One Hundred Best Books, John Cowper Powys — 1st Edition

£21.10

One Hundred Best Books, John Cowper Powys — 1st Edition

Name: One Hundred Best Books, John Cowper Powys — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 6730
Price: 21.10 GBP
Availability: InStock

Write Review

In stock

£21.10

Shipping is calculated at checkout.

Publication: New York, G. Arnold Shaw, 1916.

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 73.

Condition Report: Very Good. The binding remains sound and tight, though the light-coloured cloth spine exhibits noticeable age-darkening and minor fraying at the head and tail, which is typical for this fragile binding style. The brown paper-covered boards show light rubbing and bumping to the corners, alongside faint shelf-wear along the bottom edges. Despite this, the gilt stamping on the front board remains impressively bright and sharp, contrasting well against the matte boards. The black lettering on the spine is still fully legible. Internally, the pages are generally clean and crisp, with only faint, scattered age-toning to the text block edges.

Catalogue Note: First Edition. The book is bound in the publisher's original half-cloth over brown boards. The copyright page confirms the 1916 printing by G. Arnold Shaw in New York, printed by the Vail-Ballou Company. The page opposite the title page features a list of Powys's contemporary publications, notably advertising Rodmoor and Suspended Judgments as "In Preparation".

While not exceptionally rare, early John Cowper Powys monographs in their original, unrestored bindings have become increasingly uncommon on the open market.

Published in the midst of the First World War, One Hundred Best Books is John Cowper Powys’s highly subjective and endlessly fascinating curation of world literature. Moving away from standard, dry academic lists, Powys champions the works that possess a certain "life-force," offering spirited, sometimes provocative critiques on authors ranging from Dostoevsky and Nietzsche to Thomas Hardy and Henry James. It stands as both a snapshot of early 20th-century literary taste and a passionate manifesto on the joy of reading from one of Britain's most eccentric and visionary men of letters.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: John Cowper Powys

Book Publisher: G. Arnold Shaw

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: Criticism & Essays

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 73

Book Publication Year: 1916

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: New York, United States

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.