The Wreck of the 'Grosvenor' / An Account of the Mutiny of the Crew and the Loss of the Ship When Trying to Make the Bermudas / Third and Cheaper Edition

Russell, W. Clark, author of "John Houldsworth: Chief Mate"

Published by Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, London, 1881

About this Item

PON dated 1881 to brown front pastedown. Date 1878 printed to title page, but publisher's ads at rear dated January, 1881. Russell's most famous novel, which secured his reputation as the leading late Victorian craftsman of British tales of the sea. The actual Grosvenor was an East Indiaman wrecked off Southeast Africa in 1782, which wreck and the survival of many of its passengers and crew caught the popular imagination, inspiring novels by both Charles Dibdin and Captain Marryat. Russell here updated the events to his own era. Conan Doyle depicts Doctor Watson "deep in one of Clark Russell's fine sea stories" at the beginning of "The Five Orange Pips." This title common in undated reprints through the 1920s, quite uncommon in the three-volume 1877 first. This is NOT the 1877 first, but rather Sampson Low's "Third and Cheaper Edition" in one volume, with beveled edges, red cloth stamped with foliate devices in black and gold gilt to both spine and front board, the spine cloth moderately faded but with titles there still easily legible. One bottom board corner beginning to peek through the cloth; overall "very good." Spine rolled a modest 3/16ths inch. Small label to rear pastedown reads "Bound by W. Bone & Son / Fleet St. London E.C." Barely visible to said dark brown rear pastedown is also what appears to be a rubber stamp reading "Stevens & Son / The Library / Somerton" -- possibly the original bookseller. (For those interested in the culture clash which followed the stranding of the 125 passengers and crew in the land of the Zulu, the most complete modern accounting is Stephen Taylor's "Caliban's Shore: The Wreck of the Grosvenor and the Strange Fate of Her Survivors," Norton 2004.) This volume counts 382 pp. followed by 32 pp. of publisher's ads dated "January, 1881." Reduced from $880. Seller Inventory # 009044

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Wreck of the 'Grosvenor' / An Account of...

Publisher: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, London

Publication Date: 1881

Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: No illustrations, no frontisipiece

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Edition: 3rd Edition