Featured Signed books

I collect books on arms and armour, and have a fair few in my library. However, a few years back I decided to collect them properly and in their own right, rather as an adjunct to my weapons collecting. To that end I managed to acquire several rare and old volumes, and have since then tried to collect books that are either signed by the author, or have come from the libraries of famous collectors.
I wondered what signed editions, on any subject, anybody has in their possession.....

 

I’ll often look in my local Charity shops at the hardback books front pages. Gleaned a few signed copies that way, politicians, etc.
Got several Stephen Fry signed books as he’s a local.

 

In my general library I have a copy of a book signed to me by Spike Milligan. He lived locally when I was in Barnet, North London.

 

I have some Art & sports books signed by their authors..

 

This the oldest book in my arms and armour library, 1920, the auction catalogue of a famous collector and author on the subject. It also belonged to the late Howard Blackmore, himself a famous collector, author and authority on arms and armour.

 

Nary a one, I'm afraid. I do have a few pre-WWI cookbooks, but that's it.

 

Those in themselves are interesting, as of course cooking methods would be quite different to today. When I was in Ireland, many homes still cooked on a range which must be a bit of an art in itself. I have cooked on gas, but even that was nearly sixty years ago! Tempus fugit!

 

I just found a hand written late 19th century recipe book in a lot of ephemera I’ve had for years but hadn’t gotten around to searching through. So interesting! Unfortunately it only lists ingrideints, no directions.

 

I had a Carl Sandburg signed Abraham Lincoln biography. I have a handful of signed history related books from the library of a well known historian/author. Other authors sent him a lot of signed books. I have a Jules Verne signed 20,000 Leauges Under The Sea. Barry Goldwater signed booklet on Kachina Dolls. Probably some others I’m not thinking of and quite possibly some I don’t even know I have. I’ve got plenty of books I’ve never checked. Of course, that means I also haven’t read them. Oh I met comedian Pete Holmes at a book tour event and he signed his book for me. I met actor Kevin Pollack at the NY Book Show and he signed his book ‘How I Slept My Way To The Middle’ for me. I like a singer songwriter called Dan Bern. I bought a signed copy of his book from him. Come to think of it I think I’d get a lot of signed books at the Book Show the years I worked it but none of note that I can think of.

 

My relatives in Scotland cooked on an ancient Aga, and it worked fine. It also kept their Georgian kitchen warm.

I cooked on gas until a few years ago. A Dutch thing, we have our own gas fields. I stopped when my brain damage made me too clumsy, I didn't feel like getting burnt all the time. Now no more pots and pans for me, all microwave and airfryer.
By that time the earthquakes due to gas extraction caused substantial damage in the northern provinces, so we stopped using gas for heating as well and 'went electric'.

 

My girlfriends family was mum and dad and five children, plus us two visitors. As you say, the house was always nice and warm, but the thing I remember so fondly was that the kettle was always on the stove, and there always seemed to be gorgeous soda bread cooking in the oven. Warm fresh bread, and butter ( we always had margarine back in the Uk then). The smell was delightful, and the bread was more like cake, and I have never enjoyed bread so much! Very fond memories.

 

I have signed books - mostly fiction - by Joyce Carol Oates, Michael Moorcock, Harlan Ellison, William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, KW Jeter, Hunter Thompson, Harry Crewes, Lucius Shepard, Timothy Leary, Ken Kesey, Stephen King, Peter Straub, Kathe Koja, Thomas Ligotti, Quentin S. Crisp, James Crumley, Chuck Palahniuk, Jim Harrison, and John Grisham.