Description
A desirable pre-publication copy of Samuel Johnson: A Life by David Nokes, issued as an uncorrected proof / advance publisher’s copy before the finished trade edition. This is the sort of book that appeals well beyond a standard reading copy because it captures the publishing process itself, with handwritten editorial-style notes on the proof page adding extra interest.
David Nokes was a respected literary biographer, and this substantial life of Samuel Johnson was presented as a major modern study of one of the most important figures in English letters. For collectors of Johnson, literary biography, and publishing ephemera, this proof format is a far more distinctive survival than the ordinary hardcover.
Key points that make this copy especially appealing:
* Uncorrected proof / advance review copy, produced in a much smaller pre-publication format than the regular bookstore issue
* Handwritten editorial or production-style notes on the front proof page, giving it added publishing-history interest
* Biography of Samuel Johnson, the towering 18th-century writer, critic, and lexicographer
* Written by David Nokes, known for serious literary biography and scholarship
* Attractive plain-wrap proof format, increasingly difficult to find compared with the standard finished edition
Condition is good vintage/used proof-copy condition with plain wraps, light handling and storage wear, and handwritten notes to the front proof page. A solid and appealing copy for the collector of Samuel Johnson, advance reading copies, and modern literary publishing material. Please view all the photos carefully.
