The Beckett Country. Samuel Beckett’s Ireland. Photography by David H. Davison, Foreword by James Knowlson. Illustrations by Robert Ballagh and Design by Ted and Ursula O’Brien. Dublin: The Black Cat Press, 1986. Oblong 4to, finely bound in full grey goatskin, gilt, watered silk endleaves and endpapers, edges gilt, in matching watered silk and goatskin slip-case. Mild sunning to spine, otherwise a fine copy.

Copy number 51 of the limited and specially bound edition of 250 numbered and 10 lettered copies, Signed by Samuel Beckett.

The binding devised by Tony O’Brien and executed by Des Breen of Antiquarian Bookcrafts. Specially printed with spot-varnishing of the photographs on Juppiter 143 gsm matt satin-finish paper by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore Italy. The edition is hand-bound in full grey goatskin on which the larch-tree emblem of Beckett’s childhood from a drawing by Robert Ballagh is embossed in gold. The furze-yellow authentic water-silk end-papers and the slip-case on which the larch-tree emblem is embossed blind depict the yellow bells of mountain gorse.

A study of the influence of Ireland, including Dublin, Foxrock and the surrounding landscape on the writing of Samuel Beckett. With excerpts from his work alongside photographs and critical commentary.