Books & Vines Re-Launch: Private/Fine Press News for 2019
After a two year hiatus, I would like to welcome you to a re-launched Books and Vines. Plenty of articles are in the works for the coming months to highlight recent release private/fine press publications while continuing our march through some of the greatest works in private press history (see the ‘Upcoming Reviews’ section for details). Look for the first review article in the coming … Continue reading Books & Vines Re-Launch: Private/Fine Press News for 2019
Memoirs of a Fox-hunting Man, by Siegfried Sassoon, Limited Editions Club (1977)
Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967) is best known as one of the leading poets of the First World War. Sassoon enlisted in the Army for the war, though soon became horrified at the realities he witnessed. He protested against the continuation of the war which landed him in a military psychiatric hospital, where he was to meet and become a mentor to Wilfred Owen. His strong and public anti-war actions were courageous and should be … Continue reading Memoirs of a Fox-hunting Man, by Siegfried Sassoon, Limited Editions Club (1977)
The History of Oliver and Arthur, Riverside Press (1903)
The History of Oliver and Arthur is a charming mediaeval romance known to us through a 1521 German translation by Wilhelm Liely from the Old French (which in turn was likely based on a Latin original from even earlier). Liely’s work, only a few specimens of which are known to exist today, includes his translation of a better known tale, Valentine and Orson, along with Oliver and … Continue reading The History of Oliver and Arthur, Riverside Press (1903)
Winter, The Salvage Press (2016)
{Ed Note: This article is from Books and Vines contributor dlphcoracl, and includes photos of two editions of the work from dlphcoracl and myself. I have had the pleasure of meeting Jamie Murphy a couple times and am thrilled to finally have work of his in my collection. As you will see in this article, his work is outstanding!} Winter is the most recent publication from The … Continue reading Winter, The Salvage Press (2016)
Carmen, by Prosper Merimee, Limited Editions Club (1941)
Prosper Mérimée (1803-1870) was a French writer best known for Carmen, a splendid edition of which from the Limited Editions Club (LEC) being reviewed here. Mérimée was quite an accomplished man: he was fluent in five languages, he was the first translator of various works of Russian literature in France (including works from Pushkin, Gogol and Turgenev), and was an accomplished archaeologist and historian. Mérimée wrote Carmen in 1845 and it was published in that same year. It became the basis of Bizet‘s … Continue reading Carmen, by Prosper Merimee, Limited Editions Club (1941)
Great Illustrated Private Press Books, Part VII – The Four Gospels, Golden Cockerel Press (1931)
{Ed. Note: This is part VII of an on-going series by dlphcoracl looking at the greatest illustrated private/fine press books of all time. See Part I, II, III, IV, V and VI for the previous articles.} The Four Gospels is one of a trilogy of works illustrated with wood engravings by Eric Gill for the Golden Cockerel Press (GCP), including The Canterbury Tales and Troilus … Continue reading Great Illustrated Private Press Books, Part VII – The Four Gospels, Golden Cockerel Press (1931)
Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare, Limited Editions Club (1939)
The comedy Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare, written in 1598 or 1599, is generally considered one of his best as it “combines elements of robust hilarity with more serious meditations on honour, shame, and court politics” (see here). In the preface to the play (in the prospectus to this edition), German philosopher Hermann Ulrici (1806-1884) further describes the tenants underlying the surface level humor in the play: …as in most … Continue reading Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare, Limited Editions Club (1939)