Rare books from Rare Finds Booksellers

New York: Mutual Music Society, 1943. Book. Fine. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). First Edition. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Hard cover, red cloth boards with beautiful bright gilt lettering on front and on spine, Fine. Very little rubbing on edges and mild bumping on top and bottom of spine. Binding tight with a little give. Pages ever so slightly yellowed but clean. 116 pages. AUTHOR HAS SIGNED on free front page "SINCERELY GLENN MILLER" in black fountain pen. Not stated but assumed first edition, first printing. ALSO INCLUDED are much sought after 2 MUSICAL SCORES loosely inserted: "I'M THRILLED" first page has edge chipping due to page being larger than others and minor yellowing, and "SONG OF THE VOLGA BOATMEN" stamped "Bradbury Wood Ltd. 142, Charing Cross Road, WC2" (London, England). Both scores are in Very Good condition. B&W photographs and many musical arrangements. Included are 2 small catalogues from Bron's Orchestral Service, London. No dust jacket as issued. Book issued one year before… Read More

New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1972. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). Second Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hard Cover, Very Good. Navy cloth boards with gilt printing on spine and signature cut out printing on cover. Very little bumping on top and bottom of spine. Binding tight with a little give. Pages clean. 380 pages. Photo section with many B&W photos in center of book. SIGNED BY AUTHOR DAVID NIVEN on front free endpaper in black pen "For Mary Frances All good luck! David Niven". Dust jacket is in Very Good condition in protective mylar cover, with next to no flaws but a little yellowing and slight bumping on top of spine and a very little wear on top and bottom of back cover. Very Good, solid signed Second Impression. NOT A REPRINT!!! Hard to find..

New York: Stackpole Sons, 1940. Book. Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author + Others. Second Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hard cover, second printing January 1940, black cloth boards with silver design on front cover and silver lettering on spine, Good. Some scratches and indented spots on front and back covers. Some wrinkling on back cover. Some edgewear, especially on board corners and top/bottom of spine. Binding tight but has a little give. Pages yellowed but mostly clean except for a few pages that have some spots on the bottom. JAM-PACKED WITH AUTOGRAPHS on inside front cover, free front pages, half title page and back free pages. These include: HARRY JAMES (clipped, formerly taped, tape removed but stains remain, now glued); HENNY YOUNGMAN (clipped, glued to page) signed in red pencil: "To Jeanette All the Best Henny Youngman"; JACK ___ (illegible in pencil); MARTHA TILTON (in red pencil); RUBINOFF (in red pencil); GENE KRUPA (in black ink); TOMMY DORSEY (in pencil); JESS STACY (in… Read More

New York, NY: William Morrow, 1976. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hard Cover, Very Good +. Grey boards with black cloth spine, gilt lettering on spine. Next to no flaws with barely visible bumping on top and bottom of spine. SIGNED BY AUTHOR on first free page, in large black ink, "To Doris and Sidney Gracias Desi Arnaz" Binding tight. Pages clean. 322 pages. Starting with page 291 and ending with 322 (last page), the pages are upside down and book needs to be turned around to continue reading, a unique printing error? Dust jacket is in Very Good condition, and is protected by a mylar cover, with a very little chipping on top and bottom of dj spine. NOT price clipped. B&W photos throughout. A scarce, signed, very special edition. Full Title is: A Book By Desi Arnaz: The Outspoken Memoir of "Ricky Ricardo" - The Man Who Loved Lucy.

New York, NY: E.P. Dutton, Inc., 1982. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hard Cover in Very Good condition. Black boards with white cloth spine and gilt lettering on spine. Some edgewear, bumping on corners and small yellow water stain (barely noticeable) appearing on bottom of front cover near spine; top of inside front cover and top of front end paper; bottom of inside back cover and bottom of last free page. Binding tight with a very little give. Pages clean with very little yellowing. 311 pages. SIGNED IN PERSON BY AUTHOR on front end paper in red ink "Nov, '82 For Bob - gratefully Lana Turner", slight smudge to date. Many B&W photographs throughout. Dust jacket is Very Good - . Some edgewear on dj and small yellow water stains on bottom and top of inner front cover. Noted First Edition in Book. Very decent Signed First Edition..

