Captain Corelli's Mandolin
By Louis de Bernières
 
First edition, first impression, signed and dated by the author to the title page in the year of publication: London: Secker & Warburg, 1994. Published in the United States under the title Corelli's Mandolin.
 
Octavo. Original first state cream cloth, spine lettered in burgundy; burgundy endpapers and paste-downs. With the original striking pictorial dust jacket featuring artwork by Graham Bence, priced £14.99.
 
A  near fine copy in the first state cream cloth, spine lettered in burgundy with burgundy endpapers and paste-downs. Gentle pushing to spine foot with a little of the usual light toning to edges. The binding is square and firm with bright lettering; contents are clean and fresh, signed and dated 1994 by the author on the title page.
 
The original and unclipped dust jacket shows a little minor wear to spine ends, otherwise near fine and beautifully bright and unfaded.
 
A significant work of contemporary British fiction, Captain Corelli's Mandolin won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book in 1995 and was shortlisted for the 1994 Sunday Express Book of the Year. Having been named one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists in 1993, de Bernières achieved both immense commercial success and critical acclaim with this novel, a blend of historical tragedy and lyrical romance set on the island of Cephalonia during World War II. The book's impact extended far beyond the page, significantly boosting tourism to the Ionian Islands and inspiring the 2001 film adaptation. A highlight of 1990s literature, celebrated for its polyphonic narrative and profound emotional depth.