WOUNDS IN THE RAIN. War Stories by Crane, Stephen - 1900

1900. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, (1900). Original very dark green cloth decorated in gilt.

First (American) Edition of this collection of eleven fictional tales, based upon Crane's experience as a war correspondent in Cuba. Of all war correspondents who published their Cuban War reminiscences only he achieved a unity in his collection, by repetition of the themes which pattern the whole: "wounds" and "rain"... His experiences here are as vividly recorded as in his imaginative RED BADGE. [Stallman] Crane was with the Rough Riders at the Battle of San Juan Hill, but because he and Teddy Roosevelt did not get along, he was relegated "to the rear" while several other war correspondents were invited to be at the front. WOUNDS IN THE RAIN was published in September 1900 -- three months after Crane died in Germany, at age 28, of consumption. The English edition was printed from the American plates; Blanck says it "appears to have been issued a few days before," but W&S says "it is probable that both editions were issued simultaneously." This is a near-fine copy (a hint of wear at the extremities); the front endpaper bears a December 1900 signature plus a more recent one. Though the number of copies issued is not known, in our experience this is about the scarcest of Crane's later works. Williams & Starrett 28; Blanck 4091.