MORRIS, James. Venice. London, Faber and Faber, [1960].
8vo. Original red cloth, decorated and lettered in gilt, dust-wrappers (not price-clipped), map endpapers; pp. 337, two sketch maps (one double-page), one page of line drawings of Venetian small vessels by Gerry Facey, many leaves of plates after photographs, including aerial photographs; fading (or faint printing?) to spine of the rarely seen wrapper, otherwise remarkably clean and fresh - the best preserved copy we handled.
Very rare first edition, first printing of James (later Jan) Morris' most celebrated and revered portrait of the Serenissima. 'Often hailed as one of the best travel books ever written, Venice is neither a guide nor a history book, but a beautifully written immersion in Venetian life and character, set against the background of the city’s past. Analysing the particular temperament of Venetians, as well as its waterways, its architecture, its bridges, its tourists, its curiosities, its smells, sounds, lights and colours, there is scarcely a corner of Venice that Jan Morris has not investigated and brought vividly to life' (Faber, the publisher's website, on a recent edition). - This copy with the second state of the wrappers, with press reviews of the book. - We currently have a constantly replenished Jan Morris list on our website.
#2114984