Nord Contre Sud. 1887 First Edition Textured Cloth Binding

Paris: J. Hetzel, 1887. First Edition . Cloth. Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. L. Benett. Paris: J. Hetzel, 1887. First Edition (not, however, in Cartonnage Type aux Deux Elephants, but in a textured cloth binding instead). 85 engravings by L. Benett. Quarto (11" x 7.5"), red pebbled cloth with gilt spine designs and titling. 422 pp. (416 + 6 pp. ads). All Edges Gilt, silk texture endpapers. Notable dampstains on both covers, corners bumped a bit, spine shows one nick and trace scuffing, previous owner's markings on ffep. This example is otherwise in very worthy condition, with bright gilt, strong hinges and a clean textblock with only faint age toning at page edges. With the stained covers, however, just Good. Covers are plain red with stamped panel border lines only, the first edition apparently being prior to Hetzel's more elaborate cloth "cartonnages", at least for this title. A very scarce Verne true [French] first edition, Nord Contre Sud (North Against South) was written during a time in which Verne departed from science fiction in favor of adventure after the dime-novel spirit of the time. Later known variously in the U.S. as North Against South, Texar's Revenge, Texar the Southerner, and (in two parts) Burbank the Northerner and Texar the Southerner, it was a tale of individual Civil War conflict, but was of scant historical accuracy, and not highly thought of in its English form by U.S. reviewers. Still a scarce and interesting Verne true first. L11