Books

First Impression. Octavo (19.5cm); original pale grey card wrappers, with titling and publisher's logo in blue on front cover; [14],15-112pp. Date of publication and price (28th October 63, 15/-) written in ink on front wrapper. Some scattered foxing to lower and right edge of textblock, else clean internally; Near Fine. Uncorrected proof copy of Baldwin's highly-regarded Civil Rights-era book, collecting two long essays: "My Dungeon Shook - Letter to my Nephew on the One Hudredth Anniversary of Emancipation," and "Down At The Cross - Letter from a Region of My Mind." The first essay, written in the form of a letter to Baldwin's 14 year-old nephew, discusses the central role of race in American history. The second essay deals with the relations between race and religion, focusing in particular on Baldwin's experiences with the Christian church as a youth, as well as the Islamic ideas emerging in Harlem. Easily Baldwin's most influential work of non-fiction, inspiring a short-lived SDS journal of the same name (1969), and, more recently, a direct inspiration for Ta-Nehisi Coates's National Book Award-winning Between the World and Me. Uncommon in this pre-publication format. BIXBY-BALDWIN CATALOG A6.b; BLOCKSON 91. 81389.

A classic of the civil rights movement, 'The Fire Next Time' is a powerful evocation of James Baldwin's early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice which consists of two essays: 'My Dungeon Shook — Letter to my Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of Emancipation,' and 'Down At The Cross — Letter from a Region of My Mind.'