Katha Sarit Sagar (1909 – 1910) :: highly rare & hard-to-find

The Katha Sarit Sagar (Ocean of the Streams of Story) is one of the greatest works of Sanskrit literature. This absorbing collection of legends, fairy tales and folk tales was authored by the great Kashmiri writer Somdev Bhatt in the 11th century. The popular tales of Vikram-Betaal are also a part of the Katha Sarit Sagar.

The Gujarati translation of this monumental work was first published in the 1890s. During the years 1909 – 1910, a revised and enlarged Second Edition of the Gujarati translation of Katha Sarit Sagar was published in Bombay. For connoisseurs of Gujarati literature, we are pleased to offer an extremely rare set of this antiquarian Second Edition.

Several images of these precious books are attached herewith for the perusal of those interested.

KATHA SARIT SAGAR — set of two volumes

Author: Mahakavi Somdev Bhatt

Gujarati translation by: Samji V. Valji Shastri & Itcharam Suryaram Desai

Revised & Enlarged Second Edition by: Itcharam Suryaram Desai

Printed at: The Gujarati Printing Press, Bombay, 1909 (vol. 1) and 1910 (vol. 2) — Highly Rare Antiquarian Revised & Enlarged Second Edition

Format: Hardcover. Original blind stamp design on the front & back cover of the second volume.

Size: 20 cm x 15 cm

Pages in Volume 1: 40 + 566 = 606 pages.

Pages in Volume 2: 14 + 740 = 754 pages. Please note that the main text of the second volume commences from page no. 567 i.e. in continuation of the last page (566) of the first volume.

Total number of pages of both the volumes: 1360 pages.

Condition: Pre-owned. Restored – Intact – Fair. Pages clean & unmarked. There are NO wormholes in any of the pages. Binding tight and firm. These antique volumes are 112 years old and some of the pages bear certain signs (yellowing & spotting) consistent with the natural ageing process. The inner & outer margins of a few pages at the beginning and the end of each volume had deteriorated owing to age, the margins of such affected pages have been carefully treated and restored. The printed price, and the handwritten price on the top right corner of the initial pages, was obliterated by the original owner of this book, probably for the purpose of gifting (images attached). The rubber stamp of the now-defunct Devshri Book Suppliers is present on a few pages of the first volume (images attached). The covers of the second volume bear considerable fading & spotting owing to age. The covers of both the volumes have been neatly wrapped in an acetate film for future protection.

Inscriptions: A handwritten gift inscription is present on the reverse side of the title page in the second volume; image attached.

Remarks: These antiquarian, revised & enlarged Second Edition volumes are extremely rare and hard to find. Please note that recent reprint editions may be available for a much lesser price, the value of this particular set of books that we are offering lies in its utmost rarity for being an early Gujarati edition originally published in two volumes in 1909 & 1910 respectively.

Please email us on kumarclassicbookpoint@gmail.com for cost and availability, or for any further queries in order to serve you better. Delivery in Mumbai is free.

Jawaharlal Nehru's autobiography :: rare May 1936 edition

Written entirely in prison between June 1934 and February 1935, Jawaharlal Nehru's autobiography is one of the most important books of the pre-independence era in the realm of Indian history. First published in London in the month of April 1936, the initial print run of this engrossing book was exhausted in no time. In an extremely unusual turn of events, this book was reprinted in the same month of its first edition i.e. April 1936, followed by the second impression as early as May 1936!

We are now pleased to offer a highly rare early edition of his autobiography published in the month of May 1936.

Numerous images of this precious rarity are attached herewith for the perusal of those interested.

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU — AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Author: Jawaharlal Nehru

Publisher: The Bodley Head, London, May 1936 — Second Reprint of the First Edition (April 1936) — Highly Rare and Hard-to-find

Printed by: Sherratt and Hughes at the Saint Ann's Press, Timperley

Format: Hardcover in green cloth with the original dust jacket.

Size: 22.3 cm long x 15.2 wide x 5.2 cm thick

Pages: xvi + 618 pages + 13 plates in collotype. Richly illustrated with several rare b&w visuals.

Book Condition: Pre-owned. Excellent. Pages clean & unmarked. Original tight binding. Slight natural yellowing/foxing of some pages owing to age. The original protective butter paper sheets on some of the plates are completely intact.

Dust Jacket Condition: Restored – Intact. Fair – Good. The spine of the original dust jacket suffered from considerable fraying and shelf-wear but has been meticulously restored. Slight spotting/foxing on the dust jacket owing to age. The dust jacket has been neatly wrapped in an acetate film for future protection.

Affixtures: An old stamp depicting the coat of arms of the princely state of Kutch is affixed on the clothbound spine of this book. Image attached.

Remarks: The value of this particular book lies in its being one of the earliest rare editions originally published in London in May 1936. This rare edition is particularly elusive in such good condition and with its original dust jacket intact as the one we are offering now.

Please email us on kumarclassicbookpoint@gmail.com for cost and availability, or for any further queries in order to serve you better. Delivery in Mumbai is free.