Books 4: Signed books

 Arthur Barker 1963.

Colin Wilson's 4th novel

He often inscribed his books to friends, and this one clearly shows that the dustjacket image is by Colin Wilson himself

Hodder 1961

John Burke was a proific writer of original fiction, but also made a very good living out of novelisations of current movies,

Bryan Forbes produced the movie the book was based on. It is signed to a friend and fellow dealer from our eighties heyday

Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1968

One of the great works of the new journalism 

Evocative contemporary  reference

Gauntlett Publications 1998

20th anniversary edition of a very interesting book

Matheson, Bloch and Bradbury - the three great post war pulp writers

Simon and Schuster 1972

Not one of his major works, but a good psycho killer story

Hart-Davis 1954

Legendary book, although not a personal favourite

The great man himself

W H Allen 1959

One of the key books from the golden age of the kitchen sink.

I met him at a film event  in Norwich  and couldn't resist the opportunity

Houghton Mifflin 1929

Autobiography of a genuine Hollywood Legend. Very rare dustjacket

Magnificent inscription to another of the Hollywood elite

Empire Publishing 1988 

500 copies only

One of the iconic cowboy heroes to the post war generation of boys. You had to be there at the time to appreciate what a star he was to us

Private printing 1994

One of the great post war pulp and comic illustrators who helped shape our imagination

Self printed 1971

The only Superman for me

The last great serial King

Algonquin Books 2006

He came out of the closet with this book

Made a reasonable job of pop singing and acting, but was created, like many others, by the teenage market that dominated the late fifties

'Sutter's Gold' Harper 1926

Found in a box of miscellaneous books bought at auction

A little detective work revealed a treasure.

Jean Hersholt was a major actor in Hollywood with a lead role in 'Greed' as a highlight; this a Christmas present to Herbert Brenon

Hersholt was a dedicated bibliophile and probably haunted this store

Herbert Brenon was a leadingParamount director during the silent era, another dedicated bibliophile and a great friend of Jean Hersholt.

Marvel Comics 1976

The great Stan Lee

Stan was Silver Age, I was Golden Age when it came to US comics, but I recognise that he shaped the culture that persists to the present day

Third Volume 1997 of an essential series of books.

John Hart was 'The Lone Ranger' in the 1950s TV series , replacing Clayton Moore

One of the great feature players who appeared in 100s of films and serials and TV shows.

This was John Hart's personal copy, with the note from his wife Beryl, an actress herself in the 1950s

Allen and Unwin 1957

One of the leading pioneers of British cinema, and a very important figure in cinema history, although his name is little known today

I bought this and much more from the estate of Michael Pointer, professional cinema writer

Calder 1963

First UK edition and translation of what became the iconic New Wave movie

Ian McShane met Suzan Farmer on the set of his first film 'The Wild and the Willing' in 1962. They became a couple and later married, and at some point Ian gave this book to Suzan. It is signed by both.

Arrow paperback 1994

Became the classic movie

Hollywood novel. Only edition 1975.

Bodeen was an accomplished writer in Hollywood for nearly 4 decades, and wrote some of Val Lewton's masterpieces. This is his only novel, a Hollywood roman a clef, but the writing is surprisingly pedestrian.

His familiar scrawl

Signed to Kingsley Canham, film writer and long time director of Norwich's Cinema City.

Published in 1967 by the leader of the legendary "Bowery Boys". Only 1000 privately printed copies and very rare.

I I hooked up with Leo's daughter Brandy online and we had a lovely conversation about her father and what he meant to us kids in the 1950s. The family had found some unsold copies on the estate and she sent me a signed copy.

In 2004 his son Leo had published a reprint, also 1000 copies, and I bought a copy from the States, signed by Leo Jr, also rare.

Every word written by Leo Gorcey, and a blistering confessional

American First edition 1939

Sgned by the Master