The Islandman
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1935. First American Edition. Octavo. Item #023223
Portrait frontispiece, 303pp., illustrated with photographic images. Translated from the Irish, with an introduction by Robin Flower. The author was born in 1856. He had lived all his life on the Great Blasket, one of a storm swept cluster of islands that lie a few miles off the wild Kerry coast of Western Ireland. He tells the way of life that has changed but little in his lifetime but that may soon disappear. He lived a very hard life, with the shadow of starvation and of famine averted on the island by the wrack of passing ships. This is a full record of a full life, from the earliest remembered events and impressions of childhood down to a ripe old age told very simply yet with a world of color, sympathy, tenderness, and humor. Bound in light green cloth which has faded much like that of Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa published by Scribner's the same year. spine lettered in gilt over black, endpapers are maps, very minor wear to head, in unclipped photo illustrated dust jacket lettered in black and white spine lettering in black, chipping to spine ends with spots of rubbing, corners chipped. A very good copy.
Price: $165.00