The Deerslayer: or The First War-Path. A Tale

Duodecimo. A beautiful 1st Edition of one of the greatest American novels, from the first notable American prose author, complete in two volumes. 'The Deerslayer', published in 1841, was the fifth and last installment of his famed 'Leatherstocking Tales' series, though its storyline is the first chronologically, set in the 1740s before the outbreak of the French and Indian War. "The novel's setting on Otsego Lake in central, upstate New York, is the same as that of The Pioneers, the first of the Leatherstocking Tales to be published (1823). The Deerslayer is considered to be the prequel to the rest of the series. Fenimore Cooper begins his work by relating the astonishing advance of civilization in New York State, which is the setting of four of his five Leatherstocking Tales." - wiki Original purple muslin, with original printed paper labels on spines. Duodecimo. Bindings tight, with volume II having a slight lean to spine. Sporadic fixing and minor spotting as usual. Mild rubbing and edge wear to bindings with spines somewhat age toned. paper labels with some scuffing, but quite legible. Inside rear fly leaf torn out and outside rear fly leaf with a chip at lower fore edge corner. Previous owner name in 19th-century ink to each front prelim. Provenance: Louis V. Ledoux (1880-1948), American poet, George Edward Woodberry scholar, Japanese print collector (engraved bookplate). FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, with the Fagan-Ashmead imprint on the verso of each title-page. BAL 3895; Sabin 16430; Spiller and Blackburn 32. From the Historic Sengen House, Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York "one of the most beautiful and perfect books in the world: flawless as a jewel and of gem-like concentration." - D.H. Lawrence.…