By R.M. Ballantyne
Published by Blackie & Son Limited: London c1906 (undated - presentation dated 1906)
"R.M. Ballantyne's The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean is one of the great classics of nineteenth-century juvenile adventure fiction. First published in 1857, the novel follows three young shipwreck survivors—Ralph Rover, Jack Martin and Peterkin Gay—who find themselves cast upon a seemingly idyllic South Pacific island. Resourceful and optimistic, the boys establish a life for themselves amid the island's tropical abundance before their adventure takes a considerably more dangerous turn through encounters with pirates and inter-island conflict. The enormously popular story became one of Ballantyne's best-known works and an important early example of the castaway adventure genre.
This attractive early twentieth-century edition was published in London by Blackie & Son Limited and, although undated, can be confidently placed at approximately 1906 from its contemporary Australian presentation inscription. It retains its original blue decorated cloth binding, with a particularly appealing pictorial sailing-ship design to the front board picked out in black and gilt, together with gilt lettering to the spine. The volume also retains its monochrome frontispiece, captioned "The Mysterious Green Monster."
Of particular interest is the book's Australian provenance. The front endpaper carries a hand-rendered presentation inscription reading "Presented to Frank Gurney for Neat Work," from State School, North Fremantle, dated 1906, while the rear pastedown bears the period stamp of "A. Kemp, News Agent, Stationer & Fancy Goods, North Fremantle." These contemporary markings strongly suggest the book was retailed locally in Western Australia and awarded as a school presentation volume in 1906. More than a century later, it survives as an appealing combination of a famous adventure classic, decorative Edwardian-era book production and tangible early Western Australian social history."
General wear, fading and rub through to covers and spine as shown. Prize inscription present from 1906. Half title page sits loose. Binding is otherwise ok with secure covers. Pages age toned and a few a bit grubby but well presented overall. A great reading copy of this Ballantyne classic. Please study photos to further understand condition.
