ID: 1543
Goliath and David.
GRAVES, Robert

Category: First Edition, First World War

Place/Publisher/Date:
Chiswick Press, [1917].

Description: First edition; 8vo; original red plain wrappers. Ownership stamp to title page and bookplate on the inside of the front wrapper: Commander W.B. Ross, Royal Navy. The author's second published work, one of 200 copies. Ross (1869-1918) was a Canadian literary journalist and patron of arts, and friend of Robert Graves, Siegfried Sassoon, and Wilfred Owen. Ross is alleged to have been Oscar Wilde's first male lover. Graves was introduced to Ross by Sassoon in August 1916. Ross saw a good deal of Graves and Sassoon during the autumn of 1916 and became in affect their cheif literary advisor. Graves wounded on the Somme in July 1916 only returned to the front in early 1917. In his absence he asked Ross and Sassoon to edit Goliath and David. According to Seymour in her biography of Graves, neither Sassoon nor Ross were pleased by one poem 'To My Uborn Sun'. A sentimental poem but what she thinks irked them most was the fact the poem showed Graves writing as a heterosexual, contemplating marriage and children. They took it out of the collection. Very good, marginal red stains from wrapper, a little rubbed, creased, faded and some fly marks to front wrapper. A fascinating association copy, once owned by the collection's editor.

Price £1,000.00 ()