The Old Man and The Sea [Nicholas Ray copy]

This copy of The Old Man and The Sea is a true first edition with the letter A and publisher's seal on the copyright page. Light blue cloth with dust-jacket. On the front free endpaper appears the great director Nicholas Ray's (non-cursive) name written in thick pencil. We compared the writing with numerous documents in Ray's hand provided by the Ransom Center at U. Texas, Austin, which hold Ray's papers, and also verified it by email with Ray's widow, Susan Ray. Nicholas Ray was for some time a candidate to direct the film version of The Old Man and The Sea at the urging of Humphrey Bogart, who also tried to purchase the rights, and with whom Ray had worked on In a Lonely Place and Knock on Any Door. (The job went to Fred Zinnemann and, finally, to John Sturges). This seventy-four year old book is in surprisingly good shape with just the usual age-toning to pages but no internal marks or tears. The blue cloth boards are in Near to Fine condition with just some softening to the foot and head of the spine. Silver embossed spine lettering is bright. The dust-jacket, while not price-clipped and with no pieces missing or any tears, does show some wear at extremities, namely light chipping at foot and crown. The only mystery surrounding this copy is whether Bogart facilitated Ray's acquisition of it. We will likely never know. A unique copy of a legendary novella.…