All Quiet On the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque. The book is narrated by Paul Bäumer, a young soldier who enlists in the German army during World War I. It follows the experiences of Bäumer and his comrades as they confront the harsh realities of trench warfare and struggle to cope with the physical and psychological trauma of the war. The novel is a powerful and poignant critique of the futility and brutality of war, and its impact on the lives of soldiers who are often treated as mere cannon fodder by their superiors. Remarque's masterful prose and vivid descriptions of the horrors of war make All Quiet on the Western Front a classic of modern literature.

In 1930, the novel was adapted into an acclaimed film directed by Lewis Milestone. It was the first talkie war film to win an Oscar. In 1979 it was adapted again into a television film by Delbert Mann starring Richard Thomas and Ernest Borgnine. In 2022 a new film was released directed by Edward Berger. This last adaptation won four Oscars.

First editions in other languages are also quite valued. The novel sold 2.5 million copies in 22 languages in its first eighteen months in print. Signed and inscribed first editions are rare, and thus highly valued.

The first American edition of All Quiet On the Western Front (Little, Brown & Company; Boston, 1929) was bound in beige cloth with titles on the upper board and the spine in green. The dust jacket says First American Printing and 100,000 Copies at bottom of the rear flap, with no references to later printings. The dust jacket was designed by Paul Wenck, and the text was translated by A.W. Wheen. First US editions have 'Published, June 1929' and 'First Printing' on the copyright page. Dust jacket price is stamped $2.50 net and has a drawing of a soldier on the front.

The first British edition of All Quiet On the Western Front (G.P. Putnam's Sons; London, 1929) was also translated by A.W. Wheen. It has a plain dark green dust jacket, and white boards under with green title. The copyright page has ‘First published in England in March 1929.’

There’s a collector’s edition printed by Easton Press in 1997. Hardcover, bound in leather, accented in 22kt gold, printed on archival paper with gilded edges, smyth sewing & concealed muslin joints.