The Anatomy of Dessert.
London: Dulau & Company, Ltd., 1929.
Octavo (21.5 x 15 cm.), vii, [1], 133, [3] pages. Frontispiece. Top edge gilt. FIRST EDITION, limited to one thousand copies, each signed by the author (this is no. 848). A great classic of food writing, and an important book for all interested in northern tree fruits and berries. Also contains sections on nuts and grapes. The book is a learned recitation of the qualities, distinctions, difficulties, and histories of specific varieties, presented by a student of fine fruit with a refined palate and a gift for the pen. "In the vast literature which deals with food and its appreciation I have searched for thirty years to find a precedent for a book devoted to the dessert. The great classic authors of France have left it untouched, nor can I find in any language a treatise on this crucial subject, which may so easily make or mar a well-planned meal" (page v). This cataloguer must admit that Bunyard has provided guidance in his own selection of fruit trees to propagate, and that he has frequently been frustrated by these more finicky cultivars. A bit of light spotting to a few pages, and some light foxing to fore edge. In publisher’s green buckram, gilt-titled at the spine, and with edges beveled. Some light soil. Lacking the dust jacket. [Bitting, page 68].
Price: $200.00