Description
Boston: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Company, 1934. First edition, second printing (copyright page notes “First printing August 20, 1934 / Second printing August 30, 1934”). Classic interwar exposé of Sir Basil Zaharoff, the notorious international arms dealer linked to Vickers and the “merchants of death” controversy of the 1930s.
This is the original 1934 hardback in orange cloth with the original dust jacket still present, not a modern reprint. Copies in jacket are much less common than later print-on-demand editions and are sought by collectors of World War I, arms trade history, and political muckraking literature.
Highlights include:
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Early, highly critical biography of Sir Basil Zaharoff and the international arms industry
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Published at the height of the anti-“merchants of death” movement and Nye Committee era
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Original 1934 Lothrop, Lee and Shepard issue with period typography and illustrations
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Desirable as both a Zaharoff biography and a primary document of interwar political history
Condition
Hardcover in fair-to-good condition overall. Dust jacket is present but shows noticeable wear: heavy dampstaining and mottling along the spine, spine darkened and sunned, chips and small tears at spine ends and along the edges, and general age-toning and handling soil to panels. Cloth boards show shelf wear, edge rubbing, and some soiling but retain their original orange color and black lettering.
Interior shows typical age-toning to pages. Outer page edges have moderate foxing and spotting, and the fore-edge is rough cut as issued. From a spot check the text pages are largely clean and legible, with no writing or underlining seen. Binding is intact and holding; hinges show normal use for a 1930s volume. No dust jacket flaps or pages appear to be missing from what has been examined.
Please view all the photos carefully to judge overall condition, flaws, and completeness for yourself and feel free to message with any questions or requests for additional pictures before purchasing.
