“LEFT TO ME BY WALKER WHEN HE DIED” (SHELBY FOOTE): WONDERFUL ASSOCIATION COPY OF HENRY JAMES’ WORKS, WITH FAMED COBURN PHOTOGRAPHS, ONE OF ONLY 156 COPIES OF THE LIMITED FIRST NEW YORK EDITION,THIS COPY FROM THE ESTATE OF CIVIL WAR HISTORIAN SHELBY FOOTE, RECEIVED BY HIM AT THE DEATH OF HIS LIFELONG FRIEND, WALKER PERCY, AND EXTENSIVELY ANNOTATED

JAMES, Henry. The Novels and Tales. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1907-17. Twenty-six volumes. Octavo, original three-quarter navy morocco gilt, raised bands, top edges gilt, uncut and partially unopened.

Limited first edition of the important 26-volume “New York Edition” of Henry James’ Works, number 60 of only 156 copies, an exceedingly rare association copy from the library of Walker Percy, with his bookplates, and inscribed in Vol. I by Percy’s lifelong friend, award-winning historian Shelby Foote: “Shelby Foote—set left to me by Walker when he died in Covington, 10 May 1990.” With 26 beautiful frontispiece photogravures by Alvin Langdon Coburn and prefaces prepared by James specifically for this edition. Extensively annotated by Foote throughout.

This magnificent limited edition of Henry James Works comes directly from the estate of novelist and historian Shelby Foote, who received it from his lifelong friend, award-winning novelist Walker Percy, at Percy’s death in 1990. One of only 156 copies issued, this exceptional New York edition also contains Foote’s extensive marginalia throughout, and his poignant inscription in Volume I that pays homage to his friendship with Percy. Foote was “at his friend’s bedside at his death in New Orleans in 1990… In their six-decade friendship, Foote and Percy exchanged scores of letters about their work.” Foote is best remembered for his magnum opus, a three-volume history of the Civil War that is “a model of what military history can be… His mission was to tell what he considered America’s biggest story as a vast, finely detailed, deeply human narrative… Foote created a history as written by a novelist” (New York Times). A shared capacity for psychological insight and regard for the power of elegant prose unites Foote, Percy and James in this copy of James’ writings, which is also hailed for his special prefaces and the photogravures and portaiture of Coburn, a co-founder of the famed Photo-Secession Group. Selected by James himself, the frontispiece photogravures in this edition include landscape and architectural views as well as a portrait of James in Volume I. Volumes I through XXIV, meticulously revised by James for this edition, include special prefaces, also prepared by James specifically for this edition. With all of James’ major novels, as well as many of his shorter works, including two (Fordham Castle and The Jolly Corner) appearing here for the first time in book form. This set includes the final two volumes that are called for in a complete, 26-volume set. Because those were published posthumously, eight years after the last of the rest of the set, they are scarce and often missing and contain the last of James’ writings before his death. Supino 64.2.0; see Supino 64.1.0. BAL 10665. Phillips 120. With bookplates of Walker Percy. Inscribed by Foote in Vol. I and with his extensive marginalia in nearly every volume.

Interiors fresh and clean with only light scattered foxing, minor edge-wear to boards. An especially memorable set in about-fine condition, especially scarce in publisher’s morocco.