THE DEATH SHIP: THE STORY OF AN AMERICAN SAILOR

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1934. First American Edition. The author's first novel, originally written in English in 1923-24, translated by Traven into German and published as Das Totenschiff by Büchergilde Gutenberg in 1926. It charts the story of an American sailor, "stateless and peniless because he has lost his passport, who is harassed by police and hounded across Europe until he finds an 'illegal' job shoveling coal in the hold of a steamer bound for destruction" (from the AK Press edition). This American edition, following the UK edition published the same year, consists of Traven's own translation of the text. Treverton 32. First Printing. Octavo (19.75cm); black cloth, with titles stamped in gilt on spine, and decorative elements embossed onto front cover; dark brown topstain; dustjacket; [viii],[2],3-372,[2]pp. Mild softening to spine ends, topstain slightly faded, else a clean, Near Fine copy. Dustjacket is unclipped (priced $2.00), spine-sunned, showing modest shelfwear and dust-soil, several small tears and creases, a faint spot of soil to upper front joint, and a faint vertical crease to rear flap; Very Good.