A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell - 1951-75

London: Heinemann, 1951-75. First edition. Cloth. Near Fine/Near Fine. 7.5" by 5". None. A complete run of the first editions, first impressions, of Anthony Powell's magnum opus, all in their original unclipped dust wrappers. All volumes are first editions, first impressions.Complete in twelve volumes.All in the original unclipped dustwrappers.Ink inscription of Anne Olivier Popham to the recto to the front endpaper of 'A Question of Upbringing', dated February 1951. Popham married Quentin Bell in 1952. Bell was the nephew of Virginia Woolf and the son of Vanessa Bell. Anne Olivier Bell was a member of the Bloomsbury Group, and is best known for edited Woolf's diaries.Powell is best known for this work, which is considered to be his magnum opus.'A Dance to the Music of Time' is a twelve volume roman-fleuve, published over the course of twenty-four years. In the sequence, Powell examines the cultural and military struggles of the twentieth century, examining the power and passivity of the English people.The series is narrated by Nicholas Jenkins, with his recollections of various people he encountered over the past half a century. The novels span roughly from 1921 to 1971.Powell was inspired by Nicolas Poussin's painting of the same name of the series.'A Question of Upbringing', published in 1951. 'A Buyer's Market', published in 1951. 'The Acceptance World', published in 1955. 'At Lady Molly's', published in 1957. 'Casanova's Chinese Restaurant', published in 1960. 'The Kindly Ones', published in 1962. 'The Valley of Bones', published in 1964. 'The Soldier's Art', published in 1955. 'The Military Philosophers', published in 1968. 'Books Do Furnish a Room', published in 1971. 'Temporary Kings', published in 1973. 'Hearing Secret Harmonies', published in 1975. In the original publisher's cloth binding, in the original unclipped dustwrappers. Externally, smart. Light bumping to the head and tail of the spines and to the extremities. Minor marks to the boards and spines of 'A Question of Upbringing', 'A Buyer's Market', 'The Valley of Bones', 'The Soldier's Art', 'Temporary Kings', and 'Hearing Secret Harmonies'. Discolouration to the boards of 'The Acceptance World'. Light spots to the fore edges of 'The Acceptance World', ''At Lady Molly's', 'Casanova's Chinese Restaurant', 'The Valley of Bones', 'The Soldier's Art', 'Temporary Kings', and 'Hearing Secret Harmonies'. Bookplate to the front pastedown of 'The Military Philosophers' from Westwick House. Minor discolouration and a few light marks to the dustwrappers, marks a little heavier to 'The Acceptance World'. Light edgewear to all dustwrappers, with a small amount of loss to the head and tail of the spines of 'A Question of Upbringing' and 'The Acceptance World'. Tape repair to the reverse of the dustwrapper of 'A Question of Upbringing'. Small chip to the head of the rear wrap of 'A Question of Upbringing'. Small chip to the head of the front wrap of 'A Buyer's Market'. A small amount of loss of paper to the rear flyleaf of 'The Acceptance World'. Spots to the reverse of the dustwrapper of 'The Kindly Ones'. Discolouration to the reverse of 'The Military Philosophers', with a small loss of paper to the rear flyleaf. A little discolouration to the reverse of 'Books Do Furnish a Room'. Small closed tear to the rear wrap of 'Temporary Kings'. Prior owner's ink inscription to the recto to the front endpaper of 'A Question of Upbringing'. Endpapers of 'A Question of Upbringing' and 'A Buyer's Market' are a little age-toned. Bookplate of Betty Wilson to the recto to the front endpaper of 'The Acceptance World'. Illustration tipped-in to the recto to the front endpaper of 'Books Do Furnish a Room', with a little discolouration to the front pastedown and front endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean. A few light spots to the first and last few pages of 'At Lady Molly's', 'Casanova's Chinese Restaurant'. Near Fine