Books

London: Secker & Warburg, 1949. First Edition. Fine/Fine. An absolutely superlative copy of the first British edition, first printing of Orwell's iconic novel. Bound in publisher's pale green cloth with maroon lettering to spine. Trace erased pencil to front free endpaper and rear pastedown, still easily Fine with bright cloth and stamping, vivid topstain, in a Fine unclipped jacket. A towering classic of twentieth century literature that frustrates collectors, as copies in jacket nearly always turn up rubbed and faded--this example will not frustrate. A once in a lifetime copy, and the nicest we have ever seen by many orders of magnitude.

"1984" is a dystopian novel set in a totalitarian society ruled by a party led by the enigmatic figure, Big Brother. The story revolves around Winston Smith, a disillusioned man working for the Party whose job involves altering historical records to align with the Party's propaganda. Winston secretly harbors dissenting thoughts against the oppressive regime and begins a forbidden love affair with Julia, a fellow rebel. As they engage in acts of rebellion and attempt to challenge the Party's control, they are drawn into a web of surveillance, manipulation, and betrayal. The novel explores themes of censorship, surveillance, the nature of truth, the dangers of totalitarianism, and the resilience of the human spirit against oppressive regimes.

The first edition can be identified by the publisher Secker & Warburg and the publication date of 8 June 1949, as well as the absence of a dust jacket that later variation contained. The first edition was published in both RED and GREEN jackets at the same time. It is considered that the red jacket is the more collectible as it was seemingly printed in a smaller quantity than the green jacket.