GEORGE'S SECRET KEY TO THE UNIVERSE

First edition, first printing. Limited edition, signed by Stephen Hawking and Lucy Hawking. Illustrated throughout in black and white by Gary Parsons. Publisher's original silver cloth with a black titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. Text boxes containing scientific facts scattered throughout the text, along with four sections of glossy colour pages featuring space photographs. A fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Complete with fine dust jacket with holographic effect to the upper panel. Not price-clipped.

Rare in this signed limited edition of which the publisher produced only 59 copies, this being hand numbered 5/59. Inscribed by Lucy Hawking in black ink on the title page "Space Rocks! / 5th September 2007 / Lucy Hawking x / Stephen Hawking xx". Underneath is the authorial thumbprint of Stephen Hawking next to which is an ink stamp, reading "RIGHT THUMB-PRINT / OF S.W. HAWKING / WITNESSED BY / JUDITH CROASDELL". A children's novel co-written by Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy, telling the story of a group of friends' outer space adventure supported by real scientific material. A touching and highly desirable autographed book that links one of the greatest scientific minds in history to his family and passion for enhancing the approachability of science. Provenance: Random House competition prize (publisher's compliments slip laid in).