THE HEIK� STORY - 1ST US EDITION/1ST PRINTING by Eiji Yoshikawa - 1956

Hardcover. Very Good. Very Good though subtly ex-library (three small stamps, at t.p. and endpapers only,) in VG color pictorial dustjacket, unclipped, in Mylar Stated 1st ed. 1st printing New York; Alfred A. Knopf; 1956; 1st US Edition; 1st Printing; 8vo; 1/4

Charles E. Tuttle, Tokyo, 1982..

Boston ; Rutland, VT ; Tokyo : Tuttle Publishing, 2002., 2002. As New. 13th printing ; pictorial, stiff paper wrappers ; 627 pp. ; illustrated ; 18 cm. ; ISBN: 0804833184 ; OCLC: 8830535 ; "Kyoto in the twelfth century was a magnificent city, but crime, disorder, and lust were rampant. The people were abused by the nobility, while the armed Buddhist monks terrorized court and commoner alike. In despair, the Emperor called upon the Heike and Genji clans to quell civil disturbances. Although the clans succeeded, they quarreled over the spoils of war and plunged the country into a century of warfare.This novel describes the rise to power of Kiyomori of the Heike clan during this turbulent time. From a youth sunk in poverty, Kiyomori eventually rose to become the Emperor's Chief Councillor. Although he was a gentle, enlightened man, he left a trail of bloodshed and ruin in his wake. The strange twists of Kiyomori's fate are the core of this epic novel.The Heike Story is a modern translation of a… Read More

Alfred A. Knopf, 1956-01-01. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Good. 9x6x2. First edition stated. Wrapped dust jacket is clean with faded spine, some large chips, and one 4" closed tear on front cover; price is intact inside front flap. Bookplate on front pastedown. Binding is good, pages are bright and clean with no marks or notations. HB HS

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1956. This handsome Stated First Edition (and, unless it's stated, it's not) is in Fine condition, with its original price-unclipped dust jacket. I've placed the dust jacket into an archival Brodart protective sleeve. The novel deals with intrigues and adventures in the decent Imperial Court of Kyoto, Japan, during the Middle Ages. It was translated from the original Japanese by Fuki Wooyenaka Uramatsu. The book is bound in an oatmeal colored cloth with the vignette drawing of a Japanese noblewoman combing her hair. The spine is bound in a 3/4 alizarin cloth with blindstamped Japanese characters on the front panel and die-stamped spine titles. The binding is tight, and the pages are clean and bright, with no marks, stains, or tears. There are illustrations throughout by Kenkichi Sugimoto. The dust jacket has a closed tear, plus some rubs and small chips. The dust jacket features a wraparound color painting by Fumi Komatsu. The book measures 5 by 8 5/8 inches… Read More

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1956. This Stated First Edition (and, unless it's stated, it's not) is in Fine condition, with a Very Good+ price-unclipped dust jacket. I've placed the dust jacket into an archival Brodart protective sleeve. The story deals with a 12th century Japanese hero, Kiyomori, who rises from poverty and obscurity to become the Emperor's Chief Councillor at a time of political intrigue and great corruption in the imperial city of Kyoto. This is also a story of two warrior clans and ancient enemies to one another, the Heiké and the Genji. The book is bound in woven beige cloth and 3/4 salmon spine cloth, with die-stamped gilt spine titles, along with blind-stamsped Japanese characters, plus the vignette portrait in black on the front panel of a court lady plaiting her hair. There is top-edge black stain. The book includes maps, pronunciation guides, and family trees to help the reader appreciate this epic novel. The book also includes striking pen-and-ink… Read More