1. Peter Good for Nothing. New York: MacMillan Co., 1929.
First Edition. "A story of the Minnesota logging camps. A rousing story with plenty of action and suspense". Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket. Item #27081
First Edition. "A story of the Minnesota logging camps. A rousing story with plenty of action and suspense". Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket. Item #27081
First Edition. Author's second novel. "Norman "Beaut" McGregor, a young man discontented with the powerlessness and lack of personal ambition among the miners of his hometown. After moving to Chicago he discovers his purpose is to empower workers by having them march in unison. Major themes of the novel include the organization of laborers, eradication of disorder, and the role of the exceptional man in society." This copy signed by Anderson at half title. W. H. E. designed bookplate of Harry Bacon Collamore (noted book collector, library benefactor and steel company executive) at front pastedown. Near Fine in Good dustjacket, paper tape at verso of spine, closed tears at lower spine area, soiling to panels, some shallow edge chips. Item #29597
First English Edition. Uncommon edition of this labor novel, sometimes considered Anderson's best. Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket, rather darkened at spine, few tiny edge chips. Item #25108
First Edition. Frank Higgins dustjacket art. Labor themed novel, the author's first book. "A child of the Pennsylvania coal valleys, hoped that life would be spent with Charlie. It was for him that she took the course in literature, that she left the silk mils and studied to be a nurse. But there were different things in store for her, the finer things that she deserved". Scarce title. Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket, small chip at top spine end. Item #25130
First Edition stated. Uncommon proletarian novel by this African American author. 'The story of the Negro in steel. Chiefly it is the story of the Moss boys, Big Mat, Melody, and Chinatown, who forsake a starving farm in the Kentucky hills during the First World War for the big quick money offered by the mills in the war booming steel towns of Pennsylvania.' Near Fine but for contemporary name and address at front endpaper, in Very Good dustjacket, shallow loss at top spine end, inch and half closed tear at top rear spine edge, few nicks and modest wear. Item #37638
First Edition. Youngman Carter dustjacket art. A romance of the Bristol riots. "Ann, a child of the Regency, grows up with her life sheltered from the boorishness of the period. Happily unaware of the time's poverty, unemployment, public whippings and imprisonment, the aftermath of the Napoleonic war, the slave trade, drunken orgies, roysterings - at first these are unknown to her. But her protected youth cannot save her for ever. Through her lover she is drawn into the maelstrom. From the heights of Clifton, Ann watches the burning of Bristol". Almost Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket. Item #30719
First Edition. F. E. Warren dustjacket art. This copy inscribed and signed by Barretto at front endpaper to Isabel [Mary] Paterson, founder of the Libertarian Party and author of The God of the Machine. New York set novel of aristocratic twins who cast aside their heritage and join the "new social order". Very Good but for split at binding at title page, in modestly soiled and edge chipped dustjacket. Item #20084
Second Revised Edition, but First Thus. In three acts, this play is “a mixture of satirical romance and fantastic comedy, and is concerned with the pride and idealism of a family of street cleaners who are caught in the toils of a changing world.” Very Good in a Very Good dustjacket, with modest edge wear, few short closed tears and small nicks. Item #18323
First Edition. Contemporary novel of the poor quarter of an industrial town, "they move against a background of endless poverty, quarrelling and violence." Very Good to Near Fine, top front corner lightly bumped, some very mild foxing to page edges, in Very Good dustjacket, fairly shallow chipping at spine ends, spine darkened as usual. Item #12372
First Edition stated. Harry Cimino dustjacket art. Labor themed novel of a coal miner and his family. Very Good, lower cover corners modestly bumped, some residue at lower edge of covers, in Very Good plus dustjacket. Item #25276
First Edition. Wartime story of a “gawky, half-grown Scottish grocer's boy,” and his humorous escapades in love affairs, employment, and family. Very Good, ownership stamp at top page edge, in a nearly Very Good modestly soiled dustjacket, few short closed tears, about inch of loss at rear panel at edges. Item #21843
First English Edition. Scarce labor themed novel and romance between two coal-miners, and featuring the first coal mining female in American literature. The main character is determined to be by the side of the man she loves. She learns how to be a powder monkey by listening to the talk of miners in the office where she works. Eventually, disguised as a man, she joins her unsuspecting lover in the mine. In creating a strong, imaginative, female character, Bethea challenged traditional gender relationships; but he went only so far. By novel's end the disguised female miner is injured, losing all desire to work underground and, most of all, wanting the security of male support". [David C. Duke; Writers and Miners] Near Fine but for foxing to page edges, in dustjacket that would be Very Good but for a sticker price having been clipped out at spine, little more than square inch, soiling to panels. Item #29711
