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James M. Dourgarian, Bookman
1595-B Third Avenue
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
(925)935-5033
Established1980 - Member ABAA
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James M.Dourgarian, Bookman, was established in 1980. We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA). Like all ABAA members, we answer to a higher authority and follow a higher standard of ethics that guarantees a successful transaction for all our customers.
We buy and sell old books, vintage books, collectible books, rare books, first edition books, and related ephemera. We maintain several specialties. Among them are American fiction first editions from c.1900 to the present. Within that general field, we have heavy emphasis in John Steinbeck and Steinbeckiana. Thus, we buy and sell Steinbeck primary first editions in dust jackets, signed/limited editions, his appearances in anthologies, his periodical appearances, books and periodicals about Steinbeck, film and theatre memorabilia, bibliographies, and miscellaneous items.
We also specialize in these same categories for these authors -- Jack London, Wallace Stegner, and Stephen King. Other specialties include Western Americana, books on California and the West, books on Japan, China, and the Orient, and Armed Services Editions. The latter are vintage paperbacks issued to American GIs from 1943 to 1947. They are comprised of mysteries, Westerns, science fiction and fantasy, mainstream fiction, historical novels, science, poetry, adventure stories, and more.
Within our field of modern first editions, we also sell related film memorabilia Thus, we sell film posters, lobby card sets, pressbooks, stills, scripts, etc. for films made from the works of authors we carry such as John Steinbeck, Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Raymond Chandler, Zane Grey, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Stephen King, Edward Abbey, Anne Rice, and many others.
Browse Books Listed by Author's Name Browse Armed Services Editions Books Listed by Issue Numbers | |
| [Modern Literature] Baird, Julia and Giuliano, Geoffrey. John Lennon, My Brother. NY, Henry Holt, 1988, first edition, wrappers. Softcover. Advance copy, an uncorrected proof, Baird is Lennonıs half-sister. Fine. | |
| Baker, Sgt. George. The Sad Sack. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. 719 in this important series, cartoons of Army life, introduction by Sgt. Marion Hargrove, includes a profile on and an illustration of the author, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI, this is perhaps the perfect edition of a great World War II book. Very good. | |
| [Modern Literature] Balch, Glenn. Christmas Horse. NY, Thomas Y. Crowell, 1949, first edition, dust jacket . Hardcover. Illustrated by Pers Crowell, this copy Inscribed by Balch. Nearly fine in a good jacket. | |
| [Modern Literature] Balch, Glenn. White Ruff. NY, Grosset & Dunlap, 1958, first edition thus, dust jacket. Hardcover. Issued as part of Grosset & Dunlap's Famous Dog Stories series, illustrated. Very good. | |
| [Jack London] Bamford, Georgia Loring. The Mystery of Jack London. Oakland, Georgia Loring Bamford, 1931, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. This reminiscence also covers "some of his friends" and "also a few letters," illustrations by the author and some photographs. Some offsetting from the jacket, else fine in a chipped jacket, else very good. | |
| [Jack London] Bamford, Georgia Loring. The Mystery of Jack London. Oakland, Georgia Loring Bamford, 1931, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. This reminiscence also covers "some of his friends" and "also a few letters," illustrations by the author and some photographs. Very good in a terrible jacket. | |
| [Miscellaneous] Baringer, William. Lincoln's Rise to Power. Boston, Little, Brown, 1937, first edition. Lacking its jacket, frontispiece photo of Lincoln and other illustrations. Some pencil markings, very good. | |
| [Jack London] Barltrop, Robert. Jack London The Man, The Writer, The Rebel. London, Pluto Press, 1978, second edition , dust jacket. Hardcover. Fine. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Barrett, Monte. Sun in Their Eyes. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. 807 in this important series, a novel of Texas in 1812. issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Film Memorabilia] Barroso, Ary and Russell, Bob. Saludos Amigos. NY, Southern Music Publishing, 1942, first edition. Sheet music for ³Brazil² from this Disney film, Donald Duck shown on cover. Very good plus. | |
| [The West] Barry, John D. The City of Domes. San Francisco, John J. Newbegin, 1915, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. "A walk with an architect about the courts and palaces of the Panama-Pacific International exposition with a discussion of its architecture its sculture its mural decorations its coloring and its lighting preceded by a history of its growth," frontispiece and 47 other illustrations, the jacket is very scarce. Fine in a very good jacket. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Bayliss, Marguerite F. The Bolinvars. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. S-32 in this important series, a historical novel, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Modern Literature] Beach, Rex. The Auction Block. "Cosmopolitan", May 1914, first edition, wrappers. Softcover. Illustrated by Charles Dana Gibson, the issue also includes Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, Harrison Fisher, Howard Chandler Christy, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, and others. Spine beginning to corrupt, else very good. | |
| [Modern Literature] Bear, Greg. The Infinity Concerto. London, Century, 1988, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. Jacket blurbs by Ray Bradbury and David Brin. As new. | |
| [Modern Literature] Bear, Greg. The Serpent Mage. London, Century, 1988, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. Jacket blurbs by Ray Bradbury and David Brin. New. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Beard, Charles A. The Republic. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. P-29 in this important series, a statement on the nature of the American republic, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Beard, Charles A. The Republic. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. P-29 in this important series, a statement on the nature of the American republic, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. "802 military police company" stamps, else good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Beauchamp, D. D. The Full Life And Other Stories. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1946), first edition , wrappers. Softcover. A paperback original, No. 900 in this important series, short stories by this Montana author, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Solid very good. | |
| [Steinbeckiana] Beebe, Maurice (editor). John Steinbeck Special Number. Lafayette, "Modern Fiction Studies", Spring 1965, first edition, wrappers. Softcover. Entire issue devoted exclusively to John Steinbeck, includes essays by Peter Lisca, Warren French, Howard Levant, Jackson R. Bryer, and others, Goldstone & Payne G14, not recorded by Morrow. Age-toning to wrappers, else nearly fine. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Beer, Thomas. Mrs. Egg and Other Barbarians. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. 668 in this important series, short stories, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Beer, Thomas. The Mauve Decade. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. S-13 in this important series, American life in the 1890s, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Beer, Thomas. The Mauve Decade. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. S-13 in this important series, American life in the 1890s, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good-minus. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Beerbohm, Max. Seven Men. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1944), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. C-67 in this important series, with a note about the author at the end, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI, this is one of the very scarce D-Day ASEs. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Bell, Vereen. Brag Dog and Other Stories. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. 743 in this important series, a paperback original, dog, hunting, and fishing stories by yet another writer who was lost during World War II, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good plus. | |
| [Modern Literature] Bellow, Saul. Oct. 25, 1961, first edition. An autographed letter signed by the Nobel Prize winner, written to fellow writer and long-time friend, Herbert Gold, dated Oct. 25, 1961, the letter is on one c.8X12.5-inch ruled sheet of yellow paper in which Bellow discusses a story written by Gold's brother, Sid, that Herb had sent him for a critique, Bellow's views are mostly positive with some constructive criticism ("A slightly tougher point of view brought to bear on the musical crook might make the story heave up and grow hair and claws"), written on both side of the sheet, the letter consists of 49 lines and is signed "Saul," he ends by telling Herb to ask his brother to rewrite the story ("He's got something, but you must encourage him to be somewhat harder -- the Nietschean hardness"), for further insight, see Herb Gold's poignant memoir of his brother, Sid, King of the Cleveland Beatniks, 28-34 in the Saul Bellow-edited "The Republic of Letters," No. 8, 2000. Folded for mailing and with general wear. | |
| [Modern Literature] Bellow, Saul. first edition. Two letters from the Nobel Prize winner to fellow writer Herbert Gold, written after a long hiatus in their friendship, the first Bellow letter is not dated, but its original envelope addressed in Bellow's hand is dated Aug. 25, 1997 using Bellow's printed Boston University envelope, the letter is entirely in Bellow's hand on both sides of a sheet that measures 8.5X5 inches, Bellow's name is printed at the top along with his Chicago address, that address has been crossed out and replaced with a Brattleboro, VT address, all in Bellow's hand, this letter of four paragraphs, 28 lines, responds to Gold's letter informing him that Gold's younger brother, Sid, had died, Bellow writes about his own brothers, about the millenium, and about his warm feelings for Gold despite an estrangement, it reads in part, "I used to play out the mental arthmetic of it, but never thought I'd finish off the millenium. Maybe I won't. It's not over till it's over, as the great baseball philospher said....I know what these deaths are. I had two older brothers. They died ten years ago, within the same week....I no longer blame them, as I used to do. I am now their senior and one of my responsibilities is to protect them affectionately....I've always had warm feelings toward you....I value your judgment and your good opinion," the second letter is dated Dec. 16, 1997 and is housed in its original Boston University printed envelope, it is a typed letter signed by Bellow who, as noted in the letter, dictated it to an assistant, Bellow tells Gold that he writes "one hell of a letter," he talks about letter writing, about a trip he and Gold took together in their youth to Banyuls ("But what really bothers me is that I can't remember where I left my car"), about Gold's first wife ("But what a beautiful girl she was, and so appallingly young. And I remember that you entertained us hour by hour by explaining that when you were a kid you couldn't eat graham crackers unless they had been ripened under the pad of the porch swing"), and ends with a promonition of his death ("I used to have much more confidence in my ability to ward off death. But death is as strong as ever, and I am a much weaker resister"), together with photo-copies of the two Gold letters to Bellow to which these respond. Both the Bellow letters have been folded for mailing, else fine. | |
| [Modern Literature] Bellow, Saul. Mr. Sammler's Planet. NY, Viking, 1970, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. Winner of the National Book Award. Near fine in a very good jacket. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Bemelmans, Ludwig. I Love You I Love You I Love You. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. S-3 in this important series, the world viewed through pink glasses, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Bemelmans, Ludwig. I Love You I Love You I Love You. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. S-3 in this important series, the world viewed through pink glasses, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Bright, clean very good plus. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Benchley, Robert. After 1903 What?. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. R-5 in this important series, humorous sketches, illustrated with drawings by Gluyas Williams, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Benchley, Robert. Benchley Beside Himself. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), second A. S. E. issue, wrappers. Softcover. No. T-13 in this important series, it reprints A. S. E. No. B-39, humor by a master, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Benchley, Robert. Benchley Beside Himself. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), second A. S. E. issue, wrappers. Softcover. No. T-13 in this important series, it reprints A. S. E. No. B-39, humor by a master, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Benefield, Barry. Eddie and the Archangel. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. 710 in this important series, a fantasy by this Texas author, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Benefield, Barry. Valiant Is the Word for Carrie. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1946), first edition nthus, wrappers. Softcover. No. 1127 in this important series, a novel and film source, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Benefield, Barry. Valiant Is the Word for Carrie. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1946), first edition nthus, wrappers. Softcover. No. 1127 in this important series, a novel and film source, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Benet, Stephen Vincent. America. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1944), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. N-3 in this important series, "a history of the Spirit of America," issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Benet, Stephen Vincent. America. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1944), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. N-3 in this important series, "a history of the Spirit of America," issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Modern Literature] Benet, Stephen Vincent. Ballads and Poems 1915-1930. Garden City, Doubleday, Doran, 1931, first edition. No. 10 of 201 copies Signed by Benet. Ink name, age-toned, very good. | |
| [Modern Literature] Benet, Stephen Vincent. Western Star. NY, Farrar & Rinehart, 1943, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. Narrative poem, with an invocation by Benet, Pulitzer Prize winner. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Benet, Stephen Vincent. Western Star. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1944), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. H-215 in this important series, a Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative poem, with a note about the author at the end, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Bennett, Arnold. Buried Alive. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), second A. S. E. issue, wrappers. Softcover. No. 830 in this important series, it reprints ASE No. H-214, a novel, source for the film Holy Matrimony, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. One nick and ink name, else nearly fine. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Bennett, Arnold. Buried Alive. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), second A. S. E. issue, wrappers. Softcover. No. 830 in this important series, it reprints ASE No. H-214, a novel, source for the film Holy Matrimony, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Steinbeckiana] Bennett, Robert. The Wrath of John Steinbeck. Los Angeles, Albertson Press, 1939, first edition. Issued without jacket, No. 107 of 1,000 copies Signed by Bennett, foreword by Lawrence Clark Powell, Goldstone & Payne F1, a very fragile book. Contents dis-bound, but intact, else very good. | |
| [Steinbeckiana] Benson, Jackson J. Looking For Steinbeckıs Ghost. Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 1988, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. A rather personal account of his research that went into his massive and definitive Steinbeck biography (The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer), this copy Signed by Benson. As new, unread. | |
