The Battle of Dorking: Reminiscences of a Volunteer.
Edinburgh & London: Blackwood & Sons, 1871. First Edition. Softcover. Very Good. Item #46778
First edition thus, first separate publication. 12mo, 64 pp., 8 pp. publisher's ads From Blackwood's Magazine, May, 1871. Original purple printed wrappers. Original price of sixpence to front cover. "From Blackwood's Magazine May 1871" on front cover, and 1871 date in Roman numerals to title page. Cover illustration by Patterson. Author's name added in ink as Colonel George Chesney to the title-page. Front cover faded to pale pink, rear cover still mostly purple. Very small chips to spine ends. Light foxing to edges of text block, but very clean to interior. Very good and well-preserved overall. This novella about a fictional invasion of England by Germany is widely credited as the start of the popularity of invasion literature, a precursor to science fiction. "The first significant British imaginary war story and also the finest and most influential example of the subgenre." - Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 412. Bleiler (1979, second printing), p. 42. Housed in a chemise and slipcase.
Price (CAD): $1,100.00