THE HOT SWAMP: A Romance of Old Albion
London: James Nisbet & Co., 1892. First Edition. Hardcover. James Nisbet & Co. file copy, with the publisher's label to the rear panel. Historical novel set in ancient Greece, following the adventures of a Phoenician sea captain as he grapples with pirates and fierce storms. Ballantyne (1825-94) was a prolific Scottish author of juvenile fiction whose protagonists are models of self reliance and moral uprightness. Octavo: vi, [2], 408, [8, ads] pp. with a frontispiece, decorated half-title, and 4 full-page plates, all halftones after illustrations by the author. In the publisher's grayish blue flat-weave cloth over beveled boards, with brown and black-stamped ruled top and bottom bands, and floral decorations, orange, brown, and gilt-stamped vignette panel with Phoenician and dog, and titling on the front panel; brown and black-stamped ruled head and tail bands, and floral decorations, brown, black, and gilt-stamped vignette panel with a ship at sea, and titling panel, and gilt-stamped ruled with titling on the spine; black-stamped publisher's floral and monogram banner device on the rear panel; and black coated endpapers. Some general dust staining to the top edge. The binding is remarkably bright and fresh. Better than very good. Provenance: from the Publishers' Bookbindings collection of Ellen K. Morris and Edward S. Levin. Item #79617
Price: $250.00