| [Steinbeckiana] Benson, Jackson J. Looking For Steinbeckıs Ghost. Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 1988, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. A rather personal account of his research that went into his massive and definitive Steinbeck biography (The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer), illustrated with photos, this is an Author Presentation Copy, Inscribed by Benson to famed Steinbeck scholar, Tetsumaro Hayashi ("For my beloved colleague,/with gratitude and much/affection,/Jack Benson"), laid in loosely is a letter of provenance from the Midwest bookseller to whom Hayashi sold off some of his personal library. Fine. | |
| [Steinbeckiana] Benson, Jackson J. The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer. NY, Viking, n.d. (1983), first edition, wrappers. Softcover. Advance copy, an uncorrected proof of this Bible of all Steinbeck biographies that was 15 years in the making, while it doesn't include the photo illustrations nor the notes at the end that were included in the trade edition published in 1984, it does include the material removed from the trade edition because of threatened lawsuits, the excised material is about 20 pages, a very scarce book. A bulky book prone to any handling, but this is still a very solid copy. | |
| [Modern Literature] Benson, Jackson J. Wallace Stegner His Life And Work. NY, Viking, 1996, first edition, slick photographic wrappers. Softcover. Advance copy, an uncorrected proof of this long-awaited biography, this was the biographerıs own personal copy, so Signed by Benson. Very good. | |
| [Wallace Stegner] Benson, Jackson J. Wallace Stegner His Life and Work. NY, Viking, 1996, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. Stegner's authorized biography, photo-illustrated, Signed byBenson. Fine. | |
| [Wallace Stegner] Benson, Jackson J. Wallace Stegner His Life and Work. NY, Viking, 1996, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. Authorized biography of this Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author and famed environmentalist, photo-illustrated. Fine. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Berger, Meyer. The Eight Million. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), second A. S. E. issue, wrappers. Softcover. No. 757 in this important series, it reprints A. S. E. No. K-17, journal of a New York correspondent, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Covers very rough, else very good. | |
| [Modern Literature] Berger, Thomas. Reinhart's Women. Playboy, August 1981, first edition, wrappers. Softcover. Touch of age, else fine. | |
| [Cinema] (Bergman, Ingrid). . B&W photo of film star Ingrid Bergman, c.5X7 inches, coded 10-R-27c, probably a blow up of a studio still, printed on heavier stock, Inscribed (³To Rita/Ingrid Bergman/1947²), shows trimming and verso shows signs of previous mounting. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Best, Herbert. Young Un. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. R-28 in this important series, historical novel set in upstate New York, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Best, Herbert. Young Un. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. R-28 in this important series, historical novel set in upstate New York, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Serious wave roll, else very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Beston, Henry. The Outermost House. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. 660 in this important series, "a year of life on the great beach of Cape Cod," issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good minus. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Beston, Henry. The Outermost House. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. 660 in this important series, "a year of life on the great beach of Cape Cod," issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Jack London] Betten, H. L. The Early Haunts of Jack London. "National Motorist", June 1932, first edition, wrappers. Softcover. Photo-illustrated, 5-6. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Beverly-Giddings, A. R. Larrish Hundred. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1944), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. M-20 in this important series, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Blackwood, Algernon. Selected Short Stories of Algernon Blackwood. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition, wrappers. Softcover. No. S-26 in this important series, a paperback original, ghost and supernatural stories of mystery and imagination, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
| [Miscellaneous] Blair, Matilda. Wee Pieces For Wee Speakers (And Some Older Children). NY, McLoughlin Brothers, 1905, first edition. "For home and school entertainment," color frontispiece and several b&w illustrations. Front hinge starting, Christmas 1919 gift inscription, else very good. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Blair, Walter. Tall Tale America. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1945), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. 716 in this important series, ³a legendary history of our humorus heroes,² illustrated by Sgt. Glen Rounds, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good minus. | |
| [Armed Services Editions] Blanco, Antonio de Fierro. The Journey of the Flame. NY, Armed Services Editions, n.d. (1944), first edition thus, wrappers. Softcover. No. K-19 in this important series, an account of one year in the life of Don Juan Obrigon, known as The Flame, feudal lord of Old Mexico, issued by the Council on Books in Wartime, designed to fit the pocket of a World War II American GI. Very good. | |
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Browse Books Listed by Author's Name Browse Armed Services Editions Books Listed by Issue Numbers | |