Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$70.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First Edition. Original black cloth, minor wear to crown of spine, bottom front corner, else very good. First Edition stated on the copyright page, no writing or bookplates.
Seller: sonalsorises, los angeles, CA, U.S.A.
Traven, B.. THE DEATH SHIP The Story of an American Sailor. Alfred a Knopf, New York, 1934.
Price: US$192.44 + shipping
Description: Very Good in boards. Owner inscription. Hinge loose but intact, some light soling to boards. Stated First Printing, 1934.
Seller: Rare Book Cellar, Pomona, NY, U.S.A.
Traven, B.. THE DEATH SHIP: The Story of an American Sailor. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1934.
Price: US$300.00 + shipping
Description: First U.S. edition and first publication of Traven's own English-language translation of this, his first novel. The UK edition, translated by Eric Sutton, precedes, but this is the preferred edition of, arguably, his most famous book after THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE. Base of spine bumped otherwise near fine with barest wear. Lacking original dust jacket but with facsimile provided.
Seller: Quill & Brush, member ABAA, Middletown, MD, U.S.A.
Price: US$495.00 + shipping
Description: First Printing. Octavo (19.75cm); black cloth, with titles stamped in gilt on spine, and decorative elements embossed to front cover; burgundy topstain; dustjacket; [viii],372,[4]pp. Tiny crinkle at crown, with a touch of offset from jacket flaps onto endpapers, else Near Fine. Dustjacket is price-clipped, shelfworn, gently spine-sunned and lightly dusty, with shallow loss to crown, a small scuff to front panel, a faint stain at mid-spine, and several short tears (six of them neatly tape-mended on verso); Very Good only. Traven's own translation of his first novel, which was translated from the German by Eric Sutton for the UK edition published by Chatto & Windus. A novel set in the aftermath of World War I, centered around a group of merchant seamen who lack citizenship, money, and papers; it is in equal part an adventure novel, and a scathing indictment of abusive labor practices and authority. TREVERTON 32.
Seller: Lorne Bair Rare Books, ABAA, Winchester, VA, U.S.A.
Traven, B.. The Death Ship. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1934.
Price: US$600.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Octavo. 372 pages; original black cloth, spine stamped in gold; a very good copy, internally clean and bright, with no markings of any kind.
Seller: Charles Parkhurst Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Surprise, AZ, U.S.A.
Traven, B.. The Death Ship: The Story of an American Sailor. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1934.
Price: US$750.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 372pp. Octavo [21.5 cm] Black cloth. Restoration to jacket intermittently along the edges and along the fold of the rear flap. The Death Ship/Das Totenschiff was originally written in English in 1923 or 1924. Traven translated it into German at the request of Buchergilde Gutenberg editor Ernst Preczang who was impressed by the serialization of Die Baumwollpflucker in Vorwarts. Das Totenschiff was published in 1926. It was the first book to appear under the Traven name and its success established Traven's reputation. Traven's most brilliant novel. It is a sardonic work about identity and a satire on the faceless bureaucracy. The American sailor, Gales, has no papers; therefore, in the eyes of the authorities, he doesn't exist. In order to escape from Europe he is forced to board a "Death Ship." Considerably revised and rewritten from the Chatto & Windus edition with 61 additional pages, and is considered by many to be a superior translation. Treverton 32.
Seller: Ken Sanders Rare Books, ABAA, Salt Lake City, UT, U.S.A.
Price: US$800.00 + shipping
Description: NF/VG+. AUTHOR'S FIRST BOOK BOOK IS FINE BUT D.J. IS WORN AT CORNERS WITH A 1" WIDE BY 3/8" DEEP CHIP AT THE TOP OF THE SPINE PANEL, A 1 1/4" TEAR WITH ASSOCIATED CREASE AT THE FRONT SPINE TOP CORNER, A COUPLE SHORT TEARS ON THE FRONT PANEL, AND THE SPINE PANEL SUNNED. A VERY NICE COPY. FIRST EDITION.
Seller: JOHN LUTSCHAK BOOKS, BURLINGTON, WI, U.S.A.
