For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, First Edition with Original Dust Jacket, 1940

Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940. First edition, first printing. Octavo. Publisher’s beige cloth boards, first issue dust jacket. Presented in a new archival ¼ leather and cloth clamshell case. 

This is a first edition of the classic Hemingway novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls.For Whom the Bell Tollsis an unembellished, blunt commentary on the nature of war and death. The book draws inspiration from Hemingway’s time as a war correspondent for the North American Newspaper Alliance during the Spanish Civil War. This book is a first edition, first printing, with Scribner’s capital “A” on the copyright page, with a first issue dust jacket, without the photographer’s name below the portrait of Hemingway on the rear panel. The book is presented in a new custom archival ¼ leather and cloth clamshell case. 

Hemingway first started writing For Whom the Bell Tolls in Cuba and later finished it in Sun Valley, Idaho. It was published in October of 1940 by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York,  in an initial print run of 75,000 copies. It received strong praise. "This is the best book Ernest Hemingway has written, the fullest, the deepest, the truest. It will, I think, be one of the major novels of American literature. Hemingway has struck universal chords and he has struck them vibrantly" (J. Donald Adams).

Hemingway (1899-1961) was an American author and journalist. His distinctive writing style, characterized by economy of words and dry understatement, strongly influenced 20th-century fiction, as did his life of adventure and his public image. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

Hemingway was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois. After leaving high school, he worked for a few months as a reporter for The Kansas City Star, before leaving for the Italian front to become an ambulance driver during World War I. In 1918, he was seriously wounded and returned home within the year; his wartime experiences became the basis for his novel A Farewell to Arms. In 1922, Hemingway married Hadley Richardson, the first of his four wives, and the couple moved to Paris, where he worked as a foreign correspondent. During his time there, he met and was influenced by modernist writers and artists of the 1920s expatriate community known as the "Lost Generation."

He published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works during his lifetime; a further three novels, four collections of short stories, and three non-fiction works were published posthumously. Many of his works are now considered classics of American literature.

CONDITION:

Good condition. Octavo. Publisher’s beige cloth boards with author’s facsimile signature stamped in black to the upper board, spine stamped in red and titled in black. With original unclipped dust jacket. Chipping at edges, some rubbing to the upper cover. Loss to top and bottom of dust jacket spine. Dust jacket has been stabilized by a paper conservator. New mylar to the dust jacket, for protection. Pages are healthy, with only light toning. Past owner's ink inscription and old tape residue to back endpaper. Scribner’s capital “A” on copyright page. Hanneman A18a. 

Presented with a new archival ¼ red leather and black cloth clamshell case. Clamshell has raised bands, gilt titles, and gilt stamps to spine. A portrait of Hemingway inlaid on the front, as well as Hemingway’s facsimile signature gilt embossed on the front. 

Book Dimensions: 8 5/8" H x 6" W x 1 3/4" D. Clamshell Dimensions: 9 3/4" H x 7 1/2" W x 2 1/2" D.

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.