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The Moon Is Down

The Moon Is Down

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The Moon Is Down

by Steinbeck, John

  • Used
  • first
Condition
Very Good +
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Pasadena, California, United States
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£653.12
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About This Item

New York: The Viking Press, 1942. First edition. Very Good +. Publisher's advance copy in wraps, Very Good + on account of some bumping to the upper front corner and some light creasing to the spine. With the first issue point of a large period between "talk" and "this" on page 112. Surprisingly scarce in anything approaching this condition. Housed in a custom cloth slipcase with chemise.

An immensely popular war-time novel, thinly disguised to garner hope and bolster resistance against the Nazis. "When The Moon is Down appeared in 1942, it ignited some of the most incendiary discourse among prominent literary critics that year" because of its anti-Reich stance and its thinly veiled criticism of American isolationism. (SITS). A great debate centered on Steinbeck's depiction of Nazis, which some found too humanizing and others saw as overly one-dimensional. "It was not until after the war that it became clear how realistic Steinbeck's portrayal of the occuppied town and its invaders had been" and in 1943 the Chicago Tribune announced that the book had been voted as the year's best fiction. Very Good +.

Synopsis

In this masterful tale set in Norway during World War II, Steinbeck explores the effects of invasion on both the conquered and the conquerors. As he delves into the emotions of the German commander and the Norwegian traitor, and depicts the spirited patriotism of the Norwegian underground, Steinbeck uncovers profound, often unsettling truths about war—and about human nature. Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck’s self-described “celebration of the durability of democracy” had an extraordinary impact as Allied propaganda in Nazi-occupied Europe. Despite Axis efforts to suppress it (in Fascist Italy, mere possession of the book was punishable by death), The Moon is Down was secretly translated into French, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, German, Italian and Russian; hundreds of thousands of copies circulated throughout Europe, making it by far the most popular piece of propaganda under the occupation. Few literary works of our time have demonstrated so triumphantly the power of ideas in the face of cold steel and brute force. This edition features an introduction by Donald V. Coers.

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Details

Bookseller
Whitmore Rare Books US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
4096
Title
The Moon Is Down
Author
Steinbeck, John
Book Condition
Used - Very Good +
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First edition
Publisher
The Viking Press
Place of Publication
New York
Date Published
1942

Terms of Sale

Whitmore Rare Books

15 day return guarantee, with full refund if an item arrives damaged or not matching the description.

About the Seller

Whitmore Rare Books

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2009
Pasadena, California

About Whitmore Rare Books

We operate a retail shop in "Old Town" Pasadena open normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....

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