Books

London: Chatto & Windus, 1934. First U.K. Edition. The author's first novel, originally written in English in 1923-24, translated by Traven into German and published as Das Totenschiff by Büchergilde Gutenberg in 1926. It charts the story of an American sailor, "stateless and peniless because he has lost his passport, who is harassed by police and hounded across Europe until he finds an 'illegal' job shoveling coal in the hold of a steamer bound for destruction" (from the AK Press edition). Treverton 31. First Impression. Octavo (19.5cm); russet cloth, with titles stamped in gilt on spine; brick red topstain; dustjacket; [viii],312pp. Hint of sunning to spine, else a fresh Fine copy, with topstain unfaded, and the gilt titling bright and unrubbed. Dustjacket is unclipped (priced 7s. 6d. net), showing some modest rubbing, light dust-soil, with some wear to spine ends and upper front panel, a faint vertical fold to front panel, and a series of tiny tears discreetly mended with…