Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Hilton, James. The Story of Dr. Wassell. Little, Brown & Company, Boston, 1943.
Price: US$124.99 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Green cloth 3rd printing hardcover inscribed by Wassell and Hilton to the ffep. Spine mildly toned with reading ridge. Ex-library with stamped numbers and penned notation to copyright page, pencilled numbers at rear. Mild rubbing to points, sound binding. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; Signed by Author
Seller: curtis paul books, inc., Northridge, CA, U.S.A.
HILTON, James.. THE STORY OF DR. WASSELL. (SIGNED). Little Brown,, Boston,, 1943.
Price: US$322.94 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: First Edition. Hardback. Dust Jacket. 8vo. pp 158. Original publisher's green cloth, lettered dark green at the spine and front cover. Signed presentation from James Hilton and Dr. Wassell on the front endpaper, "To Luella Riley - Cmdr. C. M. Wassell, U.S.N.R. - Sincerely James Hilton." Two signatures in different colour inks; true story of a US war hero; basis for Cecil B De Mille films tarring Gary Cooper. Fine in slightly used and creased, near very good dust jacket. Not price-clipped. No loss but some nicks and closed tears.
Seller: Burwood Books, Wickham Market, United Kingdom
James Hilton. The Story of Dr. Wassell. Atlantic / Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 1943.
Price: US$350.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Near Fine; mild rubbing/bumping to extremities; a little soil to cloth on front cover; page edges tanned, but only as seen with the book closed; else Fine. In a Fair dust jacket with edge wear, creases to front panel; some soil to rear panel; in a mylar sleeve. Stated First Edition. First free page inscribed "For Charles W. Chillom [?]" followed by the signatures of the subject and the author: "Comdr. C.M. Wassell, U.S.N.R." and "Sincerely James Hilton" followed by Chinese characters. A note is laid in: "May 5 -'43. Dear Charles - at 'Robinson's' these men were autographing their book to purchasers so I got into the long line - Mr Hilton is a likable fellow with a cheery smile and Dr Wassell very approachable. I dared to ask him [Hilton] to burn a hole in the paper with his ever-in-hand cigarette - He said 'you want me to do that?' Then he said 'wait a minute' - So, he further wrote his name in Chinese :-)! His [Wassell's] photograph on the back cover is a perfect likeness - 'Mom'". There are two small cigarette holes just above the signatures. The note had been attached to the page with a rusty paper clip, and there is residue on the note, the page, the pastedown, and the front flap of the dust jacket. The dust jacket notes that "The author's royalties will be given to the Navy Relief Society."
Seller: Montecito Rare Books, Goleta, CA, U.S.A.
Hilton, James. the Story of Dr. Wassell. Atlantic Little Brown, 1943.
Price: US$350.01 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: signed by author and Dr. Wassell, 3rd printing, May 1943, d/j has tears on the edges with some small pieces missing, original price of $1.50 on flap, also has some tape on inside of d/j, green cloth with normal wear, contens are clean Inscription reads ( with kind regards, Comdr. C. M. Wassell, (M.C.) U.S.N.R. June 1943 and underneath is signed Sincerely James Hilton
Seller: Redbrick Books, Springfield, MA, U.S.A.
HILTON, James. THE STORY OF DR. WASSELL (SIGNED). Little, Brown & Co, Boston, 1943.
Price: US$425.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: (ix)158 pp. SIGNED in ink by both James Hilton ("with all good wishes James Hilton") and Dr. Corydon Wassell ("Comdr. C. M. Wassell, (M.C.) U.S.N.R.") and a gift INSCRIPTION in ink from Dr. Wassell's wife, Madeline D. Wassell ("To our Friends the McMahons / Madeline D. Wassell") on the front free endpaper. Illustrated dust jacket. Green cloth. 5" x 7 1/2". In 1942, U.S. Navy Dr. Wassell was assigned to care for the wounded from the cruisers Marblehead and Houston which had sought refuge in Java after heavy action. With the Japanese advancing, the ships were to depart. Dr. Wassell elected to stay with the 12 men who were badly wounded at a Dutch inland hospital. Dr. Wassell then miraculously sheparded the men to the seacoast and safety. He was awarded the Navy Cross. James Hilton ("Lost Horizon") wrote this book, which was the sourcework for the 1944 movie "The Story of Dr. Wassell" by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gary Cooper as Dr. Wassell and Laraine Day as Madeline Wassell. A Near Fine copy (slight edgewear at the spine-ends) in a Very Good Plus jacket (edgewear, mostly at the spine-ends) now in a clear mylar protective sleeve. ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING of our books in boxes via media mail to any United States address.
Seller: Hardy Books, Nevada City, CA, U.S.A.
Hilton, James. The Story of Dr. Wassell. Little, Brown, Boston, 1943.
