AUSTRIAN REQUIEM (First UK edition, first impression in the scarce dustwrapper)

Kurt von Schuschnigg - Chancellor of Austria and Prisoner of Hitler (Translated by Franz von Hildebrand)

Edité par Victor Gollancz, London, 1947

A propos de cet article

A first impression of the first UK edition, published in 1947 - the book was first published in English translation by G. P. Putnam's in the USA in 1946. As stated on the title page, the author was Chancellor of Austria and Prisoner of Hitler. ***Near fine in blue cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine. The boards are beautifully clean and unmarked, having been protected by the dustwrapper over the last 78 years. The gilt is still beautifully bright. The binding is square and tight, with no reading lean and no sign of any splitting to the fragile cloth, or to the hinges. There is no creasing to the fragile spine, just slight creasing at the bottom of the back board near the spine. Corners sharp. Page block edges clean with just the top edge lightly foxed. Internally also near fine, with a contemporary ownership name in ink on the front free endpaper: 'Ex Libris, John Godwin, Graz, 20.XII.47', and a later inscription in ink also on the front free endpaper: 'To R.C.W. from D.C.W. Aug. 1951'. There is also a rubbed out pencil price on the front free endpaper (please see scans). There are no annotations within the book. Unusually, there is none of the usual offsetting to the endpapers, and virtually no internal foxing. Pages clean. ***In a very good printed dustwrapper, which is priced at 7/6 net on the spine. The dustwrapper is virtually complete, with just slight loss at the top and tail of the spine, and some general rubbing and wear to the edges (as to be expected, as Gollancz used very thin dustwrappers, which is why so few remain). There is also some scuffing and residue on the thin paper surface of the back panel, where a sticker has been removed (please see scans). Despite these faults, the dustwrapper still presents well. ***190mm x 127mm. 270 pages including a detailed Index at the back of the book. ***Contents: Preface, Book I. Death-Throes of Austria - Ch I. The Meeting at Berchtesgaden; II. The Four Weeks' Agony; III. The Anschluss; IV. Arrest. Book II. Austria, Keystone of Europe - V. Our Good Neighbour Hungary; VI. Mussolini: Fair-weather Friend; VII. Austria and the League of Nations; VIII. Austria and the Western Powers; IX. Old Ties - New Differences; X. Economic and Domestic Issues; XI. Political Post-mortem. Book III. Hitler's prisoner - XII. Solitary Confinement; XIII. Among the Living Dead; XIV. Liberation, Epilogue, Appendix: Transcripts of Telephone Conversations, March 11 and 13, 1938, Index. ***'Kurt von Schuschnigg became Chancellor of Austria, after the assassination of Dollfuss, at the time when the Nazi shadow first began to fall across Europe. ***'Kurt Alois Josef Johann von Schuschnigg (14 Dec 1897 - 18 Nov 1977) was an Austrian politician who was the Chancellor of the Federal State of Austria from the 1934 assassination of his predecessor Engelbert Dollfuss until the 1938 Anschluss with Nazi Germany. Although Schuschnigg considered Austria a "German state" and Austrians to be Germans, he was strongly opposed to Adolf Hitler's goal to absorb Austria into the Third Reich and wished for it to remain independent. When Schuschnigg's efforts to keep Austria independent had failed, he resigned his office. After the Anschluss he was arrested, kept in solitary confinement, and eventually interned in various concentration camps. He was liberated in 1945 by the advancing United States Army and spent most of the rest of his life in academia in the United States. Schuschnigg gained American citizenship in 1956.' (Wiki) ***A first impression of the first UK edition of this interesting work, in near fine condition with very few faults - and in the very rarely found original and complete dustwrapper. The UK edition is scarcer than the US edition. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.

N° de réf. du vendeur 9381

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: AUSTRIAN REQUIEM (First UK edition, first impression in the scarce dustwrapper)
• Éditeur: Victor Gollancz, London
• Date de parution: 1947
• Langue: anglais
• Reliure: Hardcover
• Édition: First UK Edition
• Impression: First Impression
• État de l'article: Near Fine
• État de la jaquette: Very Good
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • First Editions
  • Political & Social History
  • World War Two (Second World War)