Ewing Frederick R (7 results)

Soft Cover. Condition: Very Good with no dust jacket. Supplemental "Map of Washington" is missing. Sound binding. Clean and bright interior. Wrappers are yellow and white, soiled with rubbing at spine and light handling wear. Contents: Ewing, "Exploring the Mid-Atlantic Ridge"; Walker, "American Masters in the National Gallery"; Henry and Locke, "The Smithsonian Institution"; Watson and Culver, "Ancient Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde"; Vosburgh and Stewart, "Easter Egg Chickens"; Wharton, "Seeking Mindanao's Strangest Creatures"; "The Society's New Map of Washington." Many advertisements. 10.0" tall.

Paperback. first edition. 165 very good - fine, reading crease PBO. Cover by Kelly Freas. paperback,

Paperback. first edition. 165 almost near fine, PBO. Cover by Kelly Freas. paperback,

Paperback. first edition. 165 near fine, unread, store stamp inside PBO. Cover by Kelly Freas. paperback,

First UK edition, first printing. Publisher's original red cloth with white titles to the spine, in the Richard Barton illustrated dustwrapper. A very near fine copy, the binding square and tight with just a little bumping at the spine tips, the cloth bright and fresh. The contents, with strips of toning / offsetting to the endpapers are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the very good lightly rubbed dustwrapper that is nicked with tiny loss at the head of the spine, and with a vertical crease to the outer margin of the front flap which has not been price-clipped (10s 6d net to the lower corner). A scarce pseudonymous novel of close shaves, daring escapes, and wildly licentious behaviour in the royal boudoirs of eighteenth-century London. 'I, Libertine' was written as the result of a hoax by the popular New York City late night radio host and prankster Jean Shepherd, who believed that people tended to read the books touted by critics and 'experts', even if the only reason the books were being praised was that some publisher had too many copies on his hands and needed to sell them. With New York being a centre of book publishing, Shepherd exhorted his faithful listeners (and conspirators) to approach their local booksellers the next morning and request copies of the historical novel 'I, Libertine' by Frederick R. Ewing - a book that had never been written, by an author who had never been alive. The hoax was so successful that bookstores all over New York were trying to order 'I, Libertine', and the pièce de resistance came when the [non existent] book was placed on the Proscribed List by the Archdiocese of Boston (being 'banned in Boston' carried a scandalous cachet in the 1950s). Eventually, following a tip off by the pranksters, the Wall Street Journal revealed the truth about the hoax. Shortly after the story broke Jean Shepherd was having lunch with science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon. Sturgeon told Shepherd that his publisher Ian Ballantine, was madly trying to secure the paperback rights to 'I, Libertine' and after introducing them, a book was born. Sturgeon was hired and given a 30 day deadline. Rather than penning a romance parody or semi-pornographic romp, Sturgeon created a story based on real history - the marital scandals of Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston. Ballantine published the novel (simultaneously in hardcover and paperback) in 1956, selling 130,000 copies. Michael Joseph acquired the British rights and published the first and only UK edition the following year. Further details and images for any of the items listed are available on request. Lucius Books welcomes direct contact with our customers.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First English Edition. A VERY GOOD book with rubbing at spine, minor spot on top of text block and light toning. The book binding is tight, sturdy and square. It is internally clean and complete. The DJ remains bright and clean and has been protected in an archival cover. I, Libertine by Frederick R. Ewing AKA fantasy and science fiction legend Theodore Sturgeon. Originally written pseudonymously by Sturgeon, the book was banned by the Archdiocese of Boston, prior to creation/publication. I, Libertine is a glorious tale of close shaves, daring escapes, and wildly licentious behavior. It covers the bawdy misdeeds of Captain Lance Courtenay as he carelessly romps through the royal court and the bedchamber's of London?s finest ladies. Chock-full of wicked wit and Sturgeon?s trademark twists and turns, it is a hilarious, picaresque adventure.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. Move over, Tom Jones, this is a real joy ride! The great SciFi writer, Theodore Sturgeon, dips his poetic brush in a very different direction with I, Libertine. Full of humor, eroticism, and high-camp, even under the Ewing pen name, the style is unmistakably Sturgeon. This Fine condition first edition is tightly bound and seemingly unread. The book is wrapped in a Near Fine dust jacket with $2.75 price on front flap. This Ballantine hardcover, number 165, and the paperback version were issued simultaneously as dual first editions. The hardcover print run rarely exceeded 500 copies, and most of those went to the library trade and therefore, have library stamps. This copy, of course, is *not* a library copy and is *not* library stamped. The gorgeous dust jacket is designed by legendary SciFi and fantasy artist Kelly Freas.