Price: US$479.02 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Second printing. A VG+ copy in a VG+ dust jacket with the price intact on the front flap. Basis for the 1944 film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gary Cooper, Laraine Day and Signe Hasso. Signed by James Hilton and Dr. Wassell on the FEP. Scarce and collectible.
Seller: AcornBooksNH, New Harbor, ME, U.S.A.
HILTON, JAMES.. The Story of Dr. Wassell. Boston: Little Brown, 1943, 1943.
Price: US$500.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. Fine in a very good dust jacket with some phone numbers noted on the front flap. TBasis of the acclaimed Gary Cooper film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, this is a superb association copy, inscribed in the month of publication by the author to Frank Capra, who directed Hilton's Lost Horizon, 'For Frank, with affectionate regards from James, April, 1943.' Signed in full on the title page. All books described as first editions are first printings unless otherwise noted.
Seller: Peter L. Stern & Co., Inc, Newton, MA, U.S.A.
James Hilton. The Story of Dr. Wassell. Little Brown & Co, 1943.
Price: US$502.90 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Little Brown & Co, 1943. First Edition. Hard Cover. No dust jacket. Cover has very slight shelfwear, slightly faded spine, lightly softened spine ends. A few faded spots on front cover. Spine is slightly tilted. Pages are clean, bright and unmarked. Binding is tight. Hinges are perfect. A note from author to previous owner inside front cover. Newspaper review and note from C.M. Wassell, including a picture of Dr. Wassell, on second flyleaf. Movie review pasted on title page with picture of movie poster pasted on the copyright page. Signed again by author on dedication page. Piece of dust jacket pasted opposite the foreword page. Another review of the book with Dr. Wassell's picture is pasted after the foreword. Article from the World Telegraph, 1947, with picture of Dr. Wassell pasted on back end paper. Very nice copy with related articles.
Seller: PJK Books and Such, Murrells Inlet, SC, U.S.A.
Hilton, James. The Story of Dr. Wassell. Atlantic-Little, Brown, 1943.
Price: US$525.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Stated first edition and "Published April, 1943" on the copyright page. A fictional account of a true story about Navy Lieutenant Commander Corydon Wassell, who saved the lives of the wounded men in his care from an invading Japanese force in Java. President Roosevelt made a special tribute to Dr. Wassell, who won the Navy Cross for Gallantry for his actions. In 1944, Cecil B. DeMille made a movie of the story starring Gary Cooper. A promotional piece about the movie from Paramount Pictures accompanies this book. This copy is signed and briefly inscribed by both Dr. Wassell and James Hilton.
Seller: Paul Johnson Fine Books, IOBA, Temecula, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$695.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, fifth printing ("July 1943"). 8vo. Dust jacket designed by George F. Kelley (unclipped; several chips; rubbing; creases; short tears). Very good. Signed by 19 cast and crew members of the 1944 Paramount film, including director Cecil B. de Mille (on the front pastedown) and stars Gary Cooper, Laraine Day, Carol Thurston as "Tremartini", Morton Lowry (Lt. Bainbridge), Berenice Mosk, Assistant Director Eddie Salven; Assistant Director Oscar Rudolph, Assistant Director Dan McCauley on the front free endpaper. On the verso of the front free endpaper signed and inscribed by actor Paul Kelly, signed and inscribed by actor James A. Millican, signed and inscribed by actor Elliot Reid "Andy", signed and inscribed by actor Oliver Thorndike "Alabam", signed and inscribed by actor Mike Killian "Borghetti", signed and inscribed by actor Joel Allen "Kraus". Signed by Madeline Day Wassell, Mel R. Francis, U.S.S. Marblehead "Himself" and Robert A, Krans One of Dr. Wassells Boys" on the half title page. Also signed and inscribed on the half title page by Commander Corydon Wassell, the Navy doctor on whose experiences the book is based. : "To Boise, with kind regards Comad C.M. Wassell, (M.C.) U.S.N.R. Oct 1943 and boys of U.S.S. Marblehead & Houston Java, 1942."
Seller: Houle Rare Books/Autographs/ABAA/PADA, Palm Springs, CA, U.S.A.
HILTON, James. The Story of Dr. Wassell. Little, Brown, Boston, 1943.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition, preceding the English. Endpapers foxed, else near fine in near very good dustwrapper with some modest chips and tears. Signed by both James Hilton and the subject of the book, Dr. Corydon Wassell. Based on Wassell's heroic stance against orders to not save the wounded during the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Basis for the Cecil B. DeMille-directed film starring Gary Cooper. This copy also bears the contemporary signature of actor John Burton, who appeared in several films either scripted by Hilton or based on his novels, including *Lost Horizon*, *Mrs. Miniver*, and *Foreign Correspondent* (though he was not in *The Story of Dr. Wassell.*) At any rate a scarce book to find signed by both Dr. Wassell and Hilton.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.