Stephen Crane, 1895

CRANE, Stephen (1871-1900). The Red Badge of Courage. New York: Appleton, 1895.

First edition, first printing, of Crane’s classic. “An extraordinary study of the common man amid the turmoil, clamor and distortion typified by war ... its intensity, its startling yet inevitable descriptive phrase, struck a new note in American prose" (DAB). With the earliest state of the advertisements. BAL 4071; Grolier American 98.

Octavo. Title-page printed in black and red, coated endpapers, 4 pp. advertisements with “Gilbert Parker’s Best Books” (front hinge cracked, small loss to lower corner of last page not touching any text). Original buckram lettered in red, black and gilt, top edge yellow (cloth darkened with some spotting, rubbing to spine and titles).