The Cross Word (Crossword) Puzzle Book -- Second Printing of First Crossword Puzzle Book Ever Published. This item is unavailable.The Cross Word (Crossword) Puzzle Book -- Second Printing of First Crossword Puzzle Book Ever Published

Very rare second printing of the first edition of the first crossword puzzle book ever published. Very good with some staining to the boards and offsetting to rear endpapers. Interior bright and clean save for a faint lower corner stain to some pages; also, five of the 50 full-page puzzles were partially filled out with pencil, which has been erased leaving virtually no trace. This title was the first publication by a new partnership formed by Dick Simon and Lincoln Schuster, of Simon and Schuster fame. The two men honored the pleas of Simon's puzzle-loving aunt and decided to publish the book, but they had little faith in the idea and thus published it under the name "Plaza Publishing," Plaza being their telephone exchange. Much to their surprise, the first printing of 3,600 copies sold out in days and additional printings quickly followed; this second printing was also in the amount of 3,600.