River Styx in 1989. Front hinge cracked, loss of color to spine extremities; a good copy, lacking the dust jacket, but for the front flap, which is laid in. [#032392] $490

Stamford, Virginia Jevne, 1960. Bound mimeograph of Ward's memoir of Bladensfield, a famed Virginia plantation, edited by Peter Matthiessen, himself one of the "children of Bladensfield": Ward was his great-great-aunt. This copy is from the library of Peter Matthiessen and has "Edited by Peter Matthiessen" handwritten on the title page; the editing of Ward's memoir is normally unattributed. A very good copy in wrappers. Together with the 1978 Viking edition, published with Matthiessen's essay "Homegoing." Foxed; near fine in a very good dust jacket. The mimeograph is an unusual edition we have not seen before, and this copy contains previously unknown bibliographic information, presumably. [#032395] $490

London, John Murray, 1956. Matthiessen's own copy, in which he has edited his story contribution. Covers darkened and creased, with small stains; a good copy in wrappers. As far as we can tell, this story was never reprinted so this author's copy is the only one to show these edits. [#032394] $375
On Sale: $244

NY/London, Harper/Secker & Warburg, 1954. Matthiessen's own copies of both the first edition and the first British edition of his first book, a novel, written while he was living in Paris, where he helped found the Paris Review. Unmarked, but both copies are from the library of the author. The American edition is mottled and foxed; a good copy only, in a fair dust jacket with several small chips and split unevenly at the front flap and the spine. The British edition is foxed and musty, a good copy, with portions of the dust jacket (front cover, front flap) laid in. [#032363] $375

NY, Harper & Brothers, (1954). The author's first novel, published just after he returned from Paris, where he helped found the Paris Review. This is the issue in blue cloth and black boards; the priority has not been determined so far. Signed by the author. The front flyleaf bears a small ink price and a penciled editorial comment: "A book by Mary Wheelwright's brother - Not too good, but light and interesting if you know him!" A touch of fading to the cloth at the crown; else fine in a very good, spine-tanned dust jacket with light chipping to the extremities and corners and rubbing at the folds. [#014544] $375

Stamford, Virginia Jevne, 1960. Bound mimeograph of Ward's memoir of Bladensfield; although unattributed, edited by Peter Matthiessen, himself one of the "children of Bladensfield," for whom Ward wrote this memoir, which focuses on her youth at the plantation during the Civil War years. This copy is from Matthiessen's library; some insect damage; good in wrappers. Together with the 1978 Viking edition, published with Matthiessen's essay "Homegoing." Near fine, lacking the dust jacket. Laid in is a letter to Matthiessen from David Winfred Gaddy, the co-author of a book on the Confederate Secret Service, which made mention of a James Carey, a Confederate spy who visited Bladensfield and is mentioned in Ward's memoir. Also laid in is a parchment reproduction of Lee's Farewell Address coupled with his letter to Jefferson Davis. [#032396] $375

(n.p.)/Athens, Self-Published/University of Georgia, 1980/2000. Two volumes: the original self-published paperback (Cracker in the Glade, 1980) and the expanded hardcover reissue (Crackers in the Glade, 2000), each describing the life of fishing guide and folk artist of the Everglades, Robert Storter. With Storter's artwork and with recollections by and about him, edited by Storter's granddaughter, Betty Savidge Briggs. The 1980 edition is signed by Storter; the 2000 edition is inscribed by Briggs and has a new foreword by Peter Matthiessen in which he says, among much praise, that Storter had provided him with the best description of "Mr. Watson" he had ever come across. (Matthiessen wrote the trilogy that began with Killing Mr. Watson, and would become the National Book Award winning Shadow Country.) The paperback is foxed on the covers and edges; very good. The hardcover is near fine in a near fine dust jacket, with an invitation to a book launch party laid in. The paperback is scarce; both editions are uncommon signed. [#033877] $375

Paris, Pierre Tisne, 1947. An overview of the Impressionist era, its painters and paintings, written by the head conservator of paintings at the Louvre, and heavily illustrated with black-and-white reproductions and a number of tipped-in color plates. Matthiessen's copy, with his signature, dated in Paris at Christmas, 1948, and with his markings, and a few notes, in the (French) text. Matthiessen was an undergraduate college student at Yale, spending his junior year abroad at the Sorbonne in 1948. Whether he studied this for a course or read it for his own edification is unknown. Heavily sunned, hinges cracked; a good copy, lacking the dust jacket. [#032389] $265

(London), Panther, (1964). Two copies of the first printing of the Panther paperback edition of Matthiessen's fourth book, third novel. Each copy has pages marked by Matthiessen -- one copy with two pages and the other with three -- indicating word changes or changes to sentence order. The Panther edition precedes the American Bantam paperback by a year (but the Bantam edition does not reflect these changes). Spine creased on both copies, one heavily; the other has a small upper corner chip. Each is about very good in wrappers. [#032364] $265

NY, Random House, (1997). The second novel in the trilogy that began with Killing Mr. Watson, based on a series of events in Florida at the turn of the last century and using the novel form to explore the settling and development of that frontier, with an awareness of the ecological implications of that development. Inscribed by Matthiessen to Mike [Geary], with "many thanks again for a great day." For reasons unknown to us, not given to Geary; from Matthiessen's own library. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#032352] $190

NY, Harper & Row, (1983). Matthiessen's copy, heavily highlighted in the first 200 pages (of this 600 page book, e.g. 1940s & 1950s). For the most part, the mention of the author himself in the text go unnoticed by Matthiessen, although he has highlighted passages about a number of other authors as well as those having to do with writing in general in that period, and criticism in particular. A very good copy, lacking the dust jacket. [#032411] $150

Southampton, Parrish Art Museum, (1995). The catalog of an exhibition, to which Matthiessen was one of the lenders ("Landscape: Summer, 1985"). Previously dampened; very good in wrappers. Laid in is a scrap signed by Pam [Lord], "Thanks so much, Pete!" The Lords and the Matthiessens were longtime friends and neighbors in eastern Long Island. [#032427] $150

Canoga Park, Orirana Press, (1979). A bibliography of Matthiessen's writings, covering the first 28 years of his writing career. One of 2000 copies. This copy is from the library of Peter Matthiessen, with Matthiessen's ownership signature on the front flyleaf. Near fine, with addendum slip laid in. [#032407] $150

NY, writer & Readers, (1996). A novel by the British artist, writer, journalist and filmmaker. Warmly inscribed by the author to Peter [Matthiessen], who provided a blurb for the rear of the dust jacket. Laid in is an autograph note signed by Porter, with additional thanks, and calling Matthiessen "instrumental" in getting the book published. Slight foxing to top edge, else fine in a fine dust jacket. [#032428] $150

NY, Farrar Straus Giroux, (2012). Seaver's memoir, focusing on Paris in the '50s and New York in the '60s, where he was a groundbreaking publisher and one of the key figures in promoting the writings of such avant garde authors as Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco, and in overturning decades of literary censorship by publishing, with Barney Rosset of Grove Press, such previously banned writers as D.H. Lawrence and Henry Miller. Posthumously published and edited by Seaver's wife, Jeannette. Inscribed by Jeannette Seaver to Peter [Matthiessen] and his wife: "Your friendship is so precious to me." Matthiessen appears twice in the text and has provided a blurb for the back of the dust jacket. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#032445] $150

NY, Viking, (1983). An author's copy of his controversial and suppressed book about the confrontation between American Indian activists and the FBI in the early Seventies at Pine Ridge Reservation near Wounded Knee that left two federal agents and one Indian dead, and resulted in AIM activist Leonard Peltier being imprisoned for life, convicted of the agents' murder in a case that Matthiessen describes as rife with government malfeasance. Matthiessen, his publisher, and even some bookstores who had stocked the book were the targets of lawsuits brought by two government officials who claimed they were slandered by the hard-hitting book, which made no bones about its advocacy of the Indians' case. Until a landmark Supreme Court decision upholding Matthiessen's (and Viking's) First Amendment rights, the book was shelved with remaining copies of it being pulped; paperback publication, as well as foreign publication, were blocked for nearly a decade. A significant volume, both for the incendiary nature of its content, as well as the First Amendment battle surrounding its publication and suppression. This copy is from Matthiessen's own library. A little Long Island foxing in evidence; near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Letter of provenance available. [#031447] $125

