CROMPTON, Richmal. Just William. London, George Newnes Limited1922
8vo. Original red cloth boards; lettered in black to title and spine; Illustrated by Thomas Henry; pp. (9) 248 (iv pages of ads); previous owners inscription to front pastedown; spine faded with head and foot rubbed; at a slight lean; minimal foxing to foreedges, otherwise very good.
First edition, first impression of Richal Crompton's first William book
Every one of the thirty-eight books that form the classic William's series is named after the first Just William, and all except Just William's Luck take the form of short stories. The books trace the adventures of the wild schoolboy William and his cohort of allies, "The Outlaws", and were published over a period of fifty years, between 1922 and 1970, during which William remains the same disorderly eleven year old protagonist.
The William books sold over 12 million copies in the United Kingdom and are thought to have been translated into seventeen different languages. Much of the success of the venture can also be attributed to the lively illustrations of Thomas Henry and the identity of the real William who inspired this famous collection still remains ambiguous to this day…
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