ONE MAN'S MEAT by WHITE, E.B - 1942

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1942. First Edition. Near fine in a good jacket.. First edition (stated) of one of White's greatest and most important books. Including much of White's best essays ("Once More to the Lake," etc.), ONE MAN'S MEAT was the book that caused Herald Tribume reviewer Irwin Edman to famously declare White, "one of our finest essayists, perhaps our only one." An unusually scarce book in its first edition (and uncommon even in later printings), odd given that the book was well-recieved and sold well. According to White biographer Scott Elledge, some 12,000 copies were sold between its 1942 and 1944 when the book proved so popular that a new and expanded edition was brought out. These initial sales, however, were spread across multiple printings (at least five) and produced under wartime conditions. Therefore, a (presumed) small initial printing published under a cloud of rationing and pessimism likely contributed to this title's apparent ephemerality. Hardcover. 8vo. Original green cloth. Near fine in good jacket. Book is sharp and bright with just trace shelfwear at spine tips and a bit of shelf-soil to top edge of text block. Jacket worn with some chipping and dampstaining (visible mainly from reverse, not effecting book); still presents well and retains original price.