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Presentation copy to Hemingway's friend and boxing trainer George Brown, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To George from his old pal Ernie, The 1st-15th September Campaign, La Vigia, Sept 17 1955", with a small sketch of an army insignia. Brown is one of a handful of people outside of Hemingway's family for whom the author signed books and letters as "Ernie". Hemingway first met Brown, the owner of a gym in midtown New York, in the 1930s. The author often visited Brown when he was in the city and hosted him at his homes in Cuba and Idaho. In 1955, Hemingway invited Brown to La Vigia to be his physical trainer for the strenuous fishing sequences in the film adaptation of The Old Man and the Sea. "Brown gave him postoperative rubdowns and delighted him with his unfailing solicitude. 'Did they hurt you, Ernie?' George would say. 'How's the back? Lie down like you were going to sleep. Make him a drink, René. What kind of liquor going to hurt you, boy? Hold it up to his mouth, René. Drink it slow, Ernie. Just relax good, and let me get the legs loosened up.' Ernest reveled in such treatment" (Baker, p. 531). The experience of filming took a physical toll on Hemingway and forced him to confront his own mortality: he wrote out his will on 17 September, with George as one of his witnesses, and presented this copy of his novel to his friend the same day. Following Hemingway's death in 1962, George was one of the pallbearers at his funeral. This Presentation copy to Hemingway's friend and boxing trainer George Brown, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To George from his old pal Ernie, The 1st-15th September Campaign, La Vigia, Sept 17 1955", with a small sketch of an army insignia. Brown is one of a handful of people outside of Hemingway's family for whom the author signed books and letters as "Ernie". Hemingway first met Brown, the owner of a gym in midtown New York, in the 1930s. The author often visited Brown when he was in the city and hosted him at his homes in Cuba and Idaho. In 1955, Hemingway invited Brown to La Vigia to be his physical trainer for the strenuous fishing sequences in the film adaptation of The Old Man and the Sea. "Brown gave him postoperative rubdowns and delighted him with his unfailing solicitude. 'Did they hurt you, Ernie?' George would say. 'How's the back? Lie down like you were going to sleep. Make him a drink, René. What kind of liquor going to hurt you, boy? Hold it up to his mouth, René. Drink it slow, Ernie. Just relax good, and let me get the legs loosened up.' Ernest reveled in such treatment" (Baker, p. 531). The experience of filming took a physical toll on Hemingway and forced him to confront his own mortality: he wrote out his will on 17 September, with George as one of his witnesses, and presented this copy of his novel to his friend the same day. Following Hemingway's death in 1962, George was one of the pallbearers at his funeral. This copy is a ninth printing, issued in November 1954 in Grissom's jacket "D", the first to announce Hemingway's Nobel Prize, which he had been awarded the previous month. The novel was first published in 1952. It is here offered together with a first edition, first printing, of My Brother, Ernest Hemingway, inscribed by Hemingway's brother Leicester on the front free endpaper: "February 21, 1962, This book is for George Brown, who was the kind of friend Papa needed more of, and who helped make this book possible. With profound thanks, Lex Hemingway". Brown is thanked in the acknowledgements on page 7. READ MORE Two works, octavo. The Old Man and the Sea: original light blue calico-grain cloth, spine lettered in silver, author's signature to front cover in blind. With dust jacket. My Brother, Ernest Hemingway: original green cloth, spine and front cover lettered and ruled in blue and black, gold endpapers, fore edge untrimmed. The Old Man and the Sea: a little bumped and marked, brown stain to rear cover; corresponding stain to rear panel of jacket, spine toned, extremities slightly worn, unclipped: a good copy in good jacket. My Brother, Ernest Hemingway: a few white marks to spine and rear cover, one corner bumped, small faint stain to top edge, a very good copy. Grissom A24; Hanneman 24a.

"The Old Man and the Sea" is a novella written by Ernest Hemingway and published in 1952. Set in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Cuba, the story follows Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman, as he engages in an epic struggle against a massive marlin, a battle that becomes a profound test of his strength, endurance, and determination. The novella begins with Santiago, who has not caught a fish in 84 days, feeling unlucky and discouraged. Despite the skepticism of others, Santiago remains determined to prove himself and set out to sea alone in his small skiff, the "Santíago." He sets his lines far out into the Gulf Stream and patiently waits for a catch. After a long wait, Santiago finally feels a tug on one of his lines and realizes he has hooked a massive marlin. The ensuing battle between man and fish is grueling and intense, with Santiago struggling against the marlin's immense strength and refusing to give up despite exhaustion and physical pain. As the struggle continues, Santiago's thoughts turn to the nature of life, fate, and the human condition. He reflects on his own mortality and the passage of time, finding solace in memories of his youth and past accomplishments. Throughout the ordeal, Santiago demonstrates courage, resilience, and a deep connection to the natural world. Eventually, after a relentless struggle lasting several days, Santiago manages to harpoon the marlin and lash it alongside his skiff. However, Santiago's triumph is short-lived, as sharks are drawn to the marlin's blood and begin to attack the carcass, destroying Santiago's prize catch. Despite the loss of the marlin, Santiago returns to shore with his head held high, earning the respect and admiration of his fellow fishermen. Although physically defeated, Santiago emerges spiritually triumphant, having proved his worth as a fisherman and reaffirmed his dignity in the face of adversity. "The Old Man and the Sea" is a timeless tale of courage, resilience, and the enduring human spirit. Hemingway's spare and evocative prose captures the beauty and brutality of the natural world, while Santiago's struggle against the marlin serves as a powerful metaphor for the universal human experience of striving against the odds.