A Play in Four Acts
A Man of Honour A Play in Four Acts
Chapman & Hall, 1903.
First edition. Original cream printed wrappers. Inscribed by the author on the first page, "For Fred, to make up for the hardship + discomfort he had to suffer at Cap Ferrat from April fool's Day to St Valentines Day, 1950. W. Somerset Maugham" A near fine copy with a little foxing to the front wrapper. Housed in a card chemise and cloth slipcase.
Maugham's first full length play and rarest work as a first edition, published in an edition of only 150 copies, printed for Maugham in advance of the Fortnightly Review, where it was to appear as a supplement, to sell as a momento on the opening night. In the introduction to Fred Bason's bibliography Maugham recalls the even but adds, "I doubt whether fifty copies were sold, and I suppose the rest have long been pulped.". However, Toole Stott in his Bibliography opines, on the basis of correspondence between Maugham and Bason that Maugham retain at least some copies, "It would appear that Fred Bason sold six of them for him on commission". This copy, inscribed long after publication by Maugham for Bason, might have been one of those copies or another given to Bason for his trouble.
Toole Stott A6a
Stock ID: 44673
£5,000.00
