Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Melville, Herman. Israel Potter: His Fifty Years Of Exile. G. P. Putnam & Co., New York, 1855.
Price: US$45.00 + shipping
Condition: Fair
Description: Musty. Ex-library copy with partial label on spine and Xed out book plate on front endpaper. Approx. 1/2" missing from top spine end. Covers have light wear to outer corners and slight surface bubbling. Page edges are lightly browned.
Seller: Willis Monie-Books, ABAA, Cooperstown, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$175.00 + shipping
Condition: Fair
Description: In fair condition. Ex-library. Binding very worn with loss at corners and spine. Cloth is scuffed. Spine leather torn at top. Binding shaken and detached from boards. Toned end papers. Moderately foxed with occasional pencil markings. Please see photos. Scarce. Volume Five only! Despite aesthetic flaw, this remains an important work. The first appearance of Israel Potter, Melvilles novel about the Revolutionary War, was published in six parts in Putnams Magazine between July 1854-March 1855. Loosely based on a real person, Israel Potter recounts the life of a young American who fights in the Revolution, is captured at sea by the British Navy and has a series of adventures in England involving King George III, Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, and Ethan Allen. Melvilles work is on pp. 63-71, 176-182, 288-294.
Seller: ROBIN RARE BOOKS at the Midtown Scholar, Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. Israel Potter: His Fifty Years in Exile. G.P. Putnam & Co, New York, 1855.
Price: US$195.00 + shipping
Description: Third printing in the first year of publication. Front free endpaper lacking. A respectable early copy of Melville's penultimate novel.
Seller: John R. Sanderson, Bookseller , Stockbridge, MA, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile. G. P. Putnam & Co., New York, 1855.
Price: US$248.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: First published in installments in Putnam's Monthly Magazine. Based in part on the true story of a revolutionary war veteran and prisoner of the British who met King George III, escaped to France & became a courier and spy for 'Dr. Franklin' (Benjamin Franklin). Small 8vo, 276pp. Publishers maroon blind stamped cloth, gilt title to spine. Covers somewhat faded to brown, spine rubbed, head and tail of spine chipped. Front inner hinge cracked. OCLC: 7013972.
Seller: Antipodean Books, Maps & Prints, ABAA, Garrison, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$275.00 + shipping
Description: GOOD+ IN ORIGINAL PUBLISHER'S CLOTH. FIRST ISSUE OF THE 3RD ED WITH INTEGRAL TITLE PAGE AND WITHOUT THE IMPRINT OF "LOW, SON & CO" BENEATH THE PUTNAM IMPRINT ORIGINAL UNSOPHISTICATED PUBLISHER'S PURPLE-BROWN CLOTH WITH 1/4" LOSS AT THE CROWN AND HEEL OF THE SPINE, SPINE'S GILT TITLES DULLED BUT STILL VERY VISIBLE, SPINE DISCOLORED TO BROWN, CORNERS AND BOTTOM EDGES MODERATELY WORN, SOME SCATTERED LIGHT SPOTTING/DISCOLORATION TO THE COVERS, INTERNALLY VERY NICE WITH THE REAR FREE ENDPAPER EXCISED, AND SCATTERED LIGHT FOXING AND A FEW STAINS SCATTERED THROUGHT THE TEXT BLOCK. THIRD EDITION.
Seller: JOHN LUTSCHAK BOOKS, BURLINGTON, WI, U.S.A.
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Description: VERY GOOD IN ORIGINAL PUBLISHER'S CLOTH. FIRST ISSUE OF THE 3RD ED WITH INTEGRAL TITLE PAGE AND WITHOUT THE IMPRINT OF "LOW, SON & CO" BENEATH THE PUTNAM IMPRINT ORIGINAL UNSOPHISTICATED PUBLISHER'S PURPLE-BROWN CLOTH WITH LOSS AT THE SPINE ENDS TO THE TEXT BLOCK, WITH DULLED BUT STILL VISIBLE GILT SPINE TITLES, SPINE SUNNED TO BROWN, CORNERS LIGHTLY WORN, INTERNALLY VERY NICE WITH ORIGINAL ENDPAPERS PRESENT AND CLEAN, AND AN ATTRACTIVE BOOKPLATE ON THE FRONT PASTE-DOWN ENDPAPER. AN EXCELLENT COPY. THIRD EDITION. Binding is HARDCOVER.
