The Brave Cowboy

NY: Dodd Mead. (1956). Abbey's second and scarcest book, a contemporary western that was the basis for the film Lonely Are the Brave, starring Kirk Douglas in one of his iconic roles. This copy belonged to T.M. Pearce, author and professor of English at the University of New Mexico, where Abbey had been his student. Heavily annotated throughout, in pencil, by Pearce; the front flyleaf has a paragraph by him of recollections of Abbey, as well as newspaper clippings about Kirk Douglas buying the film rights. Pearce's ownership signature appears on the front pastedown. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket: an attractive, and noteworthy, copy of Abbey's scarcest book, the first to foreshadow the kinds of issues that would dominate his writings for decades to come. Unless otherwise noted, our first editions are first printings. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine.