New York: Public Affairs, (2013). SIGNED first edition - The authorized biography of Jess Stonestreet Jackson, the founder of Kendall-Jackson, a man who became a billionaire as he changed the course of California's wine growing, and who reinvented himself again as an owner of race horses. SIGNED on the title page. 306 pp. ISBN: 9781610392853.

New York: Pantheon, (2002.) dj. Hardcover first edition - A "critical appreciation of the West Indian historian and political activist who played a towering role in the cause of Pan-Africanism in the twentieth century. Born in Trinidad in 1901,he was a lifelong advocacy for the Trinidadian oppressed. .. and, until his death in 1989, [he] wrote works of both fiction and nonfiction that would profoundly influence the Black Power movement in the United States and independence movements in Africa and the West Indies. Dhondy knew James personally and was given access to his papers. The result is a biography that is a revelation of the life and work of this legendary intellect and revolutionary." Notes, index. xvi, 224 pp. ISBN: 0-375-421009.

(Bethlehem, Pennsylvania:) Executive Council of the Fraternity (by The Comenius Press) 1888. Hardcover first edition - "published under the direction of the Executive Council in the 55th year of the Fraternity." Gives the complete roll of each chapter; according to the introduction it was the intention to provide accurate statistical and biographical information on each member from the time he left college until the present (or until his death, for deceased members.) Also includes statistical reports on geographical distribution, those who served in the Union and Confederate armies, a summary of occupations, a table of relationships, and an index. Engraved frontispiece and small vignette on the title page. A large and very heavy book at 1038 pp.

Reno & Las Vegas, NV: University of Nevada Press, (2012). First edition - An account of Annie Johnston - "Wild Horse Annie" - twenty-seven year fight to save the mustangs from slaughter - and to establish refuges for them, not just in her state of Nevada but across the West. Although it seemed like she had succeeded when Congress passed the Wild Free Horse and Burro Act in 1971, and the Supreme Court upheld it, there have been many setbacks since - both legislative and bureaucratic. Still, without the efforts of this shy Nevada horsewife, there would probably not be any mustangs in the wild at all. Illustrated with photographs. Notes. xiv, 212 pp.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, (1993) dj. Hardcover first edition - Autobiography of the African American actor, James Earl Jones, who came from a family of farmers and sharecroppers in Mississippi who lived twelve to a house, but went on to became one of the great actors of our time. Photographs, chronology of his career and roles, index. xxii 393 pp. ISBN: 0-684195135.

New York: Rizzoli, (1997.) dj. Hardcover first edition - Collection of 53 letters that document the relationship between Louis Kahn and Anne Tyng, but also give a vibrant account of the experience of a brilliant young architect on the cusp of achieving international renown. 216 pp with index, illustrations, notes, photos and drawings by Louis Kahn. Large format. ISBN: 0-8478-20092.

San Francisco: Androgyne, 1987. Biography of the African American beat poet, published shortly after his death in San Franciso in 1986. Illustrated with black and white photographs. Bibliography. xii, 82 pp plus publisher's ads

New York: Harper Collins, (2005.) dj. Hardcover - A biography of one of the most towering figures in film and theater history - born in 1909 to Greek parents in Istanbul, Turkey, by the 1950s he was the most important and influential director in the nation, dominating both theater and film. ... His films -- notably 'On the Waterfront' - brought a new realism to the movies. More than just a biography of one more, this detailed and comprehensive books casts a new light on six decades of American history. A New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Photographs, notes, bibliography, index. xxxi, 510 pp.

New York: Hanover Square Press, (2019). First edition - "The extraordinary story of the first African American military pilot in World War I, who went on to become a Paris nightclub impresario, a spy in the French Resistance and an American civil rights pioneer." Bullard, the son of a former slave and an indigenous Creek woman, fled home as a young boy to escape the racial hostility of his Georgia community, determined to get to France. He garnered fame as a boxer, but when war broke out he joined the French Foreign Legion. 324 pp plus author's note and bibliography.

Stockton, California: Pacific Center for Western Historical Studies / University of the Pacific, 1974. Hardcover first edition - An account of the life and work of this "gentleman geologist and mountaineer", Clarence King, explorer of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and First Director of USGS. Frontispiece portrait of King, illustrations by L.F. Bjorkland. Maps, notes, bibliographies of the works of King and works consulted for this monograph (#5 from the Pacific Center for Western Historical Studies). Index. 76 pp.

New York: Richard R. Smith Inc, (1930). Hardcover first edition - Written for older children, this contains fifteen brief biographies of women ranging from Florence Nightingale, Lady Astor, Rosa Bonheur and Lucy Larcom, Sarojini Naidu, Gertrude Bell, Marie Curie, Jane Addams and more. An interesting selection of young girls and women to hold up as models. 120 pp.

New York: Simon & Schuster, (2015) dj. Hardcover first edition - "The ultimate critical biography of the King of Pop: a panoramic, vivid, and incisive portrait of Michael Jackson that explores and celebrates his influence in music, dance, and popular culture" Drawing on more than 400 interviews, this puts his long career into perspective. Photographs, notes, index. 438 pp. ISBN: 978-1476730370.

Los Angeles: Westland Printing Company, (1974). Hardcover first edition - Even in a city known for its characters, Joshua Abraham Norton (1818 - 1880) stood out - in 1859 he proclaimed himself "Norton I, Emperor of the United States" and later he added "Protector of Mexico" to his titles. While he had no formal political power. he was treated deferentially in San Francisco, and currency issued in his name was honored in the establishments that he frequented. Among his numerous decrees were those calling for the construction of a bridge and tunnel crossing San Francisco Bay to connect San Francisco with Oakland. Illustrated with a frontispiece and 5 plates. One of only 300 copies. 66 pp.

New York: Simon & Schuster, (2010) dj. Hardcover first edition - This book "describes the Kennedy's early family life and highlights a pivotal event for each featured sibling. The tragic arc shows how each brother grew up and attained political success before two died, leaving behind a legacy of influence and determination." Illustrated by Amy June Bates with drawings rendered in pencil, watercolor, and gouache. Includes suggestions for further information, a timeline and sources. Large square format, 40 pp. ISBN: 978-1416991588.

Garden City, NY: International Collectors Library, n.d. (ca 1970, c 1927.). Hardcover - Biography of perhaps the greatest leader of all times, a man who led his desert tribe of nomads from out of nowhere and conquered half the known world, the scourge of boht Christians and Moslems (a story told in the excellent Russian film "Mongols") Illustrated. Bibliography, index. 268 pp.

New York: Grossman Publishers -The Viking Press, 1976. dj. Hardcover first edition - "An Inquiry Into the Lives of Nine Masters of Suspense" - an exploration of the events that shaped the minds and inspired the classic works of mystery and crime by nine writers: Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, John Buchan, Eric Ambler, Graham Greene, Georges Simenon, Raymond Chandler and Alfred Hitchcock. Bibliography. 272 pp. ISBN: 0-670255815.

New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, (2014) dj. Hardcover first edition - A biography, both thoughtful, detailed and playful, of the founder of New Directions and a man who transformed American publishing. A poet himself, Laughlin "was the man behind some of the most daring, revolutionary works in verse and prose of the twentieth century. As the founder of New Directions, he published Ezra Pound's The Cantos and William Carlos Williams's Paterson; he brought Hermann Hesse and Jorge Luis Borges to an American audience." Includes an appendix of all the authors published by New Directions, notes and index. 584 pp. ISBN: 978-0374299392.

Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press, (1986.) dj. Hardcover - A handsome new edition of this book originally published in 1957, which has become a classic in the field of immigrant literature. This is an account of the author;s father, a Basque sheepherder raised on the Pyrenees in France, who came to the Sierras in Nevada as a young man, and who fifty years later returned to his home in the Basque country, only to discover that Nevada had become his real home. A title in the Basque series with a new foreword by William O. Douglas, the general editor of the series. Frontispiece by George Carlson. xx, 176 pp. ISBN: 0-87417-1148.

New York: Harper & Row, (1974.). A book originally published in 1957, which has become a classic in the field of immigrant literature. This is an account of the author's father, a Basque sheepherder raised in the Pyrenees in France, who came to the Sierras in Nevada as a young man, and who fifty years later returned to his home in the Basque country, only to discover that Nevada had become his real home. 186 pp.

Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press, (1986.) dj. Hardcover - A handsome new edition of this book originally published in 1957, which has become a classic in the field of immigrant literature. This is an account of the author;s father, a Basque sheepherder raised on the Pyrenees in France, who came to the Sierras in Nevada as a young man, and who fifty years later returned to his home in the Basque country, only to discover that Nevada had become his real home. A title in the Basque series with a new foreword by William O. Douglas, the general editor of the series. Frontispiece by George Carlson. xx, 176 pp. ISBN: 0-87417-1148.

Santa Barbara: Capra Press, (1997.) dj. Hardcover first edition - The first work about Liguabue (1899-1965) to appear in English. The reclusive artist, an outsider in every way, spent most of his life in a hut beside the Po River in Italy. Illustrated in both color and black and white. 136 pp. ISBN: 0-88496-4248.

New York: Harry N. Abrams, (1971.) dj. Hardcover first edition - A title in the The Library of Great Painters series. From the dust jacket: "Carl Linfert, the distiguished German art critic and author, closely links the scanty known details of the artist's life to his expert and illuminating analyses of the paintings. He proposes a convincing chronology for all the most important works and explains many of Bosch's enigmatic images." 111 illustrations, including 48 hand-tipped plates in full color, made specifically for this edition. Many of the illustrations focus on the details of his work. Translated from the German by Robert Erich Wolf. List of plates, selected bibliography. Folio size volume bound in coarsely woven light blue cloth, 136 pp.

Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, (2017). First edition - A book which "explores the faith that, Robinson said, carried him through the torment and abuse he suffered for integrating the major leagues and drove him to get involved in the civil rights movement. Marked by sacrifice and service, inclusiveness and hope, Robinsons faith shaped not only his character but also baseball and America itself." Notes, index. ix, 206 pp. ISBN: 978-0664262037.

New York & London: Penguin, (1986). A title in The Penguin Sports Library, which traces the life and career of the Black, world heavyweight champion boxer, describes public attitudes towards him, and looks at how he paved the way for other Black athletes. Notes. Index. xii, 330 pp. ISBN: 0-140092854.