EPISODES BEFORE THIRTY - Inscribed Presentation Copy to Hilaire Belloc

Large octavo, original dark blue cloth titled in gilt on spine and upper cover. 311 pp., Index at rear. A few long mild scuffs to the front panel, light wear to edges; a very good, sound copy, quite clean and nice. INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR ON THE FRONT FREE ENDPAPER: To Hilaire Belloc / with gratitude / from / Algernon Blackwood / 1923. A personal and meaningful presentation copy to one of the author's closest friends, dated in the year of publication. Autobiographical memoirs. Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (1870-1953) was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. He is mentioned in this book on p. 224 as having reviewed Blackwood's first book, AN EMPTY HOUSE, shortly after publication, a review which encouraged Blackwood to continue writing supernatural fiction. Blackwood himself is considered to be one of the greatest supernatural fiction writers of the 20th century.