Melville, Herman:

$1,400 · Offered by William Reese Company

WHITE-JACKET; OR THE WORLD IN A MAN-OF-WAR. First U.S. edition, BAL's first printing, first cloth binding, form "A" of the end gatherings, of Melville's semi-autobiographical novel based on his service aboard the man-of-war United States from August 1843 to October 1844. The novel, with its vivid depictions of the inhumane conditions and corporal punishment endured by enlisted sailors, is credited with having led to the eventual abolition of flogging in the U.S. Navy. The London edition in two volumes appeared in late January; this edition followed up in March and includes an author's "Note" dated New York, March 1850.

• Printing: first

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.