Blake Nicholas Pseudonym of Cecil Day Lewis (16 results)

Hard back binding in publisher's original pistachio cloth covered boards, blocked and lettered navy back, small blue illustrations to the front board. 8vo. 8'' x 5½''. Contains 176 pp with monochrome line illustrations throughout. Hint of foxing to the closed text block edges. Very Good condition book in Very Good condition price clipped panoramic dust wrapper. Member of the P.B.F.A. ARDIZZONE, Edward (1900-1979).

Second impression hard back binding in publisher's original olive grey cloth covered boards, blocked and lettered red back. 8vo. 8½'' x 6''. Contains (xvi), 62 pp. Basil Henry Liddell Hart's copy with his elaborate bookplate inside the front cover, signed by two indecipherable well-wishers to the front free end paper 'To Adrian etc.' + 'To Adrian forty years on with lots of love, Michael - 1982.' Very Good condition book in Good condition dust wrapper with age darkening of the paper down the spine and to the edges, not price clipped, 5s. Member of the P.B.F.A. POETRY, VERSE & RHYMES.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Hardcover. 8vo. Published by Harper & Brothers, New York. 1957. 191 pgs. First Edition/First Printing. DJ has light shelf-wear present to the DJ extremities. Bound in cloth boards with titles present to the spine and front board. Boards have light shelf-wear present to the extremities. Offsetting present to the endpapers. Previous owner's name present to the FFEP. Text is clean and free of marks. Binding tight and solid. Nigel Strangeways was employed to investigate a minor mystery in the offices of the publishing house of Wenham and Geraldine. Someone had maliciously tinkered with the proofs of an autobiography in which a retired and outspoken General had savagely attacked one of his colleagues. Consequently the firm was threatened with a disastrous libel suit. Strangeways had not made much headway before somebody's throat was cut on the actual premises of that discreet and reputable firm. EB; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 256 pages.

First edition hard back binding in publisher's original pale green finely grained cloth covers, gilt title and author lettering to the spine, publisher's device to the front cover. 8vo. 8½'' x 5½''. Contains (xvi), 156 printed pages of text. Off-setting to the second end papers where dust wrapper flaps where folded-in. Near Fine condition book in Very Good condition dust wrapper marginal line across the bottom edge and front fore edge, slight age darkening down the spine, without any chips or tears. Dust wrapper supplied in archive acetate film protection. Member of the P.B.F.A. POETRY, VERSE & RHYMES.

[Crime Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.256. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine. Contents clean, some spots of foxing to page edges, no inscriptions. Covers have some fading, bundle string mark to upper. Very good. A Nigel Strangways detective novel. Eric Quayle; Detective Fiction, Cooper & Pike; Detective Fiction, p 33-35.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition, First Printing. Gray paper over boards, quarter bound red cloth spine, title stamped in blue onto spine, publishers device stamped in white at foot of upper board, 8vo (8 inches tall), pp. 169, "FIRST EDITION" stated on copyright page, "1st ed. New York, Harper, [1959, 1958]" stated on colophon. Volume with spine ends softened, top corners lightly tapped. DJ with edgewear, short closed tears, minor soil and rubs. A late issue Harper Sealed Mystery with the tissue seal intact. First released in the UK by Collins in 1958, this first American edition had two of the character's names changed to reflect the similarities that were noted between Blake's plot and character's names, and Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train. Nicholas Blake is the pseudonym of British Poet Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis, who wrote another nineteen crime novels/mystery stories under the pseudonym. Ref. Hubin, p. 78; Carty, p.22.

