Books

New York: C.H. Webb, 1867. First Edition. 198pp. Duodecimo [17.5] Beveled brown boards with the title gilt stamped on the front board and backstrip. A jumping frog is gilt stamped on the front board and blind stamped on the rear board. Contemporary inscription on the tipped in front free endsheet with advertisement on the verso. Discreetly rebacked with the original backstrip laid over. First edition with unbroken type on pages 21, 61 and 198 and the inserted advertisement at the front. Perhaps no short sketch of Twain's so quickly won wide popularity as did 'The Jumping Frog.' Calaveras County, California, is known to thousands who have never seen the Golden State simply because of this gem of humor. This little volume, the author's first published book, came into being under the sponsorship of Charles Henry Webb - who also edited it under his pseudonym of 'John Paul.' To accompany 'The Jumping Frog' he chose twenty-six other sketches. Zamorano Eighty: 17. Wheat Books 43. Cowan…

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, also known as 'The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County' is an 1865 short story by Mark Twain. It was his first great success as a writer and brought him national attention. The story is set in a gold-mining camp in Calaveras County, California, and the plot revolves around a jumping frog contest. Twain's narrative follows the gambler Jim Smiley, who has a frog that can jump higher than any other frog. This humorous tale is also known for its colorful characters, including the narrator, who is drawn into the story by the loquacious storyteller, Simon Wheeler.

The first edition can be identified by the publisher Charles Henry Webb and the year 1865. It's also important to note any inscription or printing errors that are known to exist only in the first edition copies.