Search Results

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

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

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, 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

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

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

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

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

NY, Viking, 1961. Matthiessen's fourth book, third novel. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Foxing; offsetting to endpages; top stain faded. Very good in a very good dust jacket. [#032033] $60

Washington, D.C., National Geographic, (2003). The advance reading copy of this account of a trip through the islands surrounding Antarctica on a research vessel. An uncommon advance copy, this being from the author's own library. Covers rubbed; near fine in wrappers. [#033202] $50

San Anselmo, Audio Wisdom, 1999. A two-cassette, two-hour audio recording of an evening with Peter Matthiessen. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Still shrink-wrapped; fine. [#032065] $40

(NY), Dramatists Play Service, (1994). Pintauro's adaptation of Matthiessen's book of the same name, with "Peter" as the main character. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Near fine in stapled wrappers. [#032100] $40

NY, Random House, (2009). An oral biography of George Plimpton, in the words of his friends, relatives, and others. First printing of the paperback edition. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen, who has more than two dozen appearances in the text and in photographs. Near fine in wrappers. [#032443] $30

NY, Vintage, (1991). A paperback original of this collection of travel writing: Matthiessen's contribution is an excerpt from The Snow Leopard. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Very good in wrappers. [#032077] $20

London, Harvill, (1995). The first British paperback edition, published simultaneously with the hardcover. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Foxing to edges of the text block; near fine in wrappers. [#032006] $20

(NY), Ecco Press, (1989). A 39-page article by Matthiessen. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Near fine in wrappers. [#032073] $20

(Denville), (Buddhist Ray), (1993). An interview with Peter Matthiessen. Unmarked, but from Matthiessen's library. Near fine. [#032080] $20

Milan, Corriere, 1956. First Italian edition of his second novel, Partisans (here, Ghosts in Paris). Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Slanted, joints rubbed, minor foxing; very good in wrappers. [#032030] $20

NY, Venture, 1964. Matthiessen, on inadvertent travels with a Baptist fundamentalist and a Lebanese Catholic of Freemason and Protestant descent. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Also includes Kurt Vonnegut's "So You've Never Been to Barnstable?" A hardcover periodical. Near fine. [#032068] $20

(Paris), Gallimard, (1983). First thus, a French paperback edition of his National Book Award-winning volume, recounting 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. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Paperclip and mark front cover; staple to first blank; near fine in wrappers. [#032049] $20

Rome, Mondadori, 1952. A short story by Matthiessen. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Sunned, foxed, a few stains and a crease to the spine. Good in wrappers. [#032066] $20

(NY), (Society for the Study of Myth and Tradition), (1981). Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Near fine in wrappers. [#032070] $20

Garden City, Doubleday, 1958. Includes "Travelin Man" by Matthiessen -- which was made into an award-winning Luis Bunuel film -- and "The Stone Boy" by Gina Berriault, later made into a powerful movie with Robert Duvall. Spine cocked; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with minor edgewear, particularly at the spine crown. A nice copy. [#015643] $20

[Paris], Stock, (1962). First thus, a French edition of Matthiessen's fourth book, third novel. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Abrasions to front cover; very good in wrappers. [#032037] $20

(NY), Dell, (1965). First thus, the Dell paperback edition of Matthiessen's fourth book, third novel. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Spotting to foredge; near fine in wrappers. [#032036] $20

NY, (Dell)/Delta, (1971). First thus, the Delta paperback edition of Matthiessen's account of Cesar Chavez and the struggles of the United Farm Workers to form a migrant workers' union to end the dramatic exploitation of temporary farm labor that was so prevalent in the 1960s and 70s. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Very good in wrappers. [#032040] $20

(Denville), (Buddhist Ray), (1993). Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. Near fine. [#032078] $20

NY, Random House, (1990). Includes an excerpt from "Killing Mr. Watson" by Peter Matthiessen. Very Good in wrappers. [#706327] $20

NY, Dutton/Obelisk, (1983). The first printing of this Dutton paperback edition, without Eliot Porter's photography. Unmarked, but from the library of Peter Matthiessen. First few pages loose; very good in wrappers. [#032059] $20