{"product_id":"the-britain-of-brian-cook-brian-cook-batsford-1st-edition","title":"The Britain of Brian Cook, Brian Cook Batsford — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication\u003c\/strong\u003e: London, B.T. Batsford Ltd, 1987\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormatting\u003c\/strong\u003e: 4to, pp. 144.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/strong\u003e: Near Fine. The original red publisher’s cloth is remarkably clean and vibrant, free from the typical fading or oxidisation often found on copies of this age. The gilt lettering along the spine remains bright and unrubbed. The binding is firmly tight and square, suggesting the book has been scarcely read, with all hinges perfectly sound. Internally, the pages are crisp, bright, and devoid of foxing, thumbing, or any discernible shelf-wear to the text-block edges. The pictorial dust jacket is equally impressive. Unfaded and preserving the vivid, striking colour palette of Cook’s iconic illustration, with only the most trivial whisper of rubbing to the extreme corners and spine tips. A superb, highly presentable copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/strong\u003e: First edition. A visual celebration of the iconic Batsford book covers, this volume features the work of Brian Cook Batsford, who, under his pseudonym Brian Cook, revolutionised 20th-century British book design. This retrospective stands as the definitive collection of his distinctively vibrant, modernist, yet unmistakably pastoral aesthetic that defined the \"Face of Britain\" series from the 1930s through the 1950s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is profusely illustrated throughout, showcasing Cook’s brilliant and flat colour work which was made possible by his pioneering use of the Jean Berté watercolour printing process. The volume includes an engaging foreword by Sir Hugh Casson and a preface by Ian Logan, offering a compelling look at the construction of a romanticised English identity during the mid-20th century. While standard copies appear regularly on the secondary market, finding a true first printing of this heritage volume with such a crisp, well-preserved dust jacket is a notable benefit for collectors of classic British illustration and topography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Batsford books of the 1930s to the 1950s occupy a cherished space between reference work and decorative object. Their enduring appeal lies as much in their vibrant dust jackets, modernist in spirit yet pastoral in subject, as in the texts themselves. \u003ci\u003eThe Britain of Brian Cook\u003c\/i\u003e explores the genius behind these iconic covers, presenting a lavishly illustrated journey through a vivid, optimistic, and distinctly mid-century vision of the British landscape. It is an essential volume for anyone captivated by vintage book design, British topography, and the golden age of illustration.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54507708383571,"sku":"4953","price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260730_235255.jpg?v=1786016939","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/the-britain-of-brian-cook-brian-cook-batsford-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}