VIDAL IN VENICE

New York City, NY: Summit Books, 1985. First Edition. First Printing.. Hardcover. Fine/Fine Dust Jacket.. New York City, NY: Summit Books, 1985. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First Edition/First Printing. 160 pages. Book-length account on subject. One of Gore Vidal's finest achievements. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only simultaneously with the British Edition. The First Edition is now rare. A sumptuous production by George Armstrong: Oversize-volume format. Brown cloth boards with gilt titles embossed on spine, as issued. Text by Gore Vidal. Photographs by Tore Gill. Edited by George Armstrong. Accompanying original VHS tapes of the film version-adaptations, "Vidal In Venice: Part One" and "Vidal In Venice: Part Two", narrated by Gore Vidal himself and beautifully filmed by Mischa Scorer. Printed on pristine-white, thick coated stock paper in Venice, Italy to the highest standards. In pictorial DJ with titles on the cover and spine, as issued. Presents Gore Vidal's "Vidal In Venice". The great writer's guide to the Old World's only surviving city. Inimitably written in Vidal's characteristically brilliant style, it thereby sets itself apart from ALL other accounts; there are many and are quite superb. If the ruins of Athens and Rome be our link to the Age of Antiquity, Venice largely remains as it once was, "the world's most romantic city", albeit submerged in fetid waters. "Gore Vidal traces his roots back to Venice. He takes you along as he peers into Venice's mysterious, glorious, and twisted history. In this very personal tour of Venice Past and Present, Vidal guides you in his own special way, telling you as much about the Venetian people as he does about their empire, including visits to Crete and Naxos, Venetian strongholds of the past. The great writer, who traces his ancestors to the imperial Venetians centuries ago, is an excellent guide: The art treasures, the sumptuous palaces, the literary past, the scandals of yesterday, and the tourist-y Venice of today all find their place in Vidal's chronicle as he wanders from the canals to the Doge's Palace. This is Venice as only Vidal's eyes could see it" (Publisher's blurb) . An absolute "must-have" title for Gore Vidal collectors. This copy is very prominently and beautifully signed in black pen on the title page by Gore Vidal. It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. It comes with the original VHS tapes of the film version-adaptations, "Vidal In Venice: Part One" and "Vidal In Venice: Part Two", narrated by Gore Vidal and beautifully filmed by Mischa Scorer, both in pristine, un-used condition. This title is a great book. As far as we know, this is the only such signed copy (with original tapes) of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing (American) available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare set thus. Recipient of the National Book Award's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 for "Distinguished Contribution to American Letters". One of the greatest writers of the 20th century. A fine collectible set. (SEE ALSO OTHER GORE VIDAL TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0671606913.