The Pisan Cantos, Ezra Pound — 1st Edition

£32.70

The Pisan Cantos, Ezra Pound — 1st Edition

Name: The Pisan Cantos, Ezra Pound — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 6897
Price: 32.70 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Faber and Faber, 1949

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 132.

Condition Report: Very Good. The original black cloth boards remain sturdy and secure, though they exhibit mild scuffing to the panels and gentle rubbing along the extremities, accompanied by typical light bumping to the spine ends. The gilt lettering to the spine, while slightly dulled by time, remains entirely legible and unbroken. Internally, the binding is tight and sound, with the text block remaining remarkably clean and free from foxing. The pages exhibit only faint age-toning to the edges, and a neat, dated previous ownership inscription is present to the front endpapers. An honest, well-preserved copy lacking the dust jacket.

Catalogue Note: This is a first English edition of Ezra Pound's highly influential and controversial The Pisan Cantos, issued by Faber and Faber a year following the American first edition. Identifiable as a true first printing by the 'mcmxlix' date on the copyright page, the publication represents a pivotal moment in modernist literature and postwar poetry.

Penned while Pound was held in an American military detention centre near Pisa, Italy, for treasonous wartime broadcasts, the work famously won the inaugural Bollingen Prize for Poetry in 1948, sparking intense debate. Without the dust jacket, the UK first edition remains relatively common on the open market, making it an accessible and essential acquisition for collectors of mid-century poetry and modernist first editions.

Written during a period of profound personal and political disgrace, Ezra Pound's The Pisan Cantos stands as one of the most significant and fiercely debated achievements in modernist poetry. Composed while the poet was incarcerated in an open-air wire cage at a US Army detention camp in Italy, the verses blend fragments of memory, acute observations of nature, multilingual allusions, and lamentations for a fallen Europe. Deeply elegiac and structurally fragmented, this sequence remains a haunting testament to both the genius and the controversy of its creator.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Ezra Pound

Book Publisher: Faber and Faber

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Antiquarian

Genre: Poetry

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 132

Book Publication Year: 1949

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: The Cantos

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.