Rebecca West – Black Lamb and Grey Falcon – with four-page hand-written letter discussing West’s time in Yugoslavia

Two volume first edition, first printings, published by Macmillan in 1941. Sixteen monochrome photographic plates to each volume, a couple of faint spots to half-title of first volume, with a little more to the latter pages of same. Original green cloth, backstrips lettered in gilt, that to first volume a little darkened, first volume a little rubbed, second volume with slight wrinkle to cloth at top corner of upper board, top edges green (this slightly faded) a little toned or spotted to edges, endpaper maps printed in black and red, free endpapers with faint partial browning, dust wrappers, that to first volume with browned backstrip panel, slightly nicked and chipped and carrying Harold Nicolson’s Spectator review to rear panel, the second volume with two alternate dust wrappers, both with slightly browned backstrip panels, the external one price-clipped and slightly nicked and a little chipped, a very good set. 

Accompanied by a FOUR PAGE hand-written letter on West’s headed-notepaper and dated 21st October 1944 and written to a Doctor Harmer. The letter discusses ‘Black Lamb and Grey Falcon’ and in particular how West’s life whilst writing the book has ‘gone for ever’. She expands, ‘a lot of places don’t exist any more…a friend of mine found seven villages he knew raised to the ground. They were Serb villages and the Ustashi had destroyed them…they have been smashed by the Germans and by Tito, and (…) there will be very few left.’ Exceptionally scarce to find a lengthy handwritten, contemporary letter from West, especially so commenting, as it does, on the subject material of one of her best known books. 

(We don't keep all of our stock in the shop, so send us an email if you're planning a trip to see a particular author or book.)