Seller: JOHN LUTSCHAK BOOKS, BURLINGTON, WI, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile. G.P. Putnam & Co., New York, 1855.
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: New York: G.P. Putnam & Co., 1855. This novel of the Revolutionary War was a commercial failure for Melville, as was "Moby Dick." Later critics have been more kindly. This is a Very Good (Minus) copy of the First Edition (First State, with the mis-numbered Chapter XIV). A scarce title. Tan cloth binding, heavily stamped with ruling and a decorative device on both covers. Clean text; 276 pages. Penciled names on the front paste-down and free endpaper; bookbinder chop on the FFEP. The text has occasional smudges and floodmarks, but remains clear and fully legible; unfoxed. Bumped to a fray; faded, particularly the spine and margins. The original gilt lettering on the spine is faint but still readable, due to the blindstamping. Certainly not a beauty, but basically a sound copy of this scarce title that might benefit from a bit of restoration. In an archival plastic protector. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good (Minus)/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.
Seller: Quercus Rare Books, Chico, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$475.00 + shipping
Description: Scarce. The first appearance of Israel Potter, Melville's novel about the Revolutionary War, was published in six parts in Putnam's Magazine between July 1854 - March 1855. It was published in book form in March 1855. Loosely based on a real person, Israel Potter recounts the life of a young American who fights in the Revolution, is captured at sea by the British Navy, and has a series of adventures in England involving King George III, Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, and Ethan Allen. The work ends sadly, with Potter exiled in poverty in England for fifty years, finally returning to America shortly before his death. The book was a commercial failure in its time but garnered critical appreciation. Volume IV also includes Melville's "The Lightning-Rod Man." Both volumes are bound in the original green cloth with embossed designs to covers and gilt titling to spine. Both volumes have a few light stains to the boards, bumped / worn corners, and rubbed cloth, with faded gilt design and titling to spines. Sunning to both spines and to edges of boards. Evidence of library marking to spines of both volumes, covered over partially. Gouge to rear board of Volume IV, not affecting interior and small tears to joint. Book cloth is worn along joints of both volumes with several small tears; although, the boards remain firmly attached. Chipping to spine ends of both volumes. Ownership stamp of D.F. Tillinghast to front and rear pastedowns of both volumes. Old book seller stamp to endpapers of Volume V. Interior pages clean and bright with age darkening to some pages. Overall in very good condition. Volume IV: 672 pages; Volume V: 668 pages. LIT/050418.
Seller: The Kelmscott Bookshop, ABAA, Savage, MD, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile. G.P. Putnam & Co., New York, 1855.
Price: US$499.99 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Second state printing with brown cloth binding and yellow endpapers. The heading to chapter 14 is the correct XIV. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall Size: 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall
Seller: Wayward Books, south dartmouth, MA, U.S.A.
Price: US$500.00 + shipping
Description: Scarce. The first appearance of Israel Potter, Melville's novel about the Revolutionary War, was published in six parts in Putnam's Magazine between July 1854 - March 1855. It was published in book form in March 1855. Loosely based on a real person, Israel Potter recounts the life of a young American who fights in the Revolution, is captured at sea by the British Navy, and has a series of adventures in England involving King George III, Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, and Ethan Allen. The work ends sadly, with Potter exiled in poverty in England for fifty years, finally returning to America shortly before his death. The book was a commercial failure in its time but garnered critical appreciation. Volume IV also includes Melville's "The Lightning-Rod Man." Both volumes are bound in the original green cloth with embossed designs to covers and gilt titling to spine. Both volumes have a few light stains to the boards, bumped / worn corners, and rubbed cloth, with faded titles to spines. Minor sunning to spines. Wear and minor chipping to book cloth along spine ends, edges, and corners of boards. Interior pages clean overall with browning to some pages. Foxing primarily to first and last few pages; although, there are occasional spots of foxing throughout both volumes. Overall in very good condition. Volume IV: 672 pages; Volume V: 668 pages. PER/031023.
