Earth Stopped or Mr. Marx's Sporting Tour, T. H. White — 1st Edition

£95.00

Earth Stopped or Mr. Marx's Sporting Tour, T. H. White — 1st Edition

Name: Earth Stopped or Mr. Marx's Sporting Tour, T. H. White — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5279
Price: 95.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Collins, 1934

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 252.

Condition Report: Good. The red cloth boards remain reasonably firm but show signs of typical handling, with general rubbing to the extremities, minor edge wear, and slight bumping to the corners. The spine is heavily sunned, having darkened to a uniform brown, though the black text remains fully legible. The text block edges are untrimmed and show noticeable toning alongside scattered foxing. Internally, the binding remains secure, with moderate foxing primarily affecting the endpapers and preliminary leaves. A contemporary ink gift inscription, reading "And I hope that you will laugh as much as I did" and dated 'Xmas 1934', occupies the front free endpaper. The remaining text pages are clean and largely free of blemish.

Catalogue Note: This is a first edition, first printing of T. H. White's early dystopian satire, published four years before the debut of his celebrated Arthurian saga, The Sword in the Stone.

Bound in the publisher's original cloth without the dust jacket, the volume bears an early provenance marker in the form of a contemporary ink gift inscription dated to the Christmas season of its publication year. Early standalone titles by White, particularly in their first iteration, are increasingly scarce on the open market, marking this as an intriguing acquisition for collectors of pre-war speculative and comic fiction.

Predating T. H. White’s legendary Arthurian works, Earth Stopped or Mr. Marx’s Sporting Tour is a wildly inventive comic dystopia that blends pastoral satire with apocalyptic science fiction. When a Communist revolution triggers a devastating future war across Britain, a cast of fox-hunting country gentlemen must navigate the absolute collapse of traditional rural society. White perfectly channels the sharp, fast-paced humour of his contemporaries, creating a bizarre and prescient narrative that examines how deeply rooted social rituals survive, or fail, when the world as they know it abruptly ends.

Book Condition: Good

Book Authors: T. H. White

Book Publisher: Collins

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Humour Fiction

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 252

Book Publication Year: 1934

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.