THE "NOT FOR PUBLICATION" INSCRIPTION

Hanley, James (1897–1985)

Half an Eye: Sea Stories [Confidential Inscription to Ben Raeburn]

London: The Bodley Head, 1937.

A remarkable, confidential association copy of Hanley’s definitive maritime collection, featuring a restrictive inscription to his American publisher, Ben Raeburn. 

This copy is uniquely distinguished by a personal yet professional warning from Hanley, suggesting a level of private communication regarding the text or its rights that was not intended for the broader public or his British publishers. Sourced from the Raeburn/Horizon Press archive and featuring a London retail ticket, this volume represents a sophisticated primary document of mid-century publishing diplomacy and the intimate trust between Hanley and his chief American advocate.

FEATURES
+++ Physical:  Original blue/green cloth with top edge dyed to match; gilt titles to spine. Octavo; 8.5 inches tall; [i-vi] vii [viii] ix [x-xii] 1-483 [484] pages.The Bodley Head, London, 1937. Printed by Butler and Tanner Ltd. First Edition, First Printing.
+++ Associated Names: Inscribed on the front flyleaf to Ben Raeburn. Features a 'The Times Book Club' bookseller ticket at the rear gutter.
+++ Collected Stories: The Last Voyage; The German Prisoner; A Passion before Death; Narrative; Stoker Haslett; Shadows before Sