Kipling, Rudyard

Songs From Books

Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1912. First Edition. Hardcover. "I have collected in this volume practically all the verses and chapter-headings scattered through my books, with the exception of the Jungle Books and the Just So Stories. In several cases where only a few lines of verse were originally used I have given in full the song, etc., from which they were taken." (author's Preface) A compilation of almost all the song lyric-poems (through time of publication) that enrich the many works of Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the canonical British author & journalist. Kipling was one of the most popular writers for children & adults during the later 19th & earlier 20th centuries; & he remains so today despite his now-unfashionable celebration of colonialism & the old British Empire. Hardcover in dark green cloth with gilt letters & embossed-colored illustrations on front cover & spine. First American edition of 1912, published concurrently with the first British edition. Without dust jacket, scarcely found in acceptable condition. A convenient & cozy collection (perfect for bedtime story recitations, parents!); a desirable Kipling collectible. In relatively near-fine unrestored condition with very mild rubbing, scratching to front, back covers & spine; mild wear at edges & corners of same with slight fraying & loss of color; gilt lettering significantly faded at spine (assuming these letters were originally gilt); moderate rubbing & browning to edges of text block; significant fading, mild scratching to dyed upper edge of same. Interior near-fine with mild browning mostly to blank margins of page leaves; tiny bumps, creases at upper corners of a few of same; hinge-edges between paste-downs & endpapers loosened with mostly closed tears (but binding quite intact with no loose leaves); small vintage sticker of the late venerable "Brentano's/ Booksellers & Stationers/ New York" affixed at lower left corner of rear paste-down. Near Fine. [Item #4354]

Price: $50.00 save 20% $40.00