Books

New York: C. H. Webb, 1867. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. 12mo, 198pp. A very good copy, rebound in blue cloth over sturdy boards, with new endpapers, and original front and rear board cloth laid down, mercifully retaining the gilt-stamped image of a frog at the bottom left of the front board. Though lacking the advertising leaf, the type is unbroken on pp. 66 and 198, indicating that this is one of the ~1000 copies from the very first print run of Mark Twain's very first book. Very mild foxing and a few marginal stains, but the contents are mostly clean. Not perfect, but a rather handsome copy of an essential Twain rarity; harder to obtain than any of his more popular books. BAL 3310. Zamorano 80 (#17).

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, also known as 'The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County' is an 1865 short story by Mark Twain. It was his first great success as a writer and brought him national attention. The story is set in a gold-mining camp in Calaveras County, California, and the plot revolves around a jumping frog contest. Twain's narrative follows the gambler Jim Smiley, who has a frog that can jump higher than any other frog. This humorous tale is also known for its colorful characters, including the narrator, who is drawn into the story by the loquacious storyteller, Simon Wheeler.

The first edition can be identified by the publisher Charles Henry Webb and the year 1865. It's also important to note any inscription or printing errors that are known to exist only in the first edition copies.