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LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI
by Twain, Mark
- Used
- first
- Condition
- Very good.
- Seller
-
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Chatto & Windus, 1883. Very good.. First UK edition of the non-fiction companion to HUCKLEBERRY FINN, a memoir of Twain's experiences as a steamboat pilot before the Civil War. LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI draws together two major strands of Twain's writing: the pensive regional descriptions of the South of his younger years, and the spirited travel narratives that took readers with him on adventures. Twain biographer Justin Kaplan sees the development of this memoir and HUCKLEBERRY FINN, written at the same time, as "symbiotic": when stuck on one, Twain would turn to the other. The relationship between the two was so close that material from HUCK actually ended up in LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI, including an entire chapter.
The first UK edition is technically the first to reach the public, preceding the US edition by several days for copyright purposes. Octavo, 7.5'' x 5''. Original red cloth stamped in gilt and black. Brown leaf-patterned endpapers. Illustrated in black and white. Publisher's catalogue at rear, dated March 1883. xxvi, 561, [3], 32 pages. Contemporary ink gift inscription (dated August 1883) to second fly leaf; ink owner name with matching date to corner of title page; marginal pencil notation on page 17. Evidence of bookplate removal to front pastedown. Binding recased, with light soil and bumping to boards. Slight lean. Some bleed of red cloth color to endpapers. Else interior largely clean with just a few instances of soil. Tight.
The first UK edition is technically the first to reach the public, preceding the US edition by several days for copyright purposes. Octavo, 7.5'' x 5''. Original red cloth stamped in gilt and black. Brown leaf-patterned endpapers. Illustrated in black and white. Publisher's catalogue at rear, dated March 1883. xxvi, 561, [3], 32 pages. Contemporary ink gift inscription (dated August 1883) to second fly leaf; ink owner name with matching date to corner of title page; marginal pencil notation on page 17. Evidence of bookplate removal to front pastedown. Binding recased, with light soil and bumping to boards. Slight lean. Some bleed of red cloth color to endpapers. Else interior largely clean with just a few instances of soil. Tight.
Synopsis
Life on the Mississippi is a memoir by Mark Twain detailing his days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before and after the American Civil War. The book begins with a brief history of the river from its discovery by Hernando de Soto in 1542. It continues with anecdotes of Twain's training as a steamboat pilot, as the 'cub' of an experienced pilot. He describes, with great affection, the science of navigating the ever-changing Mississippi River.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Type Punch Matrix
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 33967
- Title
- LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI
- Author
- Twain, Mark
- Book Condition
- Used - Very good.
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Chatto & Windus
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1883
- Keywords
- 19th century,US American,Travel
Terms of Sale
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About the Seller
Type Punch Matrix
Biblio member since 2020
Silver Spring, Maryland
About Type Punch Matrix
Type Punch Matrix is a rare book firm founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy. TPM is a member firm of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- 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...
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