[Detective novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.224. Publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine, illustrated dust-jacket. Contents clean, edges toned, owner inscription to front endpaper, price clipped jacket with some chips and tears, gummed paper to reverse side at spine ends. Very good. One of sixteen 'Nigel Strangeways' mysteries from the talented and seemingly versatile Poet Laureate, who was an academic, literary figure, crime novelist, translator, critic, and father to actor Daniel Day Lewis. HUBIN; Crime Fiction IV p.148.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Fisher, Carl (illustrator). 1st Edition. First edition, so stated, January 7, 1948. Publisher's black boards, letterering is bright red, near fine in damp stained dust jacket, not affecting book and moderately to jacket. Jacket has light wear along top and bottom edges, lightly soiled, lightly chipped at head and foot. Jacket is not price clipped, $2.50 price intact, in protective mylar cover. Nigel Strangeways is seeing out the end of the Second World War at the Ministry for Morale. Surrounded by stories of victory and success, Nigel is itching to return to his life as a private investigator. But he may need to return to that role sooner than he suspects . . . Known as "Our Blonde" to the office, Nita Prince is the femme fatale of the Visual Propaganda Division. Rumored to be having an affair with the married director, tensions in the office rise when war hero, former co-worker, and beau of Nita, Charles Kennington, returns. Long missing and presumed dead, Charles's return sets the office buzzing with gossip and anxious anticipation. But when Nita is poisoned in plain sight at the celebratory gathering, the excitement quickly turns to suspicion: Anyone in that room could be Nita's killer. With six suspects to choose from, two spurned lovers on the scene, and government secrets at stake, Nigel will need to navigate more than just office politics to solve the case. Book.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. An unillustrated post card, apart from the letterhead. Addressed, with stamp and Paddington postmark, to 'Dr William Roberts / Briarlea / Mortimer / Berks.' The message reads: 'I vote for Osbert S. [i.e. Osbert Sitwell] as next chairman Soc. Authors [etc?] / Yrs / C. Day Lewis'. Image on request.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Included. 1st Edition. FIRST EDITION, first printing, review copy. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.256. Publisher's red cloth, titles in black to spine. Typographic dust-jacket, with printed price of 12s. 6d. net. A review copy with the publisher's slip loosely inserted. Internally fine, edges a little dusty. Binding lightly handled. Dust-wrapper a little rubbed and chipped to extremities with a few small closed tears to rear panel. Very good.

[Crime Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine. With the black dust-jacket titled in white and orange, priced at 12/6. Contents clean, some toning/browning to endpapers, no inscriptions, jacket with very light wear to extremities. Near fine. Another case for Nigel Strangeways, which unfolds on-board ship during an Aegean cruise.

First edition, first printing. Publisher's original red cloth with black titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. An excellent near fine, square and firm copy, the contents clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked price-clipped dustwrapper which has a few short closed tears with tape to the underside. An attractive example. (Hubin). Further details and images for any of the items listed are available on request. Lucius Books welcomes direct contact with our customers.

[Crime Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.288. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine. Bookseller's discreet ticket to pastedown, some spotting to edges and prelims, owner nameplate to free endpaper, covers carefully handled, spine sunned. Very good. The author's second novel, featuring the return of detective Nigel Strangeways.

[Crime Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.286; [2], advertisements. Publisher's brick red cloth with black titles to spine. Contents clean, edges and endpapers toned, no inscriptions, covers show some gentle use, spine sunned. A very good copy indeed, lacking the scarce jacket. The author's debut novel, introducing detective Nigel Strangeways.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 16mo. On grey paper. In good conditon, folded for postage. Signed 'C. Day Lewis.' With 'personal' at top left. He apologies for the late response to the letter, and thanks her for 'sending me the fascinating poems by your son. I am so busy on my official work here that my correspondence is getting more and more out of hand. I do not know of any book on poetry which would be of use to a child of his age: as long as he is writing it so originally himself, I cannot think he needs anything more!' JISC does not indicate that the youthful prodigy pursued a poetical path. Image on request.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient is presumably the lyricist Peter Claremont Parsons. Plain postcard, apart from letterhead. In good condition, lightly aged. Image on request.Postmarked (from Paddington), stamped and addressed to 'Geoffrey Parsons esq. / 22 Westbourne Park Road / W.2'. Small signature: 'C. D. L.' Reads: 'Many thanks for Peter's Progress. [Parson's poetry book, published that year by Hand & Flower] I've read it with great pleasure & amusement, & fallen foul of little except 'legacies' rhyming with exegesis. My memory of those H. & S. [Hodder & Stoughton] interviews is chiefly of feeling intimidated by the interviewers & not having the remotest idea what to ask them: v. glad I lightened the ordeal for you.' With a little annotation in pencil.