Reginald C. Williams Rare Books, LLC, P. O. BOX 9104 Glendale, Glendale, CA (2026)

06/08/2026

New acquisition:

COURANT, Richard - Differential and Integral Calculus

Blackie & Sons, London, 1934.

First edition in English. Complete in two volumes. Translated by E.J. McShane. Octavos. Illustrations and diagrams. Publisher’s Blue-green cloth with gilt-stamped spines. An exceptionally clean tight set in chipped wrappers. Richard Courantwrote wrote the classic text in German, well-respected for its format and clarity. In his preface, Courant states that the goal of the text is for the student to “get to the heart of the matter” without getting lost in extraneous detail that would slow down application or understanding. A near fine set rarely seen with the near impossible to find dust-wrappers.

$2,000 USD

06/08/2026

New acquisition:

CORBETT, Jim - Man-eaters of Kumaon.

Bombay: Oxford University Press, 1944.

Octavo. photographed, first edn, first printing of Corbett's best-known book, Dust-jacket, unclipped (Rupees. 7-8), in fair condition, tattered and torn at edges with small loss to spine; beige linen boards, a little discoloured; internally clean and unmarked throughout; printed on war-time economy thin paper -pleasantly clear print, as photographed; pages unfoxed; stitched binding remains firm; careful private ownership (in the same family since publication); endpaper maps xvi frontis portr. 228pp full plate of "The Bachelor of Powalgarh four further photographs by the author in a final chapter entitled "Just Tigers", which does not appear in subsequent editions. Dedicated to the soldiers of the United Nations who had lost their sight during the war, with a note facing the title-page, as photographed, stating that all royalties on this edition were to be donated to St Dunstan's Hostel for Indian soldiers blinded during the war. Introduction by Sir Maurice Hallett, Governor of the United Provinces, preface by Lord Linlithgow, Viceroy 1936-43.

$1,250 USD

05/23/2026

New acquisition:

MOSSEL, C.W. - Toussaint L'Ouverture, The Hero of Saint Domingo, Soldier, Statesman, Martyr; or, Hayti's Struggle, Triumph, Independence, and Acheivements.

First edition. 484, × pp., folding map.
Spine lettering dull, and slight wear to the spine ends, a solid, very good or a little better copy of a now very uncommon title. The biography of L'Ouverture by a noted African-American clergyman and missionary. Text block is clean and tight except for a damp stain along very top of paper edges not affecting text block or plates. Binding has some minor spotting and rubbing wear. Lettering on spine is faded. Still, a Very Nice Copy of this rare book, with the fold out map in Very Good Condition.

$1,250 USD

05/18/2026

New acquisition:

Mrs Belloc Lowndes - Letty Lynton

William Heinemann Ltd, London (1930).

Octavo, brown wrappers. The scarce publisher's Uncorrected Proof, preceding the first printing of the first edition. Novel about a notorious Scottish murder. Print runs for uncorrected proofs at this time were small, and survivals are scarce. Original wraps. Hand written title to the spine. Some creasing, marking and wear to the spine and covers (please see pictures). Binding sound and square. Browning to page edges. A nice honest example of this very scarce Uncorrected Proof. a psychological mystery loosely based on the real-life Madeleine Smith murder trial, about a young woman who gets away with poisoning her lover. The book was famously adapted into a 1932 pre-Code film starring Joan Crawford & Robert Montgomery, which became famous for the iconic "Letty Lynton dress" designed by Adrian, and for its legal issues that made it hard to see for decades finally premiering at the TCM film festival in April 2026. The book was loosely adapted again as The Dishonored Lady in 1947, which starred Hedy Lamarr.

$600 USD

05/16/2026

New acquisition:

CHILDE, V. Gordon - The A***ns: a study of Indo-European origins.

London New York : K. Paul, Trench, Trubner
& Co. ; A.A. Knopf, Inc, 1926.

First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo, xiii, 221 pages, illustrations, map; 25 cm A very good copy in the Publisher’s original gilt-blocked cloth. Athena's owl tetradrachm device gilt to the front board. Spine bands and panel edges somewhat dulled and rubbed as with age, some light sporadic pencil scoring in text, Remains of dust wrapper cover inserted, a well-preserved copy overall. Series; The history of civilization. Pre-history and antiquity. Notes; Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-215). Contents; Language and prehistory -- The first appearance of the A***ns on the stage of history -- The A***nization of the Mediterranean -- Primitive A***n culture reconstructed by linguistic paleontology -- The case for an Asiatic cradle of the A***ns -- Did the A***ns originate in Central Europe? -- The theory of a north European cradle -- The A***ns of South Russia -- The role of the A***ns in history. Subjects; Indo-A***ns. Indo-European antiquities. Indo-Europeans History. Archaeology Prehistory. Civilization. A fascinating account of the linguistic and racial history of Europe and Asia, The A***ns explores the origins and diffusion of the language to which English, together with Classical Greek, Latin and Sanskrit, is heir. One of the finest examples of early anthropological scholarship. Vere Gordon Childe (14 April 1892 – 19 October 1957) was an Australian archaeologist who specialized in the study of European prehistory. He spent most of his life in the United Kingdom, working as an academic for the University of Edinburgh and then the Institute of Archaeology, London. He wrote twenty-six books during his career. Initially an early proponent of culture-historical archaeology, he later became the first exponent of Marxist archaeology in the Western world. One of the best-known and most widely cited archaeologists of the twentieth century, Childe became known as the "great synthesizer" for his work integrating regional research with a broader picture of Near Eastern and European prehistory. He was also renowned for his emphasis on the role of revolutionary technological and economic developments in human society, such as the Neolithic Revolution and the Urban Revolution, reflecting the influence of Marxist ideas concerning societal development. Although many of his interpretations have since been discredited, he remains widely respected among archaeologists (Wiki).

$600 USD

05/14/2026

New acquisition:

FISHER, Irving - Prohibition at it’s worst.

New York: Macmillan, 1926

First Edition, September 1926. Octavo (13x20 cm) of (14-)255 pages. In English. Publisher’s Original binding in all green canvas with a gilt-stamped spine. An excellent Near-fine copy for this book by the famous Yale economist who was in favor of prohibition. A data-driven defense of alcohol prohibition, arguing that despite enforcement challenges, it significantly improved public health, labor productivity, and social welfare by reducing crime, disease, and poverty. The book uses statistics to counter "wet" arguments, presenting prohibition as a net positive for the "noble experiment," while acknowledging its flaws and calling for better enforcement. The book was written during the height of Prohibition, making it a key primary source for understanding the era's debate.

$750 USD

05/12/2026

The Law of Psychic Phenomena. A Working Hypothesis for the Systematic Study of hypnotism, spiritism, mental therapeutics, etc

HUDSON, Thomson Jay

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons, London., 1893.

First Edition
8vo., over 7¾" - 9¾" Tall, 409 pp. Publisher’s dark green cloth. First British edition. Light browning all edges with some foxing to foredge, slight fading to edges of dark green glazed endpapers and rear free endpaper has chipped edges, hinges strong though rear hinge is starting to crack, ownership name to top of title page occasional thumbmark, occasional foxing spot, slightly dulled gilt titles to spine, cloth mottled, extremities slightly rubbed, a very good copy. Thomson Jay Hudson (February 22, 1834 – May 26, 1903), was an American author, journalist, a chief examiner of the US Patent Office and a prominent anti-spiritualist, psychical researcher, known for his three laws of psychic phenomena which were first postulated in this volume. In The Law of Psychic Phenomena (1893, p. 26), Hudson spoke of an "objective mind" and a "subjective mind"; Hudson used his hypothesis of two minds to explain the appearance of ghosts which he argued were not spirits of the dead but creations from the subjective mind projected from one mind to another. His also argued that cases of spirit photography were not spirits but visions projected from the medium's subjective mind. His dual mind hypothesis relied on the existence of telepathy which has not proven to exist. This book is considered Hudson's seminal work. In it, he explores the idea that there are laws governing psychic phenomena, including telepathy, clairvoyance, and other paranormal activities. Hudson argues that these phenomena can be understood through the principles of subconscious mental activity. The book discusses hypnotism, suggestion, and the role of the subconscious mind in influencing psychic experiences. A seminal work which went through many editions over the decades.

$450

05/11/2026

LAIT, Jack (BURNETT, W.R.) - Beast of the City.

