Books

Franklin Center, PA: Franklin Library, 1979. First Illustrated Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Burt Silverman. Bound in full brown decorated leather. The First SIGNED Limited edition of Baldwin's first book with a previously unpublished introduction by the author. Illustrated by Burt Silverman.

Go Tell It on the Mountain is a semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin that examines the role of the Christian Church in the lives of African-Americans, both as a source of repression and moral hypocrisy and as a source of inspiration and community. It also details the social and psychological pressures that lead to the moral and spiritual decline of John Grimes, a teenage boy much like Baldwin himself.

Determining if a copy of 'Go Tell It on the Mountain' is a first edition can involve looking for the publisher's name and the publication date matching the first edition details (Alfred A. Knopf, 1953). Additionally, a stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page, along with no other printings listed, can signify it is a first edition.