Ewing Frederick R (8 results)

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: Very Good+. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Signed in black medium point felt pen by the author using both his real name and pen name on front flyleaf. No other markings, though on same page there is a rubber-stamped symbol of two stars. Original tan cloth with black lettering on spine. Near fine in good dust jacket with small skinned spot in upper right corner of front panel and some edgewear with slight paper loss and a 1/2" tear where front panel meets top of spine. No chips, not price-clipped (two dollars seventy five cents) Publisher #H-165 printed on front flap. The author is best known for his science fiction but this is "A novel of 18th Century London.". Signed by Author(s).

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,

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First English Edition. (1957). 8vo. First UK edition. Tape marks and toning to e.p.'s Light scuffs to edges of text block. Mild edgewear to dust jacket. Some small chips to spine ends and top front joint of d.j. VG/VG.

Hard Cover. First British edition, octavo, pp., 220. Red cloth covers with white titles to spine. Publisher's original purple and yellow unclipped dust-jacket illustrated by Richard Barton. Dusty top edge and light toning to end-papers, with some sunning, nicks and creases to dust-jacket spine. Otherwise a very good copy. In 1955 popular New York City late night radio host and prankster Jean Shepherd invited his listeners to request copies of the fictitious 18th century erotic novel 'I, Libertine' by Frederick R. Ewing from their local bookshops. The hoax was so successful that bookshops across New York tried to order the non-existent book from publishing houses and 'I, Libertine' was 'banned in Boston' for being pornographic. After the Wall Street Journal revealed the truth, science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon was hired to write the book. He based the story on the marital scandals of Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston. Ballantine published the novel in 1956, and Michael Joseph acquired the British rights and published the first and only UK edition the following year.

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.

Hard cover. Condition: Very good. Dust Jacket Condition: Fair. Shelfworn. Unclipped jacket is worn, with chips and tears, and a sunned spine where the title has been written in. The book that started as a joke on the Jean Shepherd radio show in the 1950's as he was annoyed at the way bestseller lists were compiled, with sales and requests for specific titles. He encouraged his listeners to request a fake title that he made up on the show. Soon, demand was high for the book that hadn't been written, with rumors that it had been banned in Boston. Ian Ballantine contracted Theodore Sturgeon to write the novel.