A Bell for Adano John Hersey 1944 Knopf First Edition Fourth Printing w/ Dust Jacket

DESCRIPTION

A 1944 Knopf hardcover edition of A Bell for Adano by John Hersey, presented with its dust jacket and identified as a first edition, fourth printing. Hersey’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is one of the significant American literary works to emerge from World War II, telling the story of an Italian village under Allied occupation and the search to restore dignity, order, and humanity after war. This copy includes a handwritten 1944 gift inscription on the half-title page, adding period charm and personal history.

Author: John Hersey
Title: A Bell for Adano
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Place of Publication: Not stated from available image
Year: 1944
Edition: First Edition
Printing: Fourth Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Dust Jacket: Present
ISBN, if applicable: Not issued
Illustrations: None observed
Pagination: Not stated
Language: English
Provenance: 1944 gift inscription present
Signed: Not signed by author; gift inscription appears to be from “Betsy”

Notable Attributes: First edition, fourth printing; 1944 Knopf hardcover; dust jacket present; Pulitzer Prize-winning World War II novel; period Christmas gift inscription dated 1944

Edition Verification Notes: First edition and fourth printing status supplied by seller. The provided image shows the half-title page for A Bell for Adano with a handwritten inscription reading approximately, “Merry, Merry Christmas to Grandma White from Betsy,” dated 1944. Copyright page and printing statement are not shown in the provided image and should be included in the photo set if available.

Condition: Hardcover with dust jacket present, per seller-provided information. The visible half-title page shows age toning, light spotting/foxing, and a handwritten gift inscription dated 1944. Interior page edges show age consistent with wartime-era publication. Exterior boards, spine, binding, page edges, dust jacket condition, jacket price status, chips, tears, fading, and any additional markings are not fully visible from the available image and should be reviewed in the complete photo set.

Description: First edition, fourth printing of John Hersey’s A Bell for Adano, published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1944. Hardcover with dust jacket. This World War II novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and remains one of Hersey’s best-known works. This copy includes a period Christmas gift inscription dated 1944 on the half-title page. Not signed by the author.

From a carefully curated catalog emphasizing collectible, decorative, and historically significant editions selected for condition and presentation. Collector and dealer inquiries are welcome, and we are happy to watch for specific titles or editions for private libraries and curated collections. All items are carefully packed and shipped using environmentally conscious materials, including recycled boxes and protective packing whenever possible.

FROM THE HOUSE

Some wartime novels are remembered because they describe battle; A Bell for Adano endures because it understands what happens after the fighting moves through. Hersey’s story of a village, a bell, and the restoration of ordinary dignity has the quiet moral strength that makes World War II literature so collectible. The 1944 gift inscription gives this copy an added period touch — a book exchanged in the very year it was published, while the world it described was still unfolding.

~ Maxwell