EVELYN WAUGH FIRST EDITIONS AT
ASH RARE BOOKS
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London : Chapman & Hall, (1932). First edition. His third novel – a scathing satire on the modernisation of the Azanian empire. “The main theme is handled with all the savage serenity and cunning innocence at Mr. Waugh’s command. The side-shows in London are flicked off with all his deft and shocking originality. Oh – and please bear in mind throughout that it is meant to be funny. If you can ...” (Daily Herald, 6th October 1932).
Crown 8vo (20cm). (304)pp. Frontispiece map. Original lizard pattern red and black cloth, lettered in gilt; some spotting to edges and prelims, but otherwise a very good copy in the dust-jacket – the jacket lightly worn, with a chip at head and a few short tears, but with the spine professionally cleaned and looking bright and sharp.

SOLD

London : Chapman & Hall, (1932). First edition. His third novel – a scathing satire on the modernisation of the Azanian empire. “The main theme is handled with all the savage serenity and cunning innocence at Mr. Waugh’s command. The side-shows in London are flicked off with all his deft and shocking originality. Oh – and please bear in mind throughout that it is meant to be funny. If you can ...” (Daily Herald, 6th October 1932).
Crown 8vo (20cm). (304)pp. Frontispiece map. Original lizard pattern red and black cloth, lettered in gilt; some light spotting, mainly to edges, but a very good and bright copy.

£200

To purchase, call us or e-mail us at books@ashrare.com quoting stock number 46382 – or simply click on the button

London : Chapman & Hall, (1932). First edition. His third novel – the modernisation of the Azanian empire. “In his new novel. Mr. Evelyn Waugh shows himself again as the true Puck of the novel-writing world. It is scarcely five years since his first novel was published; but already he has a host of imitators and many of them clever … his novels have the effect of making real life seem almost sane and pleasant by contrast. In short, he is a benefactor of mankind” (Sylvia Lynd in the Daily News, 12th October 1932).
Crown 8vo (20cm). (304)pp. Frontispiece map. Original lizard pattern red and black cloth, lettered in gilt; just lightly rubbed; some spotting, mainly to prelims and edges; a few faint marks, but a very good copy. Faint ownership inscription of M. A. Watson.

£125

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London : Chapman & Hall, (1936). First edition. A collection of eleven short stories, including “Excursion in Reality”, “Love in the Slump”, and “Bella Fleace Gave a Party”. “One of the few living authors who is incapable of being a bore. One of the few whose books are worth buying and keeping ... ‘Excursion in Reality’ is a brilliant study of the unreality of cinema production ... Mr Waugh is the much-imitated author of our time. Yet we all know that he is inimitable” (Daily Mirror, 30th June 1936).
Crown 8vo (20cm). [ii],(238)pp. Frontispiece in two colours by Thomas Derrick (1885-1954). Original lizard pattern red and black cloth, lettered in gilt; spine just a touch sunned; a scattering of edge spots, but a very good copy, bright, sound and unworn.

£350

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London : Chapman & Hall, (1938). First edition. “Up to a point, Lord Copper” – the wrong Boot is sent to Ishmaelia. “Mr. Evelyn Waugh has let himself go with a whoop on the trail of sensational journalism ... easily the funniest book of the season” (Illustrated London News, 25th June 1938). The present copy has the front panel of the original dust-jacket laid in to the front free endpaper – the rare and quickly suppressed earlier version of the jacket, with the “Daily Beast” masthead clearly mimicking that of Beaverbrook’s “Daily Express”, and making the butt of Waugh’s satire all too plain. This was rapidly replaced by a plainer jacket with the masthead removed.
Original lizard pattern red and black cloth, lettered in gilt; just a touch rubbed and faintly sunned; some spotting, mainly of edges and prelims, but otherwise a very good copy. Contemporary ownership inscription – Vinicombe, dated July 1938.

£250

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London : Chapman & Hall, 1955. First edition. The second volume in Waugh’s “Sword of Honour” trilogy – “‘Men at Arms’ ended with the death of Apthorpe. ‘Officers and Gentlemen’ begins with the placation of his spirit, a ritual preparation for the descent into the nether world of Crete”.
Crown 8vo (20cm). [x],(336),[ii]pp. Original blue cloth, lettered in gilt; top edge blue; a few slight marks; a few edge-spots, but a very good copy in the original Val Biro dust-jacket – a design in blue, yellow, white and black – lightly marked, with a few nicks and a very short tear, the lower panel spotted, but complete and attractive still.

£75

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London : Chapman & Hall, 1957. First edition. Waugh starts hearing voices. “The devastating and racking funniness ... comes from Mr. Waugh’s genius for sheathing terror in mirth ... we are given pure entertainment, the better for getting the reader under the skin” (Elizabeth Bowen in The Tatler, 31st July 1957).
Crown 8vo (20cm). (viii),184pp. Original blue cloth, lettered in gilt; top edge blue; a very good, clean and sound copy in the Val Biro dust-jacket – a pictorial design in yellow, tan, black and white – the jacket with the merest hint of sunning and wear and also very good.

£100

To purchase, call us or e-mail us at books@ashrare.com quoting stock number 46014 – or simply click on the button