Stephen Hawking (1942-2018).

The Universe in a Nutshell. London: Bantam Press, 2001.

First British edition with authorial thumbprint of Hawking's bestselling sequel to A Brief History of Time. A fine copy, 'signed' with an authorial thumbprint on front free endpaper, and with personal message in Hawking's personal assistant's hand, in response to get well correspondence. A photograph of Hawking is included with the lot, as are accompanying letters from Hawking's office.

Small quarto (250 x 190mm). Half-title, text-illustrations. Publisher's black boards, black pictorial dustjacket. Provenance: authorial thumbprint on title (witnessed by Karen Sime, personal assistant to Prof. Hawking, dated '10.12.01', and with personal message from Hawking in Sime's handwriting to): – the present owner ('Forward to the brave new world! To: Lawrence. Stephen Hawking').

Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.