Perdition, Jim Allen — 1st Edition

£50.00

Perdition, Jim Allen — 1st Edition

Name: Perdition, Jim Allen — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 6498
Price: 50.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Ithaca Press, 1987

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 152.

Condition Report: Near Fine. The original illustrated card wrappers remain impressively bright and crisp, showing only the most trivial hints of shelf-wear to the extremities and a faint trace of rubbing to the upper corners. The binding remains remarkably tight, secure, and perfectly square, indicating the play is likely unread and has been stored carefully. Internally, the text block is exceptionally clean, bright, and entirely free of foxing or age-toning. Both the hand-tipped-in replacement leaves and the loosely inserted publisher's slip are immaculately preserved without any creasing, tearing, or edge-wear, resulting in a highly presentable and rigorously well-preserved example of a fragile production.

Catalogue Note: This is the scarce true first edition, first printing (first state) of Jim Allen’s highly controversial political drama. This particular copy is of significant bibliographical interest, as it features the original hand-tipped-in replacement pages (pp. 61–64, 77–78, 119–120, and 151–152) alongside the loosely inserted "Publisher's Note" dated "4.vii.87."

Shortly before the play's publication, a libel action was brought against the publisher by Nathan Dror (previously Nathan Schwalb) concerning a specific passage in the text and related commentary. In response to the impending legal action, the publishers were forced to rapidly excise the offending leaves and manually tip-in replacement text just prior to distribution. The accompanying publisher's slip explicitly states that the book was issued with these passages removed so as not to prejudice the ongoing legal process.

Unaltered first-state copies containing the full suite of hand-tipped corrections and the original publisher’s disclaimer are uncommonly encountered on the open market, as subsequent printings either restored certain cuts or underwent further structural alterations.

Originally scheduled to premiere at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in January 1987, the last-minute cancellation of Perdition ignited a fierce and unprecedented controversy across the British press. Drawing heavily on evidence produced during the 1953 Rudolf Kastner libel trial in Israel, Jim Allen's provocative political drama questions the historical role and actions of Zionist leaders in Hungary during the Holocaust. The play delves into deeply uncomfortable historical intersections, exploring allegations of collaboration, the ethics of political maneuvering in the face of the Jewish catastrophe, and the legitimate boundaries of using highly sensitive historical tragedies within theatrical art.

Book Condition: Near Fine

Book Authors: Jim Allen

Book Publisher: Ithaca Press

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Modern Fiction

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 152

Book Publication Year: 1987

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Paperback

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: Jerusalem Studies Series No 13

Country/region of manufacture: Bodmin, 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.