Lion Feuchtwanger — Jew Suss

London, Martin Secker, 1926. First edition. Cloth. A superior first trade English edition of this nuanced historical novel from Lion Feuchtwanger, based on the life of Joseph Süss Oppenheimer. The first trade English edition. A limited signed edition of 275 numbered copies was published the same year.  With the very scarce original unclipped dust wrapper, priced to the spine.  Jew Suss was the most successful literary adaptation of the life story of Joseph Süss Oppenheimer, who in 1733 became the "court Jew" of Carl Alexander, the duke of the small German state of Wurttemberg. In the course of his work for the duke, Oppenheimer made a number of powerful enemies, some of whom conspired to bring about his arrest and execution after Karl Alexander's death. Feuchtwanger was already well known throughout Germany when Jew Suss appeared, and the hugely successful novel was adapted for the cinema screen initially in a sympathetic version in 1934 under the direction of Lothar Mendes. The NSDAP party in Germany then made their own anti-Semitic version under the very same title, which instead portrays Oppenheimer as an evil character. Translated into English by Willa and Edwin Muir, noted for translating the works of many notable German-speaking authors including Franza Kafka. In the original cloth binding, with paper spine label. With the very scarce original unclipped dust wrapper, priced to the spine. Externally, very smart, with minor shelf wear and a small nick to the head of the spine. Dust wrapper is a smart survival, with sunning to the spine and minor chips to the head and tail. Edge wear resulting in a few minor nicks to the wrap. A few spots to the spine and light handling marks. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are generally bright and clean, with toning and spots to the endpapers. Contemporary ink inscription to the front free endpaper. Near Fine . Ill.: None. Near Fine/Very Good Indeed.