A Farewell to Arms [First Printing in First Issue Wrapper] by Hemingway, Ernest - 1929

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1929. First printing in rare first issue wrapper. Scribner colophon at copyright page with no additional printings stated; no disclaimer verso dedication page. Smooth, coated, black cloth boards, gold cover and spine labels stamped in black ink, moderate shelf, corner wear. Cover and spine labels remain bright and crisp. Bind good, square. Deckled pages very good, attractively toned; no writing. Antiquarian hexagonal bookplate in gold, black, and white inside cover features silhouette of Victorian lady playing a piano w/dentelle flourishes. Verso is antiquarian bookplate with interesting crest of shield w/diamond shape and cross surrounded by leaves and knight's helmet at top: "Ex Libris, Guernsey". Original first edition Cleon wrapper with Catherine Barkley misspelled as Katharine Barclay in front flap summary, moderate shelf wear, toning; unclipped 2.50, protected in new clear sleeve. Very attractive and rare without chip or adhesive and retaining original wax-like texture to back of jacket. Wrapper art and design by Cleonike "Cleon" Damianakes, an illustrator and etcher who designed some of the most iconic jackets of the era. Additional images available. Very good example in same original wrapper. Ernest Hemingway's third full-length novel following The Torrents of Spring and The Sun Also Rises. The story recounts the romance between Frederic Henry, an American soldier, and Catherine Barkley, a British nurse. Heavily autobiographical, the plot was directly inspired by Hemingway's relationship with Agnes von Kurowsky in Milan. Catherine's parturition (childbirth) was inspired by the intense labor pains of Pauline in the birth of Patrick - Ernest' second wife and second son - and the real-life Kitty Cannell inspired the fictional Helen Ferguson. The priest was based on Don Giuseppe Bianchi, the priest of the 69th and 70th regiments of the Brigata Ancona. 355 pages. Insured post.. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Book.