Books

8vo. (2), XIII, (3), 678 pp. Printed on very thick, heavy, vellum-like paper. Bound in a splendid, contemporary, Russian full diced calf binding with blind-stamped and darker colored rectangular "frames" to boards and to compartments of spine. Gilt title to spine. First edition, first issue in Russian, the first translation of "Das Kapital" into any language: a truly magnificent copy of an otherwise unknown deluxe edition printed on special, very heavy paper, making it about 30% thicker than the usual first edition copies. Although Marx's other works were banned in Russia, the Tsarist censors passed "Das Kapital" as harmless on account of its length and complexity, and the book - rather unexpectedly - became an immediate success with the Russian intelligentsia in search of a theoretical model for industrializing their economically backward country. The press-run of 3000 copies was soon exhausted, and the ensuing ban on the book, when the board of censorship realized their error, prohibited the planned second edition (which was subsequently brought out in New York). The appearance on the market of any first edition has therefore become a great rarity. No mention of a deluxe edition is made at all in the vast bibliographical literature on "Das Kapital". While one could only speculate on the reason for preparing such a special edition, its number must have been extremely small, likely limited to no more than a handful of copies for a small, exclusive group - possibly to be sought among the young revolutionary intellectuals who had labored for years to make possible the Russian translation, which soon was going to have such a profound effect on world history. This is the only such copy we have been able to locate. A bit of wear to extremities and traces of faint damp staining to boards. Inner front hinge slightly weak; the first few leaves with faint traces of slight damp staining. Very light occasional brown spotting, otherwise fresh and crisp. Old Russian newspaper-clippings to endpapers. A uniquely produced specimen of one of the most influential books ever published. Marx-Engels Erstdrucke 33. Cf. PMM 359.

"Das Kapital," written by Karl Marx, is a seminal work critiquing the capitalist system's foundations and mechanisms. Published in 1867, this extensive analysis of capitalism delves into its economic processes, the exploitation inherent within, and its eventual contradictions which Marx believed would lead to its downfall. Marx introduces key concepts such as commodity, value, surplus value, and the labor theory of value, arguing that the value of a commodity is determined by the labor required for its production. He criticizes how capitalists profit by exploiting workers, paying them less than the value of their labor while selling the products for their full value. Marx's critique extends to the dynamics of capital accumulation, technological advancements, and their effects on the proletariat, predicting increasing capital centralization and crises stemming from capitalism's internal contradictions. "Das Kapital" covers the circulation and distribution of capital, explaining how surplus value is divided among different classes and sectors, leading to cycles of boom and bust. Despite its influence, "Das Kapital" has faced criticism for its total failure in economic predictions, such as the underestimation of capitalism's adaptability and the overemphasis on the labor theory of value. Critics argue Marx's predictions of escalating class struggle and the proletariat revolution have not materialized as expected, questioning his views on human nature and the efficiency of market mechanisms. Nonetheless, "Das Kapital" remains a pivotal work in economic and political thought, offering a deep, if wrong, critique of capitalism and its socio-economic impacts.