NY: Grosset & Dunlap (1932).

FIRST EDITION. Octavo, Publisher’s red black-stamped cloth, top-edge stained red, 218pp (2). Frontispiece from the film featuring the lovely Jean Harlow.. A very good copy in a bright dust wrapper which exhibits very little wear or chipping. There’s been minor professional repairs to the rear hinge as it was starting to crack and strain. Otherwise, this is a very collectible copy and notoriously scarce in the ORIGINAL publisher’s Dust-wrapper (not a facsimile) with the striking image of Jean Harlow. The Beast of the City (1932) is a gritty, pre-Code MGM crime drama about a ruthless police captain, Jim Fitzpatrick (Walter Huston), who wages a violent war on organized crime in Prohibition-era Chicago, clashing with mob boss Sam Belmonte (Jean Hersholt) and his girlfriend Daisy (Jean Harlow). The film is known for its brutal violence, cynical tone, and a famously shocking ending, exploring themes of vigilantism and the blurred lines between law and crime, and features a young Mickey Rooney in an early role. It’s also the film which convinced MGM production chief, Irving Thalberg, to buy out Harlow’s contract from Howard Hughes for $30,000. In addition to W.R. Burnett penning the screenplay, he was also assisted by Ben Hecht (uncredited) and John Lee Mahim. W.R. Burnett called it "one of the best crime pictures of all. Hersholt was a greasy, offensive Capone. Really good." He felt it was well directed although Charles Brabin was English. "Everything about it was wrong. Making an American hoodlum picture, giving it to an Englishman. We’d have a story conference, and he’d go to sleep right in your face (McGilligan, Patrick; Mate, Ken (1986). "W.R. Burnett: The Outsider).

$1,000 USD.

05/05/2026

New stock acquisition:

WHARTON, Edith - The Old Maid: Dramatized by Zoe Akins From the Novel by Edith Wharton

D. Appleton - Century Company, 1935.

First Edition. Publisher’s blue Cloth with gilt-stamped covers. DJ (has price $2.00), orange DJ band; all VG++ to Near Fine condition. First Edition, c. 1935 (same year on title page); 1st printing ([1]"" on pg. 188, last page). DJ bright, clean & glossy w/only a trace of edge wear & 1/4"" closed tear top of front panel- otherwise unmarred. FIRST ISSUE with no mention of Pulitzer Prize on spine panel. Rather, there is a separate 2.75"" wide orange band that runs along & folds over DJ, stating this information, along w/ Akins' & Wharton's names. Blue cloth binding is tight, square & clean w/ just a bit of rubbing. NO bumps, fray, scuffs or spine discolor. Gold cover lettering bright, crisp & intact; spine lettering intact & legible, though tarnished. Sepia photos from 1935 performance w/ Judith Anderson. Endpapers & text tight, clean & unmarked w/ hint of toning. NO hinge splits, owner names, etc.; NOT ex library. Was also filmed in 1939 as a feature starring Bette Davis, Miriam Hopkins & George Brent and directed by Edmund Goulding. A handsome well preserved copy with the seldom seen wraparound band.

$750 USD

05/05/2026

New stock acquisition:

GONCHAROV, Ivan - Oblomov.

NY: Macmillan & Co, 1929.

Bound in polished red calf with titles and decoration in gilt. Octavo. 525 pages. Translated from the Russian by Natalie A. Duddington. A small sign of stamp removal residue at the top margin of page 11 and a few pages with light underlining, otherwise a nice clean and bright copy. Half-title and rear blanks present. Near fine. Small bookplate on the rear pastedown for the Oregon bookbinding company. The 1929 edition of Ivan Goncharov's Oblomov is significant as the first complete English translation, published by Macmillan in New York and George Allen & Unwin in London. Translated by Natalie Duddington, this 525-page hardcover edition brought the full Russian classic regarding the chronically indolent Ilya Ilyich Oblomov to English-speaking audiences. It was recognized as the first complete translation, surpassing earlier abridged versions. The novel centers on a Russian nobleman, Oblomov, who cannot rise from bed, symbolizing profound apathy, contrasted with his friend Stoltz, who represents industry. The 1929 Duddington translation is a key historical edition in bringing this study of "Oblomovism" to international attention.

$300 USD

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