The Road to Wigan Pier, George Orwell — 1st Edition (Left Book Club)

£149.50

The Road to Wigan Pier, George Orwell — 1st Edition (Left Book Club)

Name: The Road to Wigan Pier, George Orwell — 1st Edition (Left Book Club)
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 6027
Price: 149.50 GBP
Availability: InStock

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£149.50

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Publication: London, Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1937.

Formatting: 8vo, pp. xxiv, 264.

Condition Report: Good. The book maintains solid structural integrity with its limp orange cloth wrappers fully intact. It exhibits several signs of age and careful use characteristic of this fragile format. The spine is noticeably faded, darkened, and rubbed at the head and tail, and there is a mild crease to the lower-right corner of the front cover. Internally, there is prominent foxing scattered across the preliminary pages, particularly the title page, as well as the verso and the opposite page detailing the list of illustrations. Prominent foxing and tanning are also visible along the top, bottom, and fore-edges of the text block. Despite these flaws, the text remains clean and legible, presenting a respectable, un-restored example of this historically significant issue.

Catalogue Note: This is the true first edition of George Orwell’s seminal work, issued as a Left Book Club Edition. As explicitly stated on the front cover, this edition was "NOT FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC". It was printed in Great Britain by The Camelot Press Ltd., London and Southampton. The Left Book Club was founded by Victor Gollancz to promote anti-fascist and socialist ideas, making this specific issue an important artefact of 1930s British political history.

The volume features a foreword by Victor Gollancz and includes the original 32 photographic plates, as confirmed by the partial list of illustrations.

While the Left Book Club issue was printed in large numbers compared to the exceptionally rare first trade edition, finding copies in their original fragile limp orange cloth without severe structural damage has become increasingly uncommon on the open market.

Commissioned by Victor Gollancz, The Road to Wigan Pier is George Orwell’s stark, deeply moving sociological analysis of working-class life in the bleak industrial heartlands of Northern England during the Great Depression. The first half of the book functions as a masterful piece of investigative journalism, documenting the brutal realities of coal miners, slum housing, and widespread unemployment. In the second half, Orwell shifts to a more autobiographical and polemical essay, reflecting on his own middle-class upbringing and arguing for a unified socialist movement. The result is a passionate and enduringly relevant portrait of poverty and class division that remains one of Orwell's most powerful non-fiction achievements.

Book Condition: Good

Book Authors: George Orwell

Book Publisher: Victor Gollancz Ltd

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: History

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 288

Book Publication Year: 1937

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Softcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: Left Book Club

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.