True at First Light

Handsomely bound in black textured spine stamped brightly in gold. And green paper-covered boards. A splendid copy, clean and tight throughout, and virtually unread. In a near-fine dust jacket with the price of $26.00 at the top of the inside front flap. Very clean and crisp. . A lovely, collectible copy. True at First Light is a book by American novelistErnest Hemingway about his 195354 East African safari with his fourth wifeMary, released posthumously in his centennial year in 1999. The book received mostly negative or lukewarm reviews from the popular press and sparked a literary controversy regarding how, and whether, an author's work should be reworked and published after his death. Unlike critics in the popular press, Hemingway scholars generally considerTrue at First Lightto be complex and a worthy addition to hiscanonof later fiction. In a two-day period in January1954, Hemingway and Mary were in two plane crashes in the African bush. He was reported dead by the international press, arriving inEntebbeto face questions from reporters. The severity of his injuries was not completely known until he returned to Europe months later. Hemingway spent much of the next two years inHavana, recuperating and writing the manuscript of what he called 'the Africa book', which remained unfinished at the time of his suicide in July, 1961. In the 1970s, Mary donated it along with his other manuscripts to theJohn F. Kennedy Library. The manuscript was released to Hemingway's sonPatrickin the mid-1990s. Patrick edited the work to half its original length to strengthen the underlying storyline and emphasize the fictional aspects. The result is a blend ofmemoirand fiction.In the book, Hemingway explores conflict within a marriage, the conflict between the European and native cultures in Africa, and the fear a writer feels when his work becomes impossible. The book includes descriptions of his earlier friendships with other writers and digressive ruminations on the nature of writing. (Wikipedia) First Edition with the complete number line and 1999 on the copyright page. 1st Edition with the complete number line.