Seller: The Kelmscott Bookshop, ABAA, Savage, MD, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. Israel Potter:; His Fifty Years of Exile. G. P. Putnam & Co, New York, 1855.
Price: US$750.00 + shipping
Description: 8vo, 276pp; brown cloth. Mixed state, with ornamented letters in the spine title and Chapter Fourteen correctly identified. Slight lean; tips bumped; cloth a bit rubbed and with a touch of wear to spine ends.
Seller: Locus Solus Rare Books (ABAA, ILAB), Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
MELVILLE, Herman.. Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile.. G. P. Putnam & Co., New York, 1855.
Price: US$850.00 + shipping
Description: 276 pp. 12mo, publisher's gilt-lettered cloth. First edition, first printing. BAL 13667; first printing; first binding. Area of abrasion (as from rough removal of a bookplate) on front pastedown; light staining to the text; some corners creased; cloth sunned and worn but tight and sound.
Seller: Jeffrey H. Marks, Rare Books, ABAA, Rochester, NY, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. Israel Potter . His Fifty Years Exile. G. P. Putnam, New York, 1855.
Price: US$1000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Published by G. P. Putnam in 1885, mixed state bound in the uncommon red cloth binding. First letters to spine titling ornamented but the heading for Chapter Fourteen correctly reading ' XIV '. A very gooid copy with wear to the spine ends and a small unobtrusive perforation to the rear gutter.
Seller: The Reluctant Bookseller, Albany, NY, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile. G.P. Putnam & Co, New York, 1855.
Price: US$1200.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, first printing. 1 vols. 8vo. First edition, first issue. Melville based this work on the "Life and Remarkable Adventures of Israel R. Potter," 1824, which purports to be the true story of a soldier in the American Revolution who was captured by the British at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Melville has ably sketched such contempoary figures as George III, Dr, Franklin, John Paul Jones and Ethan Allen. BAL 13667 Original tan cloth boards both stamped in blind with decorative motif, (first binding as appropriate to first printing), titles ruled in gilt on spine; some fraying on spine and edges with slight cocking, foxing throughout; a very good first issue
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. Israel Potter. G.P. Putnam, New York, 1855.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Israel Potter by Herman Melville. First printing in ¾ leather with black cloth. Publisher: G.P. Putnam, New York, 1855. First printing with Chapter 14 incorrectly numbered and contains all other first issue points per BAL 13667. Binding is in very good plus condition, some rubbing along the spine edges and some fading to the leather. Five raised bands on the spine with gold lettering and ornate decoration. Spine in gold lettering reading: Works of Melville // Israel Potter. A tight handsome binding. 5 ¼ x 7 ½ inches. Marbled endpapers. Bookplate on front pastedown. Contents clean. 276 pages. Protected by Mylar. Inventory #13-036. Price: $1250. Language: eng Language: eng Language: eng
Seller: Discovery Bay Old Books ABAA, ILAB, Brentwood, CA, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile. G.P. Putnam & Co., New York, 1855.
Price: US$2499.99 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: True first edition first state with Chapter 14 mis-stated as XVI. Reddish purple cloth binding with the spine initials ornamented with pendants. Previous owner contemporary bookplate on the front pastedown. First blank page has a neat previous owner Peter Grant, Farmingdale, March 19, 1855 noted neatly in ink. Size: 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall
Seller: Wayward Books, south dartmouth, MA, U.S.A.