Burroughs, Edgar Rice

8vo (185 x 124mm.), FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE OF THE FIRST TARZAN BOOK, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR ("To my friend, R.H. Davis, | whose helpful suggestions | for the injection of | parlor English into my | stories can never be | forgot. | Edgar Rice Burroughs") on the front free endpaper, FIRST STATE burgundy cloth lettered in gilt on spine and upper cover, DUST-JACKET, collector's chemise and green morocco slipcase, slight browning, hinges strengthened, bookplates or labels removed from fixed endpapers, head and foot of spine slightly frayed, supplied dust-jacket, minor professional repairs to dust-jacket

Peter Parley to Penrod p.134; Zeuschner 697

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A RARE PRESENTATION COPY OF THIS LANDMARK OF AMERICAN LITERATURE.

All first edition, first issue points are present: the printer's name and city in "Old English" type on the imprint page, and no acorn device at the foot of the spine.

The recipient was Richard Harding Davis (1864 - 1916), an American journalist and writer of both fiction and drama. As an American war correspondent he is famed for covering the Spanish–American War, the Second Boer War, and the First World War. He was influential in the evolution of the American magazine and was editor of The All-Story magazine at the time that Burroughs first published this work in serial form.