Taps at Reveille -
F. Scott Fitzgerald
1935 - Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York - First Edition, first state, in first state dust jacket
A bright, brilliant jacketed first edition of Fitzgerald’s collection of eighteen short stories, the last to be published during his lifetime.
This important collection, which Fitzgerald considered his best, includes the much anthologized story ‘Babylon Revisited’ – ‘one of the finest short stories in the English language... at once timeless and startlingly modern’ according to The Telegraph. Set in Paris during the late 1920s, ‘Babylon Revisited’ clearly chimes with Fitzgerald’s own life: the extravagant dissipation of life during the boom years, a wife lost to illness, and a fortune frittered away – painting an exquisite and intensely personal portrait of a man who has squandered his life.
‘A farewell to the Jazz Age... its setting is Paris, and its tone one of anguish for past follies’ – The New York Times ‘Nine years after the publication of ‘Babylon Revisited’, less than a year before he would die at 44, Fitzgerald wrote his daughter Scottie a letter about the story: ‘You have earned some money for me this week because I sold 'Babylon Revisited,’ in which you are a character, to the pictures (the sum received wasn’t worthy of the magnificent story – neither of you nor of me – however, I am accepting it).’’ – The Telegraph
Written during the 1920s and early 1930s, many of these stories originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post.
Fitzgerald dedicated the collection to his agent, Harold Ober.
Rather unfortunately, Fitzgerald was not enamored with illustrator Doris Spiegal’s art work for the dust jacket of Taps at Reveille, and subsequently noted his disappointment – amusingly, with his usual style and wit – in a letter to his editor, Max Perkins:
‘ – is it, alas, too late to do anything about the jacket? It is pretty God-awful and about six people have commented on it. I don’t know who Miss Doris Spiegal is but it’s rather discouraging to spend many hours trying to make the creatures in a book charming and then have someone who can’t draw as well as Scottie [his daughter] cover five square inches with daubs that make them look like morons.’ – F. Scott Fitzgerald, March 9, 1935.
References: Bruccoli, F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Descriptive Bibliography A17.1.a. Walton, ‘Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales’ The New York Times 1935. Fitzgerald, Collected Letters of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Churchwell, ‘Babylon Revisited: When the Money Runs Out’ The Telegraph 2011.
Octavo (book size 14x19.3cm), pp. [12] 407 [1]. In publisher’s dark green cloth, blind ruled to upper cover, gilt lettering to spine, dust jacket without printed price, and with price rubber stamped ‘$2.50’ to upper corner of front flap.
One of only 5100 copies printed. First edition, first state, with Scribner’s ‘A’ on the copyright page, and pages 349-352 uncancelled, uncorrected text on pages 350-351; first state dust jacket with no price printed to the front endpaper, instead being rubber stamped. Condition: Fine but for slight fading to gilt on spine, in near fine dust jacket, minor toning, some wear to corners and along edges, small 3mm chip to lower edge of rear panel, light wear to outer spine fold. Ref: 112534 Price: HK$ 40,000
This important collection, which Fitzgerald considered his best, includes the much anthologized story ‘Babylon Revisited’ – ‘one of the finest short stories in the English language... at once timeless and startlingly modern’ according to The Telegraph. Set in Paris during the late 1920s, ‘Babylon Revisited’ clearly chimes with Fitzgerald’s own life: the extravagant dissipation of life during the boom years, a wife lost to illness, and a fortune frittered away – painting an exquisite and intensely personal portrait of a man who has squandered his life.
‘A farewell to the Jazz Age... its setting is Paris, and its tone one of anguish for past follies’ – The New York Times ‘Nine years after the publication of ‘Babylon Revisited’, less than a year before he would die at 44, Fitzgerald wrote his daughter Scottie a letter about the story: ‘You have earned some money for me this week because I sold 'Babylon Revisited,’ in which you are a character, to the pictures (the sum received wasn’t worthy of the magnificent story – neither of you nor of me – however, I am accepting it).’’ – The Telegraph
Written during the 1920s and early 1930s, many of these stories originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post.
Fitzgerald dedicated the collection to his agent, Harold Ober.
Rather unfortunately, Fitzgerald was not enamored with illustrator Doris Spiegal’s art work for the dust jacket of Taps at Reveille, and subsequently noted his disappointment – amusingly, with his usual style and wit – in a letter to his editor, Max Perkins:
‘ – is it, alas, too late to do anything about the jacket? It is pretty God-awful and about six people have commented on it. I don’t know who Miss Doris Spiegal is but it’s rather discouraging to spend many hours trying to make the creatures in a book charming and then have someone who can’t draw as well as Scottie [his daughter] cover five square inches with daubs that make them look like morons.’ – F. Scott Fitzgerald, March 9, 1935.
References: Bruccoli, F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Descriptive Bibliography A17.1.a. Walton, ‘Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales’ The New York Times 1935. Fitzgerald, Collected Letters of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Churchwell, ‘Babylon Revisited: When the Money Runs Out’ The Telegraph 2011.
Octavo (book size 14x19.3cm), pp. [12] 407 [1]. In publisher’s dark green cloth, blind ruled to upper cover, gilt lettering to spine, dust jacket without printed price, and with price rubber stamped ‘$2.50’ to upper corner of front flap.
One of only 5100 copies printed. First edition, first state, with Scribner’s ‘A’ on the copyright page, and pages 349-352 uncancelled, uncorrected text on pages 350-351; first state dust jacket with no price printed to the front endpaper, instead being rubber stamped. Condition: Fine but for slight fading to gilt on spine, in near fine dust jacket, minor toning, some wear to corners and along edges, small 3mm chip to lower edge of rear panel, light wear to outer spine fold. Ref: 112534 Price: HK$ 40,000