About this Item
First printing of the true first edition, published just before the Second World War in 1939. Illustrated throughout with monochrome photographs, and with a beautiful wraparound dustwrapper illustration by Brian Cook. Published in Batsford's notable 'The Face of Britain' series. ***Very good in pale-blue cloth-covered boards with dark-blue titles and rules to the spine and front board. The boards are clean and unfaded - just showing some light marks and rubbing commensurate with age and handling. Some light browning to the edges in places. Head and tail of spine slightly creased, but no serious bumps or creasing. Corners sharp. Top edge of the page block stained blue to match the boards by the publisher - now faded. All page block edges lightly foxed. There is a slight reading lean to the binding, but the spine is tight, with no loose pages. Internally also very good with no previous ownership inscriptions - just a small contemporary bookseller's label at the bottom of the front endpaper. Map endpapers showing North East Lowlands at the front and South Lowlands at the back. Some offsetting and foxing to the endpapers, and particularly to the first few pages. Interior pages clean. No internal creases or tears. Very thick quality paper used, which was much thinner in later post-war printings of the book. ***In a very good colour illustrated dustwrapper, with the beautiful wraparound illustration by Brian Cook. The dustwrapper has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of 8s. 6d. net at the top corner of the front flap. The dustwrapper is virtually complete, with just some loss at the top of the spine - not affecting the lettering. Some light edge-wear and rubbing to the edges, and a little browning to the spine. No significant tears. Some creasing to the top edges of the large foldover flaps, but no other creasing. ***216mm x 145mm. viii prelim pages plus 120 pages including a four-page Index at the back of the book. ***Contents: Forward, Acknowledgment, Chapter I. Galloway, II. The Border, III. Lothian, IV. The Middle West, V. Fife, Angus, and the Mearns, VI. The North-east, Index. ***'If the Lowlands may be described as "the norm of Scotland" they are certainly a norm of quite exceptional interest and charm. --- Mr. George Scott-Moncrieff himself lives in the Lowlands, and he knows the country as well as any man alive. His book is at once a penetrating and sympathetic study of everything that is most individual and permanent in land and people, and, so far as the 115 brilliant photographic illustrations go, an objective picture of them.' (Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper). ***'George Irving Scott-Moncrieff (9 April 1910 - 11 March 1974) was a Scottish novelist, playwright, poet, journalist, editor, and author of several well-known books on Scotland.' ***'Batsford was founded in 1843 by Bradley Thomas Batsford. Harry Batsford, nephew of the founder, was the chairman but also an author for the company writing at least 11 books on English architecture and countryside (some reprinted into the 21st century). Many were co-authored by Charles Fry, Chief Editor and a director of the company. A prominent chairman of the firm from 1952 until 1974 was Brian Batsford, known as Brian Cook, who joined in 1928, and designed many of its dust-jackets. (Wiki) ***A first printing of the true first edition. One of the wonderfully produced Batsford books, this one in "The Face of Britain" series, with the beautiful Brian Cook designed dustwrapper. Examples of the first printing, published in 1939, complete with dustwrappers are quite scarce now. A desirable Batsford tiitle. Apparently, this title was printed 15 times between 1939 and 1983. ***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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