Black Beauty Paperback - 1999
by Anna Sewell
Written as an appeal for the humane treatment of horses, "Black Beauty" ranksamong the most famous and popular of animal stories.
About this book
First
published under the full title: Black
Beauty: His Grooms and Companions. The Autobiography of a Horse.
Translated from the Equine, by
Jarrold
and Sons London in 1877, the novel now known as simply Black
Beauty was
written
by English author Anna Sewell. The first American editions from 1890
have the added title 'The
“Uncle Tom's Cabin” of the Horse' as
promoters of the novel hoped it would do for animal welfare what
Stowe's novel did for the abolition of slavery.
Anna Sewell was born in 1820 in Great Yarmouth, England. She suffered an accident as a child that left her crippled and dependent on carriage horses as her main source of mobility. She began writing Black Beauty in 1871, and continued through 1877 though her health was deteriorating. In December 1876 she wrote in her diary "I have been confined to the house and to my sofa, from time to time, when I am able, been writing what I think will turn out a little book, its special aim being to induce kindness, sympathy and an understanding treatment of horses". Her mother, Mary Wright Sewell, was a successful children's author, and Anna helped edit her books, and later her mother helped Anna transcribe Black Beauty.
An animal autobiography, told by the magnificent black horse himself, this is the dramatic and heartwarming tale of Black Beauty's life-from his idyllic days on a country squire's estate to his harsh fate as a London cab horse. Although not originally intended as a children's novel, but for people who work with horses, it soon became a children's classic. Two years after the release of Black Beauty in the United States there were one million copies in circulation. Today Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books in history, with over 50 million copies sold in 50 different languages.
The earliest dated inscribed copies are Christmas 1877. Although the book was an immediate bestseller, Sewell lived just long enough to see her first and only novel become a success – she died on 25 April 1878.
From the rear cover
Perhaps the most celebrated animal story of the nineteenth century, "Black Beauty "is the suspenseful and deeply moving account of a horse's experiences at the hands of many owners some, sensitive riders who treated him gently; others, cruel drivers who thoughtlessly inflicted lasting damage.
Written as the animal's autobiography, and as an appeal for the humane treatment of horses, Anna Sewell's beloved classic reveals as much about human conduct and the social ills of the time as it does about the treatment of animals. Scenes from the lives of both the landed gentry and the impoverished working class offer a subtle but well-rounded perspective of social conditions in England during the late 19th century.Animal lovers of all ages will cherish this memorable story, available in this unabridged, modestly priced edition.Unabridged Dover (1999) republication of a standard edition."
First Edition Identification
First editions of The Autobiography of a Horse. Translated from the Original Equine were published by Jarrold and Sons in London on November 24, 1877. 247 pages with 8 pages of publisher’s advertisements in the rear. The 'C' binding was probably the standard trade issue, with 'A' and 'B' being either publisher's presentation bindings, or a more expensive deluxe issues.
The first US edition was published in Boston by The American Humane Education Society in 1890. First US edition. First issue with Introductory Chapter dated February 12, 1890 and ads on endpapers dated March, 1890.
Details
- Title Black Beauty
- Author Anna Sewell
- Binding Paperback
- Edition [ Edition: first
- Pages 192
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Dover Publications, Mineola, NY, U.S.A.
- Date 1999-06
- ISBN 9780486407883 / 0486407888
- Weight 0.33 lbs (0.15 kg)
- Dimensions 8.32 x 5.24 x 0.47 in (21.13 x 13.31 x 1.19 cm)
- Ages 08 to 14 years
- Grade levels 3 - 9
- Reading level 850
- Library of Congress subjects Horses
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 99027394
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
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