£250
FIRST BRITISH ONE-VOLUME EDITION, EARLY ISSUE, 8vo, pp. [ii], xxiii, [iii], 564, 32 (ads). Black and white illustrations throughout pagination. Original red cloth, front board and spine blocked in black and gilt, rear board blocked in black, floral endpapers. A touch of spotting. Binding a little marked and worn to extremities, particularly spine ends, spine panel darkened. Contemporary ink ownership inscription to title-page.
An early example of the first single-volume British edition of Twain's novel recounting his walking tour of central and southern Europe. Johnson notes the true first British printing as a two volume edition in brown cloth, published in February of 1880; the one-volume version has no edition statement but is known with ads dated as early as April 1880. This copy's ads are dated to October of 1880, indicating a later issue.
Included in the appendix is an entertaining essay titled, 'The Awful German Language', detailing Twain's frustrations while learning German before the journey that inspired this book.
