Books

First American edition. The first British printing constituted 2000 copies, of which 1500 were bound in Britain in maroon cloth with dated ads at back; 500 sheets of this first printing were sent to Cassell's New York office and bound in the US without ads at the back and with floral end papers, and a different binding - creating the first American issue. Scott 4 : Whatmore F3. This copy with all first edition errors; "Bamamgwato" for "Bamangwato" on p. 10, line 14; "to let twins to live" for "to let twins live" on p. 122, line 27; and "wrod" instead of "word" on p. 307, line 29. This American issue has the identical book block of the first British edition but is bound differently as follows: the spine has "CASSELL AND COMPANY,/Limited." in gilt at heel as well as two gilt bars at heel and crown; yellow floral end papers, no catalog at rear, back cover has design in blind rather than black, and measures 5mm less in height an length. Color fold out map as frontispiece, additional map on page 27. London: Cassell and Company (1885), 320 pages. This VG copy has some sun fading to spine, forward lean, weak hinges, and some soiling to cloth. Scattered foxing to edges and interior, small piece of archival tape to map fold, previous owner's name in pencil to both end papers, one dated Nov. 6th 1885.

King Solomon's Mines is a novel by the English writer H. Rider Haggard, first published in 1885. It is one of the first English adventure novels set in Africa, and is considered to be the genesis of the 'Lost World' literary genre.