In Dubious Battle. by STEINBECK, John - 1936

New York: Covici, Friede, 1936. An attractive and fine copy, inscribed by the author to a close friend First trade edition, first printing, presentation copy inscribed by the author "For Guy G. B. Reedy, John Steinbeck" on the front free endpaper. A signed limited edition was also issued by the publishers in 1936.
Steinbeck met Reedy when he moved to New York in the early 1920s and both men worked on the construction of Madison Square Garden. Steinbeck left after seeing a co-worker fall to his death, but the two remained close, and Steinbeck inscribed first editions of all his books for Reed.
Steinbeck later wrote about his experiences in New York in his 1953 essay, "Making of a New Yorker": "The city had beat the pants off me. Whatever it required to get ahead, I didn't have it. I didn't leave the city in disgust – I left it with the respect plain, unadulterated fear gives. New York is an ugly city, a dirty city. Its climate is a scandal, its politics are used to frighten children, its traffic is madness, its competition is murderous. But there is one thing about it – once you have lived in New York and it has become your home, no place else is good enough. All of everything is concentrated here, population, theater, art, writing, publishing, importing, business, murder, mugging, luxury, poverty. It is all of everything. It goes all right. It is tireless and its air is charged with energy". Octavo. Original orange cloth, lettering to spine in black, rules to covers and spine in red, top edge red. With dust jacket. Housed in a custom green morocco-backed folding box. Some minor marks to front free endpaper; a fine copy which is bright and crisp. Extremely minor rubbing to extremities, else a fine and bright example of an unclipped jacket. Goldstone & Payne A5(b)