Books

First edition, first printing. Published by Jonathan Cape in London, 1977. This is a fine copy. The dust wrapper is clean throughout and with only slight tearing to the top of the spine; it has been neatly price clipped. This copy is uncommonly bright on the spine. The boards are tight and free from chips and marks. The text blocks are bright and white throughout. This is the true first issue with map end papers. This copy is free from previous owners ink and is, overall, in fine condition. During the Second World War, Chatwin and his mother stayed at the home of his paternal grandparents, who had a curiosity cabinet that fascinated him. Among the items it contained was a "piece of brontosaurus" (actually a mylodon, a giant sloth), which had been sent to Chatwin's grandmother by her cousin Charles Amherst Milward. In a cave in Chilean Patagonia, Milward had discovered the remains of a giant sloth, which he later sold to the British Museum. He sent his cousin a piece of the animal's skin. The skin was later lost, but it inspired Chatwin decades later to visit Patagonia.

In Patagonia is Bruce Chatwin's exquisite account of his journey through the fascinating region of Patagonia, combining history, anecdote, and keen observation as he reflects on the nature of travel and the human desire for adventure.