Inscribed by Siegfried Sassoon

Sassoon, Siegfried ~ The Path to Peace : Inscribed by Siegfried Sassoon

First UK Printing : Stanbrook Abbey Press, Worcester : 1960

The First UK Printing published by Stanbrook Abbey Press, Worcester in 1960. Large 8vo., quarter vellum over blue and gold marbled paper-covered boards; spine lettered in gilt; together in the very scarce original glassine wrapper. The lower edge untrimmed; lettered in blue, black and red throughout, with decorative initials, as well as title vignette and first initial in 'The Power and the Glory' ("Let there be life") in gold; together with his 1960 poem 'Awaitment' loosely tipped in; The BOOK in excellent near fine condition, lightly rubbed at edges of boards and corners; the glassine WRAPPER chipped and torn with a large portion of loss at head, but seldom found at all. The wrapper is protected in a removable Mylar cover. Limited edition. Number '290' of just 480 copies on W.S.H. handmade paper with hand-lettered initials and gilding by Margaret Adams. Handset in Jan van Krimpen's Romulus Cancelleresca Barstarda and printed during September and October 1960. The binding by George Percival and Rigby Graham. This copy additionally inscribed by Siegfried Sassoon to the front free endpaper : "Father Gerard Sitwell, from [cipher] SS". The recipient was likely Dom Gerard Sitwell, monk of Ampleforth Abbey and editor of the works of medieval mystic writers, who was Master of St Benet's Hall, Oxford from 1947-64. Sassoon lived in Oxford during the inter-war years, and in 1965 received an honorary degree from Oxford University. A collection of poems which include verses penned between 1916 and 1960, thereby representing a broad scope of the writer's literary offerings. They include such verses as 'As I was Walking' (1926), 'Morning Glory' (1916) and 'Nativity' (1925) and many of them reflect his faith - he had in 1957 converted to Catholicism after many years of grappling with his faith and spirituality. Predominantly known today for his war poems, Sassoon continued to write long after the end of the Second World War in 1945. He became increasingly involved in politics and took up a post as literary editor of the socialist newspaper the 'Daily Herald'. He traveled extensively throughout Germany. He began to branch into prose, with 'Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man' appearing in 1928, and 'Memoirs of an Infantry Officer' and 'Sherston's Progress' appearing a few years later, though he continued to write poetry throughout this period, publishing a series of collections throughout the 1920s -1950s. This represents one of his final poetry collections before he passed away in 1967. A beautifully-presented collection of poems, rare indeed inscribed thus, and with the original glassine.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Very Good