SCIENCE, LIBERTY AND PEACE (First edition)

Aldous Huxley

Published by Chatto & Windus, London, 1947

About this Item

First impression of the true first edition. ***Near fine in maroon cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine. The gilt is still beautifully bright having been protected by the dustwrapper. Top edge of text-block stained maroon by the publisher to match the cloth - still absolutely clean and unfaded. The boards are still beautifully clean and unmarked. No bumps or creasing. Corners sharp. No tears to the cloth. Internally also near fine with no inscriptions or annotations. Pages clean and unmarked. No foxing. There is slight creasing at the top corner of the first three pages where the paper has been slightly roughly cut by the printers. Slight creasing at the bottom edge of the pages also where they have been unevenly cut in production. Spine tight. ***In a near fine dustwrapper which has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of 3s. 6d. net. The dustwrapper is complete with minimal edge wear. Just a small nick at the top edge of the back panel. No other tears or creases. No fading even to the spine. Dustwrapper bright. ***195mm x128mm. 64ages. ***'Mr Huxley takes as his theme the evils resulting from the misapplication of modern technological progress. The enormous scientific advances of the past 50 years have been used primarily to concentrate economic and political power in the hands of a ruling minority, and have not been applied to the benefit of society in general. The resulting evils -- corruption and despotism among the rulers, fear and lack of self-reliance among the masses, spiritual degradation among both -- cannot be cured except by wholesale decentralisation. Mr Huxley puts forward cogent arguments for the decentralisation of power, property and production, and maintains that only thus can we avoid the prospect of universal servitude under a ruling oligarchy and of the collective suicide of wars and revolutions. This is an exciting and powerful plea for the humanistic application of scientific knowledge. Closely reasoned argument and a brilliant analysis of the technicalities involved support Mr Huxley's fervent conviction of the need to fight for the spiritual and physical needs of the individual. (Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper) ***'Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 Jul 1894 - 22 Nov 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books - both novels and non-fiction works - as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxley family, he graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, with an undergraduate degree in English literature. Early in his career, he published short stories and poetry and edited the literary magazine "Oxford Poetry", before going on to publish travel writing, satire, and screenplays. He spent the latter part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death. By the end of his life, Huxley was widely acknowledged as one of the foremost intellectuals of his time. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature nine times and was elected Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1962. Huxley was also a pacifist. He grew interested in philosophical mysticism and universalism, addressing these subjects with works such as "The Perennial Philosophy" (1945 - which illustrates commonalities between Western and Eastern mystics - and "The Doors of Perception" (1954) - which interprets his own psychedelic experience with mescaline. In his most famous novel "Brave New World" (1932) and his final novel "Island" (1962), he presented his vision of dystopia and utopia, respectively.' [Wiki] ***First impression of the true first edition of this work by Aldous Huxley, in near fine collectable condition. ***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. Seller Inventory # 8461

Bibliographic Details

Title: SCIENCE, LIBERTY AND PEACE (First edition)

Publisher: Chatto & Windus, London

Publication Date: 1947

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Near Fine

Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine

Edition: First Edition