COOPER, James Fenimore (1789-1851)

The Borderers: A Tale [The wept of Wish Ton-Wish]

London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, New Burlington-Street, 1829. First Edition. Half-Calf. Scarce First Printing, complete in three volumes, of the "first anti-miscegenation novel in our literature [Fiedler]. 12mo: xiv,299,[1]; [2],311,[1]; [2],316pp. Contemporary pink half calf over marbled boards by Harrison of Belfast (their ticket to front paste-down of vol. I); black morocco lettering pieces gilt; spines decorated in blind; marbled endpapers and edges. A truly excellent set, occasional light foxing, mostly marginal; spines rubbed and faded to tan. Spiller & Blackburn 11. BAL 3843. Sabin 16416. Fiedler, quoted in Wallace, James D., “Race and Captivity in Cooper's the Wept of Wish-ton-wish,” American Literary History 7.2 (1995): 189–209. Fine. Item #BB1450

True First Edition of this historical novel (published in London, September, and later, in November, in Philadelphia, under the title The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish: A Tale, both from the same sheets printed in Florence by Molini). Written in Paris, when Cooper was as the center of the small American expatriate community, and set in the seventeenth century on frontier land later part of Connecticut. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).

Price: $499.00