Death of a Salesman (Signed First Edition) by Miller, Arthur - 1949

New York: The Viking Press, 1949. First edition. Near Fine/Near Fine. Signed by the author on the title page. Book Near Fine on account of a previous owner's name written on the first blank, otherwise a lovely copy. With the correct date "1949" on the title page, although the type is breaking on the final "9". In a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket, with the spine a trifle faded and light wear at the spine ends and corners. In all, a very presentable copy of a book that is relatively uncommon in anything approaching Fine condition.

Arthur Miller's 1949 play - one of the towering classics of the American stage. Death of a Salesman follows the trials of Willy Loman, the quintessential American tragic hero. The original production was directed by Elia Kazan, starred Lee J. Cobb, and ran for 742 performances. The role of Loman has also been played by such luminaries as George C. Scott, Brian Dennehy, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The play would win a Tony Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the New York Drama Circle Critics' Award, becoming the first play to win all three prizes. It would also be adapted into a 1951 film, directed by Stanley Roberts -- Fredric March would be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. "Arthur Miller has written a superb drama. From every point of view "Death of a Salesman," which was acted at the Morosco last evening, is a rich and memorable drama. It is so simple in style and so inevitable in theme that it scarcely seems like a thing that has been written and acted" (contemporary New York Times review). Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket.