Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Description: Early printing of this Dahl classic. Octavo, original cloth, beautifully illustrated, many full-page and in color. Boldly signed by the illustrator, Nancy Ekholm Burkert on the half-title page. Fine in a very good dust jacket. In 1953 Dahl married the actress Patricia Neal; they had three children, to whom he began to tell bedtime stories. James and the Giant Peach, the first of these to reach print, is a comic fantasy about a small boy who travels the world inside a huge peach, in company with several giant insects. Like most of Dahls childrens books, it first appeared in print in the United States (Carpenter & Prichard). It was made into the 1996 film produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi, directed by Henry Selick, starring Paul Terry as James. "When Tim Burton approached Roald Dahl's widow about his plan to make a film of James and the Giant Peach, she asked him why he wanted to do it. Burton's answer clinched the deal: 'It's the only book that ever gave me any hope when I was a child" (D is for Dahl, 68).
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: This book is hard-bound in red orange cloth, with blind-stamping to the upper cover and gilt stamping to the spine, in a price-clipped, 2nd issue dust jacket with an ISBN on the lower panel. The DJ shows light soiling/foxing, and wear/a few closed tears to the edges. The covers show light rubbing to the corners and spine ends, light sunning to the bottom edge of the covers, and with a small, very faint stain to the bottom edge of the upper cover. The binding is solid. The contents are bright and generally clean with illustrations, including some in color but also with a bit of light scattered foxing to a few pages. This book is signed/inscribed by the illustrator Nancy Ekholm Burkert, on the half title-page. This book is hard-bound in red orange cloth, with blind-stamping to the upper cover and gilt stamping to the spine, in a price-clipped, 2nd issue dust jacket with an ISBN on the lower panel. The DJ shows light soiling/foxing, and wear/a few closed tears to the edges. The covers show light rubbing to the corners and spine ends, light sunning to the bottom edge of the covers, and with a small, very faint stain to the bottom edge of the upper cover. The binding is solid.
Seller: Hoffman Books, ABAA, IOBA, Columbus, OH, U.S.A.
Roald Dahl. James and the Giant Peach. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1961.
Price: US$1291.60 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, second issue. Signed by the author to FFEP and dated 1977. Internally the book is clean, tight and square with no marks or inscriptions other than the author's. Original boards are a little faded and dirty in the areas where the dust jacket has loss. Dust jacket has loss to top left hand side of front panel, closed tear to bottom right corner of front panel, loss to tail of spine approx 18mm.
Seller: Moriarty's, Grimsby, LINCO, United Kingdom
Price: US$1635.69 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: A first edition, first printing, published by Alfred Knopf in 1961. A very good copy without inscriptions. SIGNED, On very good condition.
Seller: Miramar Antiques Art and Books Co. SL, MADRID, MAD, Spain
Roald Dahl. James and the Giant Peach. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1961.
Price: US$8000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition. First issue, with the colophon stating "Bound by H. Wolff, New York. Inscribed by Dahl on the first free endpaper: FOR CLARE / WITH / MORE / LOVE / Roald Dahl. A very good copy. Certainly read and enjoyed by its young owner, but rather respectfully. Boards with the bright red cloth, and the top edge of the text block yellow. Binding firm. Overall, bright and clean internally, though several pages slightly wrinkled with handling creases at the bottom. A closed tear at the bottom of page 19. No writings or marks, and the color plates in beautiful condition. Dahl's inscription showing a weakening felt tip towards the end, though undoubtedly permanent. The beautifully illustrated dust jacket, unclipped with the with the $3.95 on the front flap. A touch of loss to the head and heel of the spine, with little bits of wear and tear around the jacket. Verso unfoxed, and showing only a small smudge of red watercolor. A lovely copy, warmly inscribed by the author to the then six year old daughter of Arthur Ibbetson BSC, the cinematographer of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl had signed for her a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with lots and lots and lots of love, and as such the present book with more love. One of the most lasting and widely read childrens novels, uncommon in the first issue, and very scarce inscribed. A marvelous association copy, with established provenance.
Seller: Canton Books, Princeton, NJ, U.S.A.
DAHL, Roald.. James and the Giant Peach. A Children's Story.. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1961, 1961.
Price: US$12593.15 + shipping
Description: First edition, first printing, with the five-line colophon, signed by the author on the front free endpaper. An early advert for the book stated "one is tempted to say that not since Alice has there been such a wonderland. The difference is that James is all boy and what transpires in the story is anything but Victorian". The publisher wrote to Dahl on 5 July 1960 stating "If this doesn't become a little classic, I can only say that I think you will not have been dealt with justly" (Treglown, p. 124). Described as "rude, naughty, anti-adult, creepy, and sometimes cruel" (ODNB), James and the Giant Peach was adapted into a film of the same name in 1996, which was nominated for the Academy Award for "Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score" the following year. There have been numerous stage adaptations and one musical version of the book. The New York Times, 26 October 1961. Quarto. Original red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, design to front cover in blind, top edge yellow, green endpapers. With pictorial dust jacket. Housed in a custom red morocco-backed folding box by the Chelsea Bindery. Colour frontispiece, 4 colour plates, 1 tinted plate, 19 illustrations to text, of which 10 are tinted, all by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. Worn at lower corners; jacket slightly toned, extremities a little rubbed, small nick to foot of spine, unclipped: a near-fine copy in a very good jacket.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Price: US$14000.00 + shipping
Description: First edition of this Dahl classic. Octavo, original cloth, beautifully illustrated, many full-page and in color. Boldly signed by Roald Dahl on the front free endpaper and also signed by the illustrator, Nancy Ekholm Burkert on the half-title page. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with a touch of shelfwear. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. An exceptional example, most rare and desirable signed by both the author and the illustrator. In 1953 Dahl married the actress Patricia Neal; they had three children, to whom he began to tell bedtime stories. James and the Giant Peach, the first of these to reach print, is a comic fantasy about a small boy who travels the world inside a huge peach, in company with several giant insects. Like most of Dahls childrens books, it first appeared in print in the United States (Carpenter & Prichard). It was made into the 1996 film produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi, directed by Henry Selick, starring Paul Terry as James. "When Tim Burton approached Roald Dahl's widow about his plan to make a film of James and the Giant Peach, she asked him why he wanted to do it. Burton's answer clinched the deal: 'It's the only book that ever gave me any hope when I was a child" (D is for Dahl, 68).
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Dahl, Roald. JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1961.
Price: US$16750.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Dahl, Roald. JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, (1961). First edition, first issue with the five line colophon stating "Bound by H. Wolff, New York" (instead of The Book Press) and no Charlie series listed below; also, no edition or printing stated on copyright page. 4to - 7-3/8" x 10-1/4". Publisher's original red cloth covered boards with blind stamped decoration to upper board and gilt lettering to spine. Top edge stained yellow. Green endpapers. SIGNED BY ROALD DAHL on the front free endpaper. One hundred eighteen numbered pages for what is the author's scarce first book for children. First issue dust wrapper with a few small spots of discoloration and light wear to edges, especially at spine and fold ends. Both the book and the dust wrapper are in NEAR FINE condition.
Seller: Wallace & Clark, Booksellers, Houston, TX, U.S.A.