The Collected Poems of G. K. Chesterton
By G. K. Chesterton
 
Limited edition. Number 111 of 350 copies signed by the author. London: Cecil Palmer, 1927.
 
Original quarter white vellum, spine lettered in gilt, patterned paper boards. Top edge gilt, others uncut.
 
A very good copy. There is some soiling and marking to the spine as noted, including a specific area of surface loss to the vellum at the spine foot; the patterned boards show moderate rubbing to the edges and corners.
 
Internally, there is moderate browning to the front and rear endpapers, and the name of a previous owner, Eric S. Adamson, is written in a neat hand to the front endpaper; the contents remain otherwise notably clean and fresh throughout.
 
G. K. Chesterton was a titan of Edwardian letters, a prolific writer whose influence reached into almost every corner of literature and philosophy. This 1927 collection was the first definitive gathering of his verse, featuring his most celebrated works such as 'Lepanto' and 'The Rolling English Road'. Included here is the famous poetic dedication to his lifelong friend E. C. Bentley, the inventor of the 'Clerihew' form of verse. While perhaps best known today for the Father Brown stories—which have become a staple of British television through numerous adaptations—Chesterton’s poetry reveals the rhythmic, populist, and deeply spirited heart of his world-view.