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Israel Potter; His Fifty Years of Exile

Israel Potter; His Fifty Years of Exile

Israel Potter; His Fifty Years of Exile

Israel Potter; His Fifty Years of Exile

by MELVILLE, Herman

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Very Good
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Gloucester City, New Jersey, United States
Item Price
NZ$846.00
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About This Item

New York: Putnam, 1855. Hardcover. Very Good. Second printing in *BAL* second binding in brown cloth (no priority) and yellow endpapers. A few signatures starting, some soiling to the boards, front fly lacking, this copy from the library of novelist Stuart Mitchner with his embossed surname on a preliminary page, a very good copy with the spine gilt brighter than often seen. A historical adventure written when Melville was trying to salvage a professional writing career hampered by the increasingly poor receptions of his more philosophical works *Mardi*, *Moby-Dick*, and *Pierre*. *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
Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
72116
Title
Israel Potter; His Fifty Years of Exile
Author
MELVILLE, Herman
Format/Binding
Hardcover
Book Condition
Used - Very Good
Quantity Available
1
Publisher
Putnam
Place of Publication
New York
Date Published
1855

Terms of Sale

Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA

All books are first editions unless otherwise noted. All books are returnable within ten days if returned in the same condition as sent. We accept VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DISCOVER, PAYPAL, checks and money orders. New Jersey residents please add 6.625% sales tax. All items guaranteed, all items subject to prior sale. Members ABAA, ILAB. Shipping is $4.50 for Media Mail, $10.00 for Priority Mail or UPS Ground. Tracking is provided for every order. Alternate shipping available by request. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.




About the Seller

Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2005
Gloucester City, New Jersey

About Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA

Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc., founded in 1985, specializes in first editions of 20th Century American and English fiction. Our inventory of over 75,000 first editions includes: African-American literature & history, Mysteries, Detective Fiction, Drama, Books into Film and Sports books. We routinely issue extensively illustrated color catalogs, available by subscription. We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA)and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). Tom Congalton, founder of Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc., actively promotes the ethics and standards of these professional organizations and served as President of the ABAA from 2000 to 2002.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

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....
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
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...
Poor
A book with significant wear and faults. A poor condition book is still a reading copy with the full text still readable. Any...
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