A Shropshire Lad and Last Poems.

Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire: printed at The Alcuin Press, published by The Richards Press Limited, London,, 1929. Graham Greene's presentation copy First Alcuin Press edition, one of 325 sets, this copy is out-of-series, inscribed "specially for Graham and Vivienne Greene, from the printer of the book" on the limitation page, and with author Graham Greene's wife library label to the front pastedown. This was the first edition comprising what were then Housman's complete published works (More Poems being published only after his death in 1936). Almost all sets were issued in two cloth-backed volumes. Housman refused the publisher H. P. R. Finberg's request to issue a deluxe version in a single leather-bound volume, writing to him on 1 February 1929: "Unless I change my mind, A Shropshire Lad and Last Poems will not be published in one volume during my lifetime." Nonetheless Finberg persevered in secret and, according to Naiditch, at least four copies were thus bound. This copy has a presentation inscription on the front free endpaper, "Laurence Gallichan, 1929, H.P.", most likely by Finberg himself. Two volumes in one, octavo. Original brown buckram, spine lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Printed in red and black. Extremities a little rubbed, a touch of bubbling and foxing to boards, the binding otherwise sound, light spotting to edges, else internally crisp; a very nice copy.