All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (Putnam, reprint circa 1938) dustwrapper

 

All Quiet on the Western Front

Erich Maria Remarque
London: Putnam, [stated] First Cheap Edition April 1930*

Circa 1938* printing of the hugely successful Great War novel. This ‘cheap’ edition features a different wrapper design to other printings which had a plain green wrapper with white lettering. The artwork to this wrapper is similiar in subject but somewhat different in style to the Paul Wenck wrapper of the US edition published by Little, Brown and Company. There appears to be an artist credited to the lower right-hand corner but unfortunately illegible.

Hardback – grey cloth with black titles, in a dustwrapper. 320pp. Size: 7.5 x 5.25 inches approx. (190mm x 131mm).

Dustwrapper rubbed and worn, especially to spine ends and corner tips with small loss; dusty/grubby; sunned and darkened to spine; very spotted and tanned to verso. Cloth a little dusty but generally clean; spine a touch darkened. Pages a little dusty in places, some age toning, but generally clean throughout; edges of page-block dusty and spotted, especially to top edge.

Nonetheless, remaining a nice copy – attractive in its dustwrapper.

£60.00

*The publishing history of the ‘Cheap Edition’ would seem to be complicated. This copy clearly states its publication date, however the list of author’s previous works (‘Three Comrades’ first English translation being published in 1937) suggests this is incorrect. The published price of 4 shillings and the increased prices of the books advertised on the rear panel of the dustwrapper would suggest it is a later printing than the circa 1937 copy here.

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