"GIVE ME FOUR DAYS. IF I'M NOT BACK IN FOUR DAYS YOU'LL KNOW I'M DEAD"

GREY, Zane. Riders of the Purple Sage. New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1912. Octavo, original brown cloth, mounted cover illustration. $2000.

First edition of Zane Grey's greatest novel, with a laid-in photographic card signed on the margin in purple by Zane Grey.

"Grey's novels refined the popular image of the cowboy… In their day, Grey's books sold better than had any works in U.S. history, with the exception of the Bible and McGuffey's Readers" (ANB). "Grey is so deeply associated with the American West his name conjures up the images, both real and imagined, that romanticized the era… His most famous novel, Riders of the Purple Sage, was published in 1912. From that time onward, he was world famous" (Smiley, 65). First printing, with "Published January, 1912" on the copyright page and no Harper code (Arnold; Myers, 10). Pencil owner signature.

Signed card nearly fine with signature bold. Corner of tissue-guard clipped, scattered soiling to interior, slightest soiling and light wear to binding. An extremely good copy.