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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
by Twain, Mark (Clemens, Samuel)
- Used
- very good
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Very Good
- Seller
-
New York, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Charles L. Webster & Co., 1889 First edition, first state with "S"-like ornament between "The" and "King" to p. 59. Original publisher's three-quarter brown morocco and pebbled cloth, four raised bands to spine, compartments ruled and lettered in gilt, red marbled endpapers, and marbled text block edges. Very good, with some rubbing to morocco and cloth, 2" split to top of front joint, corners worn to boards, previous owner's ownership label to front pastedown and signature in pencil to front flyleaf, a touch of staining to top front and rear board corners and top corners of a few pages at rear, some fading to marbled edges, and page edges lightly toned. Overall, a solid copy in the scarce publisher's morocco. BAL 3429. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is Twain's satire of the portrayal of chivalry in the Middle Ages in 19th century literature. The novel begins when Hank, an engineer from Connecticut, is transported back in time to King Arthur's court. Immediately ridiculed for his strange appearance, Hank is sentenced to death on what happens to be the date of a historic solar eclipse. Using his knowledge of the historic event, Hank threatens to blot out the sun if his execution plans move forward, and when the sun indeed goes dark at midday, the entire kingdom begins to revere him as a mystical figure, giving him the second most powerful position in the kingdom. The power goes to his head, and he tries to bring medieval England into the modern times that he knows, eventually coming to terms with the reality that one man alone cannot accomplish this task. Notably, the book is often viewed as a transitional part of Twain's career as a writer, including elements of humor that were often found in his earlier work and the darker elements of his later works.. First Edition. Very Good. Illus. by Daniel Carter Beard.
Synopsis
The original American satiristCracked on the head by a crowbar in nineteenth-century Connecticut, Hank Morgan wakes to find himself in King Arthur's England. Branded by Twain's aptitude for broad comedy and biting social satire, the grim truths of Twain's Camelot-fear, injustice, ignorance-resound as clearly now as when it was written
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Details
- Bookseller
- B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- MT116
- Title
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
- Author
- Twain, Mark (Clemens, Samuel)
- Illustrator
- Daniel Carter Beard
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- New York: Charles L. Webster & Co.
- Date Published
- 1889
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Bookseller catalogs
- American Literature; Illustrated Books; Fiction;
Terms of Sale
B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA
~ All items are guaranteed as described. We recommend requesting pictures prior to purchasing. ~ Any items may be returned within seven days of receipt and in the same condition as originally sent. ~ We ship with FedEx, UPS and USPS. Please let us know if you prefer another shipping. ~ New York State are required to add 8.875% sales tax.
About the Seller
B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA
Biblio member since 2006
New York, New York
About B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA
Selling First Editions and Rare Books from all centuries. Specializing in 19th and 20th century literature, modern first editions, signed and inscribed books, early children's literature, and poetry.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Pebbled
- Pebbled cloth or leather describes the covering of a hardcover book with a decorative texture of repeated small raised bumps,...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- BAL
- Bibliography of American Literature (commonly abbreviated as BAL in descriptions) is the quintessential reference work for any...
- Text Block
- Most simply the inside pages of a book. More precisely, the block of paper formed by the cut and stacked pages of a book....
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
- First State
- used in book collecting to refer to a book from the earliest run of a first edition, generally distinguished by a change in some...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
- Fiction & Literature Fiction by Region American Fiction
- Fiction & Literature Classic Literature
- Fiction & Literature Individual Authors Mark Twain
- Fiction & Literature Science Fiction & Fantasy Science Fiction
- Fiction & Literature Science Fiction & Fantasy Fantasy
- Fiction & Literature Fiction by Period 19th Century Literature
How to tell if a signature is genuine
Author's signatures can undoubtedly increase the value of a rare book or first edition. The more scarce the book is, the more an autograph adds to its value. But how to tell if the signature is real? Find out how you can avoid common pitfalls in identifying an author's signature.
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