Norwalk, Easton Press, 1997. One of the author's own copies of the leatherbound limited edition of the second novel in the Watson Trilogy, which later became Shadow Country. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Shrink-wrapped. Fine. [#032013] $115

Shelburne, Chapters, (1994). First thus, a paperback edition of his 1973 book, which was itself taken from the text of his 1967 classic Shorebirds of North America. This is Matthiessen's own copy, with a handful of pages bracketed, as though for a reading, and one typo corrected in the epigraph. Near fine in wrappers. [#032383] $115

Paris, Garnier, (1937). Two volumes, rebound in leather. From the library of Peter Matthiessen, and stamped on the spine with the titles, volume number (I and II), "Paris," and the name "D. Love," Matthiessen's second wife. Leather drying on spine; about near fine. [#032387] $115

NY, Random House, (1982). The uncorrected proof copy. From the library of Peter Matthiessen and with his markings and a few notes in the text and on the rear cover, and with the author's address written in a different hand on the "About the Author" page. Several of Matthiessen's annotations mark passages referring to legendary Sioux leader Crazy Horse; Matthiessen's book about the Wounded Knee siege, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, was published the previous year. Very good in wrappers. [#032410] $115

Bristol, Ampersand, (1984). Matthiessen's first book of short fiction, a collection of stories that date from the Fifties and early Sixties. Printed by a small press at a college in Rhode Island. There were a few special copies being bound in hard covers for people involved with the project; but for the trade, this title was only issued in wrappers. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Near fine in wrappers. [#032016] $95

Wheaton, Quest Books, (1995). Inscribed by the author to Peter Matthiessen: "Thank you for endorsing my book. I hope to meet you some day." Matthiessen has a blurb on the front flap: "An unusually stimulating and exhilarating book, of profound value to those seeking to clarify the essential nature of everyday existence -- in short, all of us." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. [#032426] $95

Boulder, Johnson Books, (2003). An investigative account of an egregious case of environmental degradation and the poisoning of thousands of workers by the W.R. Grace Corporation in Libby, Montana, the site of a vermiculite mine that was heavily tainted with asbestos. From the library of Peter Matthiessen. With a two-paragraph blurb of advance praise from Matthiessen, and with a letter from the publisher laid in expressing gratitude and conveying that "of all the copies we sent out, your response [meant] the most to [Peacock]." Fine in wrappers. [#032439] $95

NY, Talese/Doubleday, (2008). His fourth novel. Warmly inscribed by the author to Peter [Matthiessen] who has provided a blurb for the dust jacket, calling the book "fascinating and moving" and "a rare novel, wonderfully researched and beautifully written." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. [#032442] $75

NY, Farrar Straus Giroux/Michael Di Capua, (1988). From the library of Peter Matthiessen. "Compliments of the Author" card laid in, along with a typed note signed by the publisher, Michael Di Capua, requesting comment. A Matthiessen blurb for Woiwode's earlier book, Poppa John, appears on the back of the dust jacket. Foxing to top edge; near fine in a near fine, internally foxed dust jacket. [#032415] $75

NY, Norton, (2012). From the library of Peter Matthiessen, who provided a blurb for the back of the dust jacket, in part: "...credit is at long last given to those who deserve it most." Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with just a crimp to the crown. [#032447] $75

London, Harvill Press, (2000). First thus, collecting The Tree Where Man Was Born; African Silences; and Sand Rivers, with an introduction by Matthiessen for this edition. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Near fine in wrappers. [#032005] $60