The Land of France

First edition, first printing. 152pp, colour plate frontispiece plus numerous black and white plate illustrations. In plum cloth boards with gilt lettering on spine. Maps on endpapers. Top red sprayed red. 8vo. Boards very lightly rubbed and rounded at corners and spine tips. Edge spray faded, other edges have hint of toning. Mild toning on endpapers, previous owner’s name inked on half title page, else internally neat, clean, bright and tight. In its original dust jacket, by Brian Cook, a little chipped and scuffed along upper edge, lightly chipped at spine tips, discoloured on extreme upper edges on inner flaps, spine sun-faded. Dust jacket now protected in an archival-quality Mylar wrapper fitted without the use of tape or adhesives. An informal, affectionate guide, distinctive for its breadth of insight and the charm of writing, which deals only briefly with the best-known features of France and dwells with greater attention on the lessor known aspects. Now an intriguing insight into France as it was just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War.