Revolt in the Desert (1st & 2nd Australasian Editions)

Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Wellington, N.Z.: George J. Hicks & Co, 1927. 1st & 2nd Australasian Editions. Hardcover. At Least Very Good/Very Good. Together, two volumes. Scarce jacketed copies of both the first and the second [stated] Australasian editions of Lawrence's 'Revolt in the Desert'. O'Brien [Oak Knoll Press, 2000] states "In 1927 Doran merged with Doubleday and one impression of this book appeared under the new imprint. At least two copies of this latter impression exist which have dust wrapper with George J. Hicks imprint on spine." I have been unable to locate either of those two jacketed copies within any institutional holdings. 1) This copy of the first Australasian edition of 'Revolt' is from that single impression made by Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc., with the sheets bulking to 3.7 cm and the Doubleday Doran imprint on the spine, as required. Dust jacket with "Australasian Edition | 15/- Net" printed on back panel. Gray red buckram over boards, title and decorations stamped in black onto upper board and spine, top edge stained brown, illustrated endpapers, 8vo (9 inches tall), pp. [i-iv], v-xvi, [xvii-xx], 1-335, [336 - blank], illustrated with sixteen plates and a fold-out map at rear, index. Volume with very minor edge bumps, some toning and scattered foxing to text block edges, various browning to leaves adjoining frontis and other plates, a partial crack noted in upper gutter of half-title and a tiny stain to bottom corner of ffep and a few terminal leaves, else clean and unmarked throughout. Fold-out map is fine. Unclipped DJ is robust, having minor edge wear and toning, light soil and some scattered foxing. Ref. O'Brien A107. 2) This copy of the second Australasian edition is not found in O'Brien, nor was I able to locate a single copy available in the trade or in any institutional holdings. It collates as being an early issue of the second group, of the third American edition. Ref. O'Brien A109. Smooth brown cloth over boards, title and decorations stamped in dark brown onto upper board and spine, top edge stained brown, illustrated endpapers, 8vo (8 inches tall), pp. [i-iv], v-xii, [xiii-xvi], 1-335, [336 - blank], illustrated with a frontis and fold-out map at rear, index. Dust jacket with George J. Hicks imprint and "Second Australasian Edition | 7/6 Net" printed on back panel. Volume with a hint of forward lean, upper board with light bumps to corners and two small abrasions near bottom corner, some fading to top edge stain, original bookseller's tag to bottom corner of front pastedown, some minor browning to leaves adjoining frontis and a few small spots of foxing to fore-edge, notation in pencil verso top corner of final printed text page. Map is fine with minor misfolds to corners. Unclipped DJ has light edge wear, some foxing and a few tiny holes near edges. These two Hicks editions represent the first publication of Lawrence's "Revolt in the Desert" on the Australasian market and together, create a rare and desirable set in the Lawrence oeuvre.