Traven, B.. THE DEATH SHIP. The Story of an American Sailor. Alfred A . Knopf, New York, 1934.
Price: US$950.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: Octavo. Fine copy in price clipped near fine dust jacket with spine darkened, minimal edge wear. 372 pp. A very nice, tight, clean copy in a bright dust jacket.
Seller: Charles Parkhurst Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Surprise, AZ, U.S.A.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Description: First U.S. edition and first publication of Traven's own English-language translation of this, his first novel. Although the UK edition translated by Eric Sutton precedes it, this is the preferred edition of arguably his most famous book after THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE. Faint offset to front endpaper otherwise fine in near fine dust jacket with few tiny nicks and tears, spine slightly toned, and one small chip to rear bottom corner. TOGETHER WITH original German-language edition, DAS TOTEN SCHIFF. First issue with chapter-head initials in gray and page number p.[98] misprinted "89." 8vo blue cloth, top edge red. Small rubs to corners, fading to spine and edges, otherwise very good.
Seller: Quill & Brush, member ABAA, Middletown, MD, U.S.A.
Traven, B.. The Death Ship. Knopf, 1934.
Price: US$1500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 372 pp. 8vo, publisher's cloth in dust jacket. First American edition. Very good book in a very good price-clipped dust jacket, First Printing April 1934 stated on copyright page. Very rare in this condition, especially the dust jacket. Translated by the author. Comes in a custom-made collector's slipcase.
Seller: Bookbid, Beverly Hills, CA, U.S.A.
TRAVEN, B.. The Death Ship. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1934.
Price: US$1850.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First American Edition. According to some reports, Traven originally wrote this novel in English and then translated it to German for publication in Berlin as Das Totenschiff in 1926. Chatto & Windus published the first English language version in London in 1934 with a translation by Eric Sutton. Traven disliked the Sutton translation and produced his own revised English language version, with 61 additional pages, for this American edition published later the same year. Near fine, with faint offsetting to endpapers, in a bright very good plus dustjacket that is price-clipped and has minor wear at spine edges and very light toning to spine panel. An excellent copy.
Seller: Fireproof Books, MINNETONKA, MN, U.S.A.
Price: US$1850.00 + shipping
Description: Octavo, pp. [1-8] [1-2] 3-372 [373-376: blank] [note: first and last two leaves are blanks], original decorated black cloth, front panel stamped in blind, spine panel stamped in gold, running Borzoi stamped in blind on rear panel, top edge stained red, fore-edge untrimmed, bottom edge rough trimmed. First U.S. edition. First publication of Traven's own English-language translation of DAS TOTENSCHIFF (1926), his first novel. The novel was first published in English by Chatto & Windus, utilizing an English text prepared by Eric Sutton. The UK edition preceded Knopf's edition by several months, but the first American edition, with text translated and revised by Traven, is the preferred version of the novel. A fine copy in very good printed dust jacket with touch of wear at spine ends and corner tips, some age-darkening to spine panel, some minor general dust soiling, and clipped price. Overall, an attractive example of the jacket, which is uncommon in nice condition. In custom open-face cloth slipcase. (#77517)
Seller: Currey, L.W. Inc. ABAA/ILAB, Elizabethtown, NY, U.S.A.
TRAVEN, B.. The Death Ship.. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1934.
Price: US$2000.00 + shipping
Description: 372 pp. 8vo, publisher's cloth in dust jacket. First American edition. Remnant of a tiny booksellers ticket to front free endpaper; otherwise near fine in a bright fresh jacket with some very light chipping to the crown of the spine. Much nicer than usually seen.
Seller: Jeffrey H. Marks, Rare Books, ABAA, Rochester, NY, U.S.A.
Traven, B. The Death Ship;: The Story of an American Sailor. Alfred A. Knopf, 1934.
Price: US$2000.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First American Edition. First Printing. Stated First Printing. Publisher's black cloth in bright yellow original DJ. Uncut page edges. Unclipped DJ in archival cover.
Seller: J. Mercurio Books, Maps, & Prints IOBA, Garrison, NY, U.S.A.