A fine presentation copy, inscribed “To Claudia Le Gallienne from her loving friend & brother R. Le G. 8 xi ‚‘87. ‘The song which first of all he made when young’”.
Whittington-Egan on the publication of this, the poet’s first book: “Richard had made his ‘real printed book’ at last. It was published by the loyal Robb and printed by Arnold’s of Redcross Street, and a very good job they made of it between them, for it is still a delightful book to handle, with its fine, cream paper, its rusticated edges, and clean, workmanlike fount of type. Richard’s immediate circle rushed to see what they looked like through the eyes of this excited young man whom they had known, not as a writer, but as a beau, a brother, a colleague, a customer or, for Jane Gallienne had her poem too, as a most unbiddable son.”
Boards a bit nicked at the lower edge with a string mark, and very slight dustiness to the binding at foot of spine where the jacket (a miraculous survival) is defective. The jacket is missing a few chips along the spine, and has a shortish tear on the rear cover. Withal, a fine copy.
