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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile
by Melville, Herman
- Used
- first
- Condition
- Original tan cloth boards both stamped in blind with decorative motif, (first binding as appropriate to first printing), titles
- Seller
-
New York, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: G.P. Putnam & Co, 1855. First edition, first printing. 1 vols. 8vo. Original tan cloth boards both stamped in blind with decorative motif, (first binding as appropriate to first printing), titles ruled in gilt on spine; some fraying on spine and edges with slight cocking, foxing throughout; a very good first issue. First edition, first printing. 1 vols. 8vo. First edition, first issue. Melville based this work on the "Life and Remarkable Adventures of Israel R. Potter," 1824, which purports to be the true story of a soldier in the American Revolution who was captured by the British at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Melville has ably sketched such contempoary figures as George III, Dr, Franklin, John Paul Jones and Ethan Allen. BAL 13667
Synopsis
The authoritative edition of Melville's only historical novel Based on the life of an actual soldier who claimed to have fought at Bunker Hill, Israel Potter is unique among Herman Melville's books: a novel in the guise of a biography. In telling the story of Israel Potter's fall from Revolutionary War hero to peddler on the streets of London, where he obtained a livelihood by crying "Old Chairs to Mend," Melville alternated between invented scenes and historical episodes, granting cameos to such famous men of the era as Benjamin Franklin (Potter may have been his secret courier) and John Paul Jones, and providing a portrait of the American Revolution as the rollicking adventure and violent series of events that it really was. This edition of Israel Potter , which reproduces the definitive text, includes selections from Potter's autobiography, Life and Remarkable Adventures of Israel R. Potter , the basis for Melville's novel.
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Details
- Bookseller
- James Cummins Bookseller
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 365138
- Title
- Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile
- Author
- Melville, Herman
- Format/Binding
- 1 vols. 8vo
- Book Condition
- Used - Original tan cloth boards both stamped in blind with decorative motif, (first binding as appropriate to first printing), titles
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition, first printing
- Publisher
- G.P. Putnam & Co
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1855
- Keywords
- German
- Bookseller catalogs
- Literature;
Terms of Sale
James Cummins Bookseller
All items, as usual, are guaranteed as described and are returnable within 30 days if not as described. Within the United States, all books are shipped UPS unless otherwise requested (please provide a street address). Overseas orders should specify shipping preference. All postage is extra. New clients are requested to send remittance with your orders. Libraries may apply for deferred billing. All New York and New Jersey residents must add the appropriate sales tax. We accept American Express, Master Card, and Visa. All items are subject to prior sale; prices are subject to change.
About the Seller
James Cummins Bookseller
Biblio member since 2009
New York, New York
About James Cummins Bookseller
Founded in 1978 by James Cummins, the firm has grown to include two New Jersey locations as well as the main store at 699 Madison Avenue (between 62nd and 63rd Streets) in New York City.Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (During July & August, until 4:00 p.m. on Fridays.)The Madison Avenue store is a seventh-floor oasis for book-lovers, a quiet and pleasantly furnished book room with a carefully chosen, expertly catalogued and broad-based selection of fine and rare books, autographs, manuscripts, and works of art. We have built notable private collections for American and international clients. Our stock is always changing, and our steady input from private buying and public auctions assures our clients of new surprises (and temptations!) at each visit. Our stock covers a wide range of collecting interests, with particular emphasis in the following fields: British and American Literature, Sporting Books, Private Press and Illustrated Books, 19th-Century Color Plate Books, Americana, Travel, Sets and Fine Bindings, History, and Authors' Manuscripts and Letters. Our catalogued inventory exceeds 50,000 titles, much of which can be searched on the internet. In addition, our New Jersey warehouse contains over 400,000 books in all subject areas. We might have the books you're looking for.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- G
- Good describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted. (as defined by AB...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- BAL
- Bibliography of American Literature (commonly abbreviated as BAL in descriptions) is the quintessential reference work for any...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
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