The Penguin Story MCMXXXV-MCMLVI, William Emrys Williams — 1st Edition

£120.00

The Penguin Story MCMXXXV-MCMLVI, William Emrys Williams — 1st Edition

Name: The Penguin Story MCMXXXV-MCMLVI, William Emrys Williams — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4683
Price: 120.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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£120.00

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Publication: Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1956

Formatting: Small 8vo, pp. 124.

Condition Report: Very Good. The original pictorial wrappers remain bright and largely clean, exhibiting only mild age-toning and a touch of light rubbing to the extremities. The spine is unbroken though lightly sunned, demonstrating the binding remains tight and securely hinged. A minor curl is present at the lower fore-edge corner of the front wrapper, though without associated creasing or tearing. Internally, the text block is clean, sound, and free from foxing, with only faint, uniform age-toning to the page margins as is characteristic for the paper stock of this era. A highly presentable and structurally sound copy.

Catalogue Note: Issued to commemorate the twenty-first anniversary of Penguin Books, this first edition provides a comprehensive and illustrated history of the publisher's first quarter-century. The text is supplemented with numerous plates documenting early cover designs and marketing displays, alongside a complete catalogue of Penguin publications issued up to 1956.

This copy bears the signature of Penguin Books founder Sir Allen Lane on the preliminary leaf. The inscription, reading "Allen Lane / Silverbeck / July 27th 1956," places the signing at Lane's personal residence in Stanwell Moor during the month of the company's official anniversary celebrations.

While unsigned copies of this commemorative volume are relatively common on the secondary market, examples bearing Lane's direct signature and a localized date are scarce, offering a direct association to the founder for collectors of publishing history.

Published to mark the twenty-first anniversary of the iconic publishing house, The Penguin Story offers an authoritative retrospective on the company that revolutionised the modern paperback. Authored by Sir William Emrys Williams, a central figure in Penguin's early editorial direction, the book charts the firm’s rapid ascent from a bold sixpenny experiment to a global cultural force. Accompanied by archival photographs, cover designs, and a complete bibliography of the era's releases, it remains an essential document of twentieth-century literary history.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: William Emrys Williams

Book Publisher: Penguin Books

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: History

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: Yes

Book Pages: 124

Book Publication Year: 1956

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Softcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: Q21

Country/region of manufacture: Harmondsworth, 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.