Books

First American edition - rare blue binding. The first British printing constituted 2000 copies, of which 1500 were bound in Britain in maroon cloth with dated ads at back; 500 sheets of this first printing were sent to Cassell's New York office and bound in the US without ads at the back and with floral end papers, and a different binding - creating the first American issue. In addition to maroon covers, some of the earliest US issues were bound in blue, green, or purple. Scott 4 : Whatmore F3. This copy has the three, first issue errors corrected, indicating that this is a November or December printing. This American issue has the identical book block of the first British edition but is bound differently as follows: the spine has "CASSELL AND COMPANY,/Limited." in gilt at heel as well as two gilt bars at heel and crown; green floral end papers, no catalog at rear, back cover has design in blind rather than black, and measures 5mm less in height an length. Color fold out map as frontispiece, additional map on page 27. London: Cassell and Company (1885), 320 pages. This VG copy with forward lean, edge wear with some very modest loss of cloth, dust darkened top edge and other signs of age. Neatly affixed bookplate to front paste down, the fold out map has a 4" tear that has been well repaired with clear tape, unmarked book block is not foxed; but does have a couple of fingerprint smudges.

King Solomon's Mines is a novel by the English writer H. Rider Haggard, first published in 1885. It is one of the first English adventure novels set in Africa, and is considered to be the genesis of the 'Lost World' literary genre.