Books

Macmillan, London 1894 and 1895, 1894. Book. Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. First Editions (first printings). Individual volumes as follows: 'The Jungle Book' (1894). First edition. 8vo. vi, 212pp. With illustrations by J.Lockwood Kipling, W.H.Drake and P.Frenzen. Original publisher's navy blue cloth, gilt lettered and decorated, depicting three elephants with riders and a herder on the upper board, plus additional decorations to the backstrip, these last a little faded. All edges gilt. Frontispiece tissue a little browned. The cloth nicked and worn at the backstrip ends, the corner tips rubbed, and with a little wear to the gutters. Front and rear hinges tender, and the binding cocked, and with some cracking and tenderness at two gatherings. A little light marking and soiling to the half title and verso, and to occasional leaf margins. Former owner armorial bookplate to the front pastedown (that of noted electrical engineer Alexander Pelham Trotter). A fair to good copy of…

The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who is raised in the jungle by wolves. The stories are set in a forest in India; one place mentioned repeatedly is the Seonee Hills, now known as the Seoni District in Madhya Pradesh.

For collecting purposes, a first edition of 'The Jungle Book' is identified by its publisher Macmillan & Co., and publication year 1894. As certain features like cover designs and typography can vary, it is advisable to consult a reputable rare book dealer or reference guide specific to Kipling's works for the more detailed nuances of first edition identification.