Steinbeck, John (1936) ‘In Dubious Battle’, US signed and inscribed first edition, family association copy

John Steinbeck (1936) ‘In Dubious Battle‘, US signed and inscribed first edition, first printing, published by Covici Friede. Family association copy with the inscription dedicated to John Steinbeck’s sister and her husband: “For Beth and Gene with love John Steinbeck.” Additionally, bearing the bookplate of Elizabeth Ainsworth, the author’s sister, on the front pastedown.

Provenance: Elizabeth Ann Steinbeck was born in May 1894 in California. She married Eugene Granberry Ainsworth (1891-1938), and died in October 1992. In February 2007 this very copy was sold in Los Angeles for USD 11,352 at Bonhams. It was part of of the Elizabeth Ann Steinbeck Ainsworth collection sold on that day: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/19/johnsteinbeck

The rock solid provenance and family association make it a desirable copy indeed.

Condition: a very good book in like dust jacket. Generally clean. The page block edges show a few foxing spots. The cloth boards show faint foxing sprinkles as well. This was already there when the book was sold at Bonhams back in 2007: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/14787/lot/310/?category=list&length=96&page=4 The red top stain is present as called for. The book is square and tidy. The dust jacket is clean and NOT price clipped with a few tears to the edges. NO restoration work whatsoever.

In Dubious Battle (1936) was the first book of what is known as the Dustbowl Trilogy completed with Of Mice and Men (1937) and with The Grapes of Wrath (1939). The latter received the Pulitzer Prize and Steinbeck’s entire work the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature.