Cakes and Ale, or The Skeleton in the Cupboard (1955)

This special edition was published to celebrate Maugham's 80th birthday. He chose his favourite book and lived another 12 years.

Quarter-bound in cream and black morocco with gilt lettering on a black spine-label and gilt rules to both panels, top page-edge gilt, other edges uncut, plain laid endpapers, limitation certificate: "This edition of Cakes and Ale is limited to 1000 copies and is signed by the Author and Artist - Number 431", original lithograph of the author by the artist (dated in ink "7-7-53") as frontispiece, red-and-black title-page, (4) pp of original manuscript in 2 colours, xii + 255 pp of text on laid paper. 

CONDITION. The copy is without the original slipcase and glassine dustjacket. Some 30 leaves, including 2 of the original manuscript leaves, are unopened. The page gilding remains bright and the copy remains tightly bound. The black cover panels remain fine, with the smallest rubbing to the lower 2 corners. The cream spine is rubbed at the ends and along both outer hinges. The copy is otherwise complete, unmarked and foxed or otherwise discoloured.

The spine damage is reflected in the reserve. The spine covering of this edition was susceptible to damage, as witness other listed copies; but copies with little or no such damage are priced at $600 or more. As compensation, however, this copy has perfect signatures and the original lithograph as well as the unopened manuscript and other leaves (indicating that the copy has not been read): all this is outstanding for a copy as old as this.