First Edition. B. Cory Kilvert dustjacket art. Romance of a Cambridge educated dockhand who falls for a lady of luxury. Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket with shallow edge chipping and wear, small chip at front spine edge. Item #20810
First Edition. Labor dispute novel of a young man of the world who returns to take controlling interest in his family's Southern paper mill. "What comes next in Conflict is Edward's declaration of allegiance to the mill workers. It brings on a family realignment and culminates in a tragic break in [family] solidarity which is not mended until there has been a strike, with violence and needless bloodshed". This copy inscribed and signed by Bowler at front free endpaper in 1958. Also laid in is the publisher's flyer for the book printed in color and including press releases by such contemporaries as Harry Hansen, Fredric March, and other reviewers. Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket, fading to spine, shallow chips to spine ends and few flap corners. Item #20415
First Edition. Anti-Communist novel set in a New England factory textile town. Fine in Fine dustjacket. Item #21686
First Edition. Depression era guide to finding a job. Near Fine with light wear to spine ends, in a Very Good dustjacket, modest edge wear with some surface wear to front panel. Item #19347
First Edition. Original illustrated boards, cloth spine, original illustrated dustjacket. The First American edition of this early Buchan title written with his wife, Susan. Nearly impossible Buchan title to be found in dustjacket. The book is unfortunately not an adventure novel, but a fictional examination of current events, in which "politicians, soldiers, labor leaders - American, French, and English in nationality... brilliantly discuss the most interesting current problems, the Peace Treaty, League of Nations, labor reform, etc." Near Fine, some soiling to top page edge, in Very Good plus dustjacket, few nicks to spine ends and flap corners. Item #16799
First Edition. Lydia Mess Portrait Frontispiece. Labor and social change non-fiction. "A giant Irshman form London who fought his way up from the waterfront slums to New York State Assembly and won international renown as the forceful ruler of longshoreman activities in the Port of New York during the World War. He has friends among Governors and gangsters, politicians and thieves, judges and con men, cops and palookas, authors and actors, rum runners and speakeasy folk, show girls and waitresses". Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket, small chip at mid spine and at top spine end. Item #27068
First Photoplay Edition, illustrated with scenes from the Marshall Neilan and Goldwyn Production starring Hobart Bosworth and Eleanor Boardman. Rare labor and shipbuilding themed photoplay novel. "Derith, who is her brother's superior in mind and will, takes the chief responsibility and to her falls the struggle to manage the great shipyard and stem the rising tide of labor discontent stirred up by an I. W. W. agitator who preached social revolution as the prophets of old preached holy wars. John marries a beautiful, greedy, utterly shallow girl, who caring only to spend money, flitted moth-like to the glitter of Broadway to fall broken in the flame." Near Fine in Good dustjacket, dime sized chip at mid front flap edge, closed tears at flap and spine edges mended at verso with archival tape, light stain to rear flap edge. Item #22552
First Edition. John Drew dustjacket art. Novel of a wealthy president of a firm who trades places with a worker in his factory on a dare. Perhaps an early source for the Eddie Murphy film, Trading Places. Very Good, light stain to some pages at fore-edge, in dustjacket with some staining at fore-edge of panels, with red from cloth leaching onto jacket. Item #20557
First Edition. Samuel Bernard Schaeffer dustjacket art. Author's scarce first book. "A smashing novel of river-tunneling conflict. Laboring in compressed air at dangerous depths beneath the river, they jest at death - these stalwart men called 'sand hogs'." Basis for the 1935 Raoul Walsh directed Fix Film starring Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen and Charles Bickford. Chase was a popular screenwriter whose credits include Night Passage, Sea Devils, Lone Star, Iron Man, Red River, etc. Near Fine in Very Good plus dustjacket, few tiny chips at top spine end and few flap corners. Item #23317
First Edition. Novel of a king that took leave of his kingdom. Near Fine with mild cocking in Good plus dustjacket with moderate creasing and shallow chips to front edges, shallow chipping and wear to spine ends, and light chipping and wear to rear edges. Scarce in dustjacket. Item #16169
First Edition. Advanced Copy stamped at title page. New England set play addressing industrial democracy by American novelist and playwright. Near Fine in a Very Good dustjacket with light soiling, spine darkened and light edge wear. Item #18851
First Edition. E. C. Caswell dustjacket art. Contemporary novel of Industry and a worker's strike. Basis for the 1920 silent black and white film directed by Jack Conway and starring Claire Adams and Nigel De Brulier. Scarcely found in original illustrated dustjacket. Very Good but for first front endpaper removed, in Good or Very Good dustjacket, crease at lower front panel, dime sized chip at mid-spine, shallow chipping at spine ends, closed tears mended at verso with archival tape. Item #22563
First Edition. E. C. Caswell dustjacket art. Contemporary novel of Industry and a worker's strike. Basis for the 1920 silent black and white film directed by Jack Conway and starring Claire Adams and Nigel De Brulier. Scarcely found in original illustrated dustjacket. Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket, shallow chipping at spine ends, flap corners and few edges. Item #24478