The Stars Look Down, A.J. Cronin — 1st Edition

£100.00

The Stars Look Down, A.J. Cronin — 1st Edition

Name: The Stars Look Down, A.J. Cronin — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5602
Price: 100.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1935

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 701, [3].

Condition Report: Good. While the structural integrity of the binding and the cleanliness of the black cloth boards merit a stronger individual grade, the significant loss to the dust jacket necessitates a conservative overall assessment. The text-block edges exhibit typical but mild age-toning and faint dust-soiling, yet the internal pages remain crisp, tight, and largely unblemished. The unoxidised spine lettering remains bright, contrasting sharply with the defective original dust jacket; although the jacket's spine is mostly intact and legible save for minor chipping at the extremities, the front panel has suffered a severe horizontal tear resulting in the complete loss of its lower section, exposing the cloth beneath. Additional creasing, short closed tears along the top edge, and general shelf-wear to the fragile paper further compound its flaws, rendering the volume an authentic, structurally sound, but heavily handled example.

Catalogue Note: This is a true first edition, first impression of A.J. Cronin’s enduringly popular mining novel, published by Victor Gollancz in 1935.

Unillustrated, as issued, the volume features the publisher's characteristic plain black cloth binding and retains a portion of its original, highly recognisable yellow, magenta, and black typographic dust jacket, a hallmark of Gollancz's mid-century aesthetic. The front free endpaper bears a neat, contemporary pencilled ownership signature, offering a modest trace of the book’s early provenance.

While the novel was an immediate bestseller and reprinted extensively, true first printings that retain any fragment of their fragile original wrappers have become increasingly scarce on the open market, as these bold but flimsy covers seldom survived the rigours of time and readership.

Set against the gritty backdrop of a Northumbrian coal-mining community, The Stars Look Down is A.J. Cronin’s sweeping social epic of early twentieth-century Britain. The narrative traces the diverging paths of two miners' sons, the idealistic David Fenwick, who seeks to champion workers' rights through education and politics, and the ruthless Joe Gowlan, who exploits the industry's fraught conditions for personal gain. A masterclass in realism and moral complexity, Cronin’s powerful indictment of the British mining industry remains a profound exploration of ambition, injustice, and human endurance.

Book Condition: Good

Book Authors: A.J. Cronin

Book Publisher: Victor Gollancz Ltd

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Historical Fiction

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 701

Book Publication Year: 1935

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

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.