New York: Rinehart & Co., 1946. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hard cover, chartreuse boards with black lettering on spine. Some edgewear on boards and spine and very few light stains with discoloration on front and back edges, Very Good - . Former owner's name printed inside front cover, covered by DJ flap. Binding tight. Dust jacket Good has some edgewear with small chips, tear and wrinkles. Mylar protection.156 pages. Pages slightly yellowed but clean. B&W photo illustrations. Not stated but assumed first edition. SIGNED BY AUTHOR/SONGWRITER on free front page in black ink "HOAGY CARMICHAEL". Large signature. Newspaper articles dated 1981 of his obituary included with book. The songwriter tells his life story including his close friendship with Bix Beiderbecke and many other jazz greats. Author wrote the greatest popular song of the 20th Century - Star Dust. Extremely rare and much sought after Signed First Edition..

New York: Robbins Music Corporation, 1932. Sheet music. Very Good. Soft cover. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. 12" x 9" Music Book SIGNED and INSCRIBED TWICE by FERDE GROFE in black fountain pen "To Marie Helen Tyes, with my compliments, Ferde Grofé, Nov. 6 - 1934" and in pencil on the last page of the 4-part score, Ferde has written his name and address (in Teaneck, New Jersey). Back cover has MGM logo. Item in very good condition. Top of back cover has a slight discoloration strip running along the top. Rare one of a kind item..

New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1975. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). Third Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hard Cover, Very Good - . Navy cloth boards with silver printing. Some bumping and wear on top and bottom of spine. Binding tight with a little give. Pages clean. 369 pages. Photo section with many B&W photos in center of book. SIGNED BY AUTHOR DAVID NIVEN on front free endpaper in black marker "For Bill Morrison - Best wishes! David Niven". To noted film director William Morrison. Dust jacket is in Good condition in protective mylar cover, a few tears on top and some chips on spine and worn wrinkles on the edges, front and back. Very Good, solid signed Third Impression..

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Doubleday & Co., 1999. Book. Fine. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hard cover, beige boards with gilt lettering on spine Fine +, binding tight. . Embossed dust jacket Fine +. 336 pages. Bright pages. Many B&W photo illustrations. SIGNED BY BOTH AUTHORS. By JOAN BARTHEL on half-title page in blue ink "Joan Barthel" and in black ink on half-title page with photo of ROSEMARY CLOONEY "Thanks - Rosemary Clooney". Very rare, desirable, flawless first edition signed by both authors..

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1959. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hard cover, black boards with silver lettering on spine and small cut-out depressions of top-hats, canes and dance shoes on cover, shows almost no wear with very little edgewear on top of spine, Very Good +. Binding tight. SIGNED BY AUTHOR on first title front page in black ballpoint pen "FRED ASTAIRE".Dust jacket has some edgewear with one small tear on edge but overall Very Good. Not price clipped. 338 pages. Pages very slightly yellowed but clean. B&W photo illustrations throughout. Not stated but assumed first edition. Very desirable Signed First Edition..

New York: Mutual Music Society, 1943. Book. Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). First Edition. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Hard cover, red cloth boards with bright gilt lettering on front and on spine. Front cover board and spine suffer from discoloration and fading, Good +. Not stated but assumed first edition, first printing. Very little rubbing on edges and mild bumping on top and bottom of spine. Binding tight with a very little give. Pages ever so slightly yellowed but clean. 116 pages. SIGNED BY AUTHOR on free front page "SINCERELY GLENN MILLER" in black fountain pen. Stamp on upper right hand corner of ffp "Property of Jan Grover and his Orchestra", a Canadian bandleader of the era. INCLUDED ARE much sought after 2 MUSICAL SCORE, loosely inserted in book: "I'M THRILLED" with stamp "Best Music Company" and "SONG OF THE VOLGA BOATMEN". Both scores are in extremely good condition with some yellowing. B&W photographs and many musical arrangements. No dust jacket as issued. Book issued one year… Read More

New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1959. Book. Illus. by Reginald Marsh. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Bing Crosby and Kathryn Crosby. Fifth Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hard Cover in Very Good condition. Beige boards and green cloth spine with gilt lettering and design on spine. Slight bumping on top and bottom of spine and top corners. Binding tight. Pages clean. 833 pages. Illustrations by Reginald Marsh throughout book. SIGNED on illustrated bookplate printed with "KATHRYN AND BING CROSBY" in blue ink "Kathryn, Bing" . Book is protected by a boxed cover which is in Good condition, some chips and wear on edges and a little chipping on cover. Stated on boxed cover under title "Being those parts of The Deerslayer, The Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder, The Pioneers, and The Prairie which specifically pertain to Natty Bumppo, otherwise known as Pathfinder, Deerslayer, or Hawkeye". Noted in book Fifth Edition. A very special edition signed by the greatest singer of the twentieth century, Bing Crosby..

Paris: Editions Du Belvedere, 1947. Book. Very Good. Soft cover. Signed by Louis Armstrong and 7 Jazz Musicians. First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Soft Cover, Very Good; This book used to belong to a French amateur musician who knew many jazz musicians. A line on the first page of the book says it was dedicated at the Jazz Hot Club in Toulon, France. AUTOGRAPHED!!! SIGNED by LOUIS ARMSTRONG in green ink on title page; and on the preceding page signed in dark blue ink by JACK TEAGARDEN, BARNEY BIGARD, EARL "FATHA" HINES, ARVELL SHAW, BIG SID CATLETT, BOB WILBER, and VELMA MIDDLETON. 107 pages [2] pp., frontis., b&w photographic plates of the mastermusician/entertainer, including frontispiece portrait. The first volume in the Maitres du jazz series, in French only; Dust Jacket Condition: Good, original paper wrappers with small chips at extremities, especially along the top. Scarce first edition of this biography by one of Armstrong's closest friends in the Jazz world. At rear is complete… Read More

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1959. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hard cover, black boards with silver lettering on spine and small cut-out depressions of top-hats, canes and dance shoes on cover, shows almost no wear with very little edgewear on top of spine, Very Good. Binding tight. SIGNED BY AUTHOR on gatefold title page in black ballpoint pen "FRED ASTAIRE". Dust jacket Good + (not price clipped) fading on spine, has some edgewear/tears with chips, sticker applied to front dj: A Reminder to see "Another Evening With Fred Astaire" NBC 9:00 PM EST Wednesday, November 4 sponsored by Chrysler Corporation. There is a letter included from the manager of the Chrysler Corporation Promotion office dated Oct. 15 1959 to a newspaper columnist. 338 pages. Pages slightly yellowed but clean. B&W photo illustrations throughout. First Edition. The best, most beautiful example of this signed first edition seen thus far..

Hard Cover, Very Good - . Navy boards with light blue cloth spine and slightly faded gilt lettering on spine. Some bumping and edgewear, some fading on spine, white spotting on back cover. Dark stain along edge of final free page. Also a light foxing stripe on same page. Page tops have a pale green tone. Binding tight. 267 pages. Clean pages. SIGNED BY AUTHOR GEORGE BURNS AND WIFE GRACIE ALLEN in blue ink on free front page "To Catherine & Mary MacLear Best Wishes Gracie Allen, George Burns". Light foxing stripe on signature page partially touches inscrip. & sigs. Dust Jacket Good - . In protective mylar cover. Some tears and chips on dj edges, some damage on rear dj causes holes which result in loss of some of the type. NOT price clipped. B&W photographs at beginning of book. Stated First Edition in book. Terrific Signed First Edition of a great book.