About this Item
Twentieth impression of the true first edition, published in October 1944 - the book was originally published in August 1934. Peter Fleming, correspondent for The Times of London, describes his journey day-by-day from London through Moscow and the Trans-Siberian Railway, through Japanese-run Manchukuo, then on to Nanking, the capital of China in the 1930s, gaining a glimpse of "Red China". Illustrated with a photograhic frontispiece and three further pages of plates, plus a black- and red-coloured folding map od China and Manchukuo facing page 16, showing International Boundaries, Provincial Boundaries, Railways, and the author's Route taken from Irkutsk to Yokohama via the Soviet Union and China. ***Near fine in light-brown cloth-covered boards with yellow titles and decorations to the spine and front board. The boards are remarkably clean and unmarked, having been protected by the dustwrapper. Top edge of page block stained red by the publisher - still clean and unfaded. Page block edges clean with no foxing. The book is virtually flawless, with no bumps or creases. No reading lean to the binding. Spine tight. Internally also near fine with no inscriptions. The book is printed on very thin paper, due to wartime production restrictions, but there are no creases or tears. No front free endpaper, also by design to reduce paper use. Pages clean with no foxing or offsetting. ***In a near fine buff-coloured, black and red printed dustwrapper, which has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publishers printed price of 10s. 6d. net, and with 'Twentieth Impression' correctly printed, along with 'Chosen by the Book Society' on the front flap. Like the book, the dustwrapper is also remarkably clean and undamaged, with no loss and just the slightest rubbing at the edges. No marks or fading, just slight browning at the foldover edges. No chips, creases or tears. Remarkably well-preserved. ***209mm x 145mm. 319 pages. ***'This is a completely fascinating book with information and fun upon ever page. Mr. Fleming went to look for trouble and found instead a ceaseless pageant of strange and decorative and comic scenes which his honest and amiable pen has enabled us to enjoy with him. (Sylvia Lynd - Review quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper) ***'Lieutenant Colonel Robert Peter Fleming OBE DL (31 May 1907 - 18 August 1971) was a British adventurer, journalist, soldier and travel writer. He was the elder brother of Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond. In 1934, Fleming travelled from Moscow to Peking via the Caucasus, the Caspian, Samarkand, Tashkent, the Turksib Railway and the Trans-Siberian Railway to Peking as a special correspondent of The Times. His experiences were written up in "One's Company" (1934). He then went overland in company of Ella Maillart from China via Tunganistan to India on a journey written up in "News from Tartary" (1936). These two books were combined as "Travels in Tartary: One's Company and News from Tartary" (1941). All three volumes were published by Jonathan Cape. Fleming's Preface opens with a self-deprecating observation: The recorded history of Chinese civilization covers a period of four thousand years. The population of China is estimated at 450 million. China is larger than Europe. The author of this book is twenty-six years old. He has spent, altogether, about seven months in China. He does not speak Chinese.' (Wiki) ***A twentieth impression of the true first edition, complete with its folding map, in virtually fine condition. Whilst not a rare book, copies in this condition with a complete near fine dustwrapper are extremely uncommon - especially when produced under wartime production restrictions. A lovely collector's copy. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.***.
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