Ethel & Ernest: A True Story.** by BRIGGS**, RAYMOND R[edvers]:

UK,slim 8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.FINE/FINE.Owner's(?) ink initials+ published year date to top,right-hand corner of front fep,but no price- clip to dw/dj.White background with colour pictorial illustrations and black lettering,illustrated dw/dj; with negligible shelf-wear and creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present.Minimal,inevitable minor marking/grubbing of the white dw/dj.Sharp-cornered,bright, clean,publisher's original plain brown cloth boards with bright,crisp, stamped gilt letters to spine/backstrip and bright,clean,pale yellow endpapers.Top+fore-edges bright,crisp and clean; contents bright, tight and pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners - possibly an unread copy? UK,slim 8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,3-103pp [paginated] includes 6 sections/ chapters,colour strip-cartoon story format,illustrated by Raymond Briggs; plus [unpaginated] subject's sepia,oval photograph vignetted title page.
Utterly original,deeply moving and very funny,'Ethel & Ernest' is the story of Raymond Briggs's parents from their first chance encounter to their deaths,told in Briggs's unique strip-cartoon format.
Nothing is invented,nothing embroidered - this is the reality of two decent,ordinary lives,of two people who,as Briggs tells their story, become representative of us all.The book is also social history: we see the dark days of the Second World War,the birth of the Welfare State, the advent of television,and all the changes that were so exhilarating and bewildering for Ethel and Ernest to experience as they brought up their only son.
Raymond Briggs's earlier books -'Father Christmas', 'Fungus the Bogeyman', 'The Snowman', 'When the Wind Blows', 'The Man' - are acknowledged classics.'Ethel & Ernest',a marvellous,life-enhancing book for all ages,is his most extraordinary achievement yet (then 1998).
Raymond Redvers Briggs (b.1934).Born in London,son of a milkman. Studied at Wimbledon School of Art (at the age of fifteen,1949-53) and completed a typography course at the Central School of Art.And after National Service,he studied at the Slade School of Fine Art (1955-57).
Since 1957,he has been a full-time illustrator and author,mainly of children's books; since 1961,he has been a part-time lecturer in illustration at Brighton Polytechnic.He won the Kate Greenaway Medal for 'The Mother Goose Treasury' (1966) and 'Father Christmas' (1973),the first book for which he adopted the distinctive strip-cartoon format that he has since used frequently.'The Snowman' had no words, and was adapted by him for television (December 1982); 'When the Wind Blows',a powerful condemnation of nuclear defence (for adults), was adapted for radio (February 1983) and the theatre (April 1983).An accomplished draughtsman,he works in line and watercolour, gouache,pencil and crayons. Please contact rpaxtonden@blueyonder.co.uk,because of the lighter weight and value of this item,for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! ** N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch, especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always.