The Secret and Other Stories

New York: The Fountain Press, 1929. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. No. 639 of 742 copies, octavo size, 71 pp., signed by A.A. Milne. Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956) will likely ever be remembered for having bequethed "Winnie the Pooh" to the world. Begun with "When We Were Very Young", a book of poetry first published in 1924, its success set the stage for the Winnie-the-Pooh books, which employed his own son, "Christopher Robin", as a character.

However, Milne was a prolific author of adult literature as well; this book being a compilation of four short stories written between 1918 and 1926, two of which ("Mullins" and "The Return") relate to "The Great War". Milne served in that war, having joined the British Army in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and the Royal Corp of Signals.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full rust-coloured linen over boards, paper spine label with black lettering, signature of A.A. Milne on the half-title, each of the four stories opens with a large, flowing initial capital; octavo size (8 3/8" by 5 1/4"), pagination: [1-8] 9-70 [1, colophon].

___CONDITION: Near fine and could almost be deemed fine; the cloth binding clean and without wear, the corners straight and unrubbed, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; light sunning to the spine and label, and a vintage bookseller's code and price lightly pencilled at the top of the front free endpaper, else fine.

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