John Langdon-Davies — The Dream Splendid

London, The Pelican Press, 1917. First edition. Paperback. A scarce Pelican Press first edition, written during Langdon-Davies"s undergraduate years at Oxford and published in the shadow of his conscientious objection during the Great War. In the publisher's original paper yapp binding. First edition. Signed and inscribed by the author to the half-title, "To J. E. H. from john Langdon-Davies, In The Sure Faith that the contents will be most inacceptible to him as a critic not so him as a friend. R. I. P." With the number 5 written in the author's hand to the top corner of the same. Although its colophon date is given in Roman numerals as 1914 (MCMXIV), the book was published in 1917 by The Pelican Press, with printing overseen by Francis Meynell, later a founder of the Nonesuch Press. The opening prose-poem, "Snowdrops, Oxford," is particularly striking and often singled out for its delicate imagery and emotional clarity. An early publication by the journalist, war correspondent and humanitarian John Langdon-Davies (1897–1971), written on the eve of Langdon-Davies"s imprisonment for conscientious objection, which cost him his scholarship and ultimately forced him to abandon his Oxford studies. In the publisher's original paper wraps. Externally, smart. Slight rubbing and bumping to extremities resulting int he odd small crease, closed tear and chip to extremities of yapp binding. Faint pencil erasure to upper edge of front wrap. Author's inscription to front free endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean. Very Good . Ill.: None. Very Good .