[First Edition] On Detective Fiction and Other Things Including Pickwick G

On Detective Fiction and Other Things Including Pickwick, Cambridge, Infant Mortality, Slums, Stevenson, Motherhood & Incentives, G. F. McCleary â" First Edition Publication: London, Hollis & Carter, 1960. Formatting: 8vo, pp. 161. Condition Report: Near Fine. The original green cloth boards are exceptionally clean and well-preserved, with sharp, unbumped corners and bright gilt lettering to the spine, indicating an absence of shelf-wear or sun exposure. The binding remains tight and square. Internally, the text block is wonderfully bright and clean, free from the foxing often found in paper of this era, save for a hint of very faint dust-dulling to the top edge. The dust jacket is crisp, unclipped (retaining the original '16s net' price), and shows remarkably little wear. The stark white background of the rear panel and the vibrant green and red typographic panels remain bright, suffering only from the faintest touch of handling wear and minor age-toning typical of matte jackets, completely escaping the common scuffing, tears, or fading seen in other surviving copies. Catalogue Note: This is a First Edition, presented in its original publisher's green cloth binding. The volume is unillustrated. Of notable provenance, the dust jacketâs front flap bears a vintage Eason retail sticker ('1/2'), a charming artifact of its mid-century bookselling history. While McCleary's essays occasionally appear on the secondary market, they are scarce in this collector's condition. The vast majority of extant copies suffer from significant ex-library wear, dampstaining, or lack their original dust jackets entirely, making a tight, bright copy such as this an uncommon find. A delightfully eclectic collection of essays by G. F. McCleary, spanning a surprisingly diverse array of topics. From the mechanics of detective fiction and the literary world of Robert Louis Stevenson to pressing social observations on infant mortality, Cambridge life, and the realities of slum living, McCleary weaves together literary criticism, public health, and sociological reflection with mid-century wit and keen observation.

Estimate:£41.2

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