THE GOLDEN AGE by Grahame, Kenneth - 1905

New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. Very Good. 1905. 1st Illustrated Edition. Hardcover. B&W Illustrations; 1st US Illustrated Edition with illustrations by Maxfield Parrish. This book is in Very Good to Near Very Good+ condition and is lacking a dust jacket. The book and its contents are in generally clean, bright condition. There is some light rubbing, bumping and beginning edge wear to the spine ends and corners of the book covers. There is noticeable toning / darkening to the spine, spine joints and foredge of the book covers. The text pages are mostly clean and bright. There is a tear to the illustration page. There is a previous owner's inked name on the front endpaper. " (Kenneth Grahame)...While still a young man in his 20s, Grahame began to publish light stories in London periodicals such as the St. James Gazette. Some of these stories were collected and published as Pagan Papers in 1893, and, two years later, The Golden Age. These were followed by Dream Days in 1898, which contains The Reluctant Dragon. There is a ten-year gap between Grahame's penultimate book and the publication of his triumph, The Wind in the Willows. During this decade, Grahame became a father. The wayward headstrong nature he saw in his little son Alastair (also known as "Mouse") he transformed into the swaggering Mr. Toad, one of its four principal characters. Despite its success, he never attempted a sequel." .