The 1950s marked a dynamic period for literature, witnessing a diverse array of literary movements and voices. Post-war disillusionment gave rise to existentialist themes in works like Camus’s “The Stranger” and Sartre’s “Nausea.” Beat Generation writers like Kerouac and Ginsberg rebelled against societal norms with their spontaneous prose and poetry, epitomised in “On the Road” and “Howl.” Meanwhile, the emergence of influential authors like Salinger (“The Catcher in the Rye”) and Nabokov (“Lolita”) challenged conventional storytelling. Amidst Cold War anxieties, sci-fi flourished, with Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” warning against censorship. Overall, the decade was a vibrant tapestry of innovation, dissent, and literary exploration.
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Hermann Wouk – The Caine Mutiny – First UK Edition 1951
£150.00A first edition, first printing published by Cape in 1951. A near fine book (small name) with a beautifully rich red topstain. A very good clipped wrapper but retaining publishers…
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James M. Cain – Mignon – First Edition 1950
£95.00First U.K. edition, first printing of ‘Mignon’. 8vo. Publisher’s original cloth, in the original dust wrapper.
A very good copy in very good dust wrapper. The binding remains firm and square…
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Norman Mailer – Barbary Shore – First Edition 1952
£85.00First U.K. edition, first printing of ‘Barbary Shore’. 8vo. Publisher’s original cloth, in the original dust wrapper.
A very good copy in very good dust wrapper. Clean boards and firm binding….
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Truman Capote – The Muses Are Heard – First Edition 1956
£85.00First U.K. edition, first printing of ‘The Muses Are Heard’. 8vo. Publisher’s original cloth, in the original dust wrapper.
A very good copy in very good dust wrapper. The book remains…
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Paul Gallico – Ludmila – A Legend Of Liechtenstein – First Edition 1955
£75.00A first edition, first printing published Michael Joseph in 1955. 8vo. Publisher’s original cloth, in the original dust wrapper.
A very good copy in very good dust wrapper. The book is…
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Various – Evergreen Review. No. 3. – First Edition 1958
£75.00First edition. 8vo (original paperback format). Publisher’s printed wrappers.
A very good copy. The binding remains sound with light surface wear and minor creasing to extremities. Internally clean. The pictorial cover…
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John Updike – Hoping For A Hoopoe – First Edition 1959
£60.00A first edition, first printing published by Gollancz in 1959. A near fine book in like unclipped (repriced) wrapper.
First English edition of the author’s first book, published in America as…
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Richard Condon – The Oldest Confession – First Edition 1959
£45.00First edition, first printing published by Longmans in London, 1959. This is a very good (or better) copy. In a very good clipped wrapper with a closed tear to the…
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Herman Wouk – Marjorie Morningstar – First Edition 1955
£45.00First edition, first printing published by Jonathan Cape in London, 1955. This is a very good (or better) copy. In a very good unclipped wrapper with a little rubbing to…
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James Jones – The Pistol – First Edition 1959
£35.00First U.K. edition, first printing of ‘The Pistol’. 8vo. Publisher’s original cloth, in the original dust wrapper.
A very good copy in very good dust wrapper. Clean boards and tight binding….
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H.E. Bates – Love For Lydia – First UK Edition 1952 – with wrap-around band
£185.00A first edition, first printing of ‘Love For Lydia’ by H E Bates, published by Michael Joseph in 1952. A fine book without inscriptions – neat bookplate. In a fine…
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H.E. Bates – Death of a Huntsman – First Edition 1957
£50.00A first edition, first printing of ‘Death of a Huntsman’, published in 1957 by Michael Joseph. A very good book in like wrapper with browning to the spine and wear…
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H.E. Bates – The Daffodil Sky – First Edition 1955
£50.00First edition, first printing of ‘The Daffodil Sky’. 8vo. Original cloth, in the original dust wrapper.
A very good copy in very good dust wrapper. Clean boards and firm binding. The…
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Gerald Durrell – Three Singles to Adventure – First Edition 1954
£60.00A first edition, first printing published by Rupert Hart-Davis, 1954.
First edition. Publisher’s cloth, titled in black to spine. Very good, showing light handling wear and minor marking to boards; internally…
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Gerald Durrell – The Bafut Beagles – First Edition 1954
£50.00A first edition, first printing of ‘The Bafut Beagles’ published by Rupert Hart-Davis in 1954. A very good book without inscriptions – some dark handling marks to the page edges…
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H.E. Bates – The Larkin Family Saga (Comprising: The Darling Buds of May, A Breath of French Air, When the Green Woods Laugh, Oh! To Be in England, A Little of What You Fancy) – First Edition Collection 1958-70
£650.00A set of first edition, first printings of the ‘Larkin Family Saga’ published by Michael Joseph between 1958 and 1970. A near fine set without inscriptions (Small name to ‘England’…
(We don't keep all of our stock in the shop, so send us an email if you're planning a trip to see a particular author or book.)
