Monday, August 20, 2012

New Bibliography of Dickens First American Editions a Must-Have

By Stephen J. Gertz


It's the literary scholarship event of this, the Charles Dickens bicentennial. Let the celebration begin.

Charles Dickens: A Bibliography of His First American Editions 1836-1870, the eagerly anticipated third volume of Walter E. Smith's acclaimed series of bibliographies of Charles Dickens' works, thirty years in the making and scheduled for release in September 2012, is now available for pre-order.

This significant work identifies the first and early American editions of Charles Dickens' novels and Sketches by Boz and traces their publishing history, including various impressions and sub-editions, from 1836 to 1870, the year of Dickens' death. Each of the entries provides detailed textual data and binding descriptions and is supplemented by photographic reproductions of title pages and bindings. The notes contain interesting comments about the novels, including their appearances in newspapers and journals, typographical points, and payments made to Dickens.

The bibliography was compiled from firsthand examinations of the books at major libraries and institutions throughout the country, in private collections, and in the possession of several rare book dealers. The content complements and stylistically conforms to the author's previous two-volume bibliography on Dickens's English editions. 

The book is an indispensable reference for libraries, collectors, booksellers, researchers, and students of Victorian literature since no other work of this magnitude on Dickens' American editions has ever been undertaken or published.

Oak Knoll Press is the exclusive distributor of this 456-page opus. Limited to 500 copies at only $95 each, the book is expected to sell out very soon after publication. To assure that a copy will be available to you, don't hesitate: Pre-Order NOW.
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SMITH, Walter E. Charles Dickens: A Bibliography of His First American Editions 1836-1870. Calabasas, CA: David Brass Rare Books, Inc. First edition. Quarto (10 3/4 x 8 inches). 456 pp. Illustrated with title pages to each described edition. Green cloth. Dust jacket. $95.
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Full disclosure: I supervised the book's production for David Brass Rare Books.
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1 comment:

  1. This book is invaluable for any collector of Dicken's early works. I am able to easily identify the books I have and those am hope to collect.

    ReplyDelete

 
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