Books

Small 8vo. (1877). 1st edition. 248pp, 8 lls ads. Clean and crisp in publisher's terracotta cloth gilt (CARTER binding variant 'C'). Spine top and tail slightly rolled with some surface wear, boards slightly discoloured otherwise bright. Rear e.p. inner hinge cracked. M/s presentation inscription Christmas (1877 or 1879?). Images available on request.

Black Beauty is a novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she remained in her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate bestseller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, long enough to see her first and only novel become a success. It is one of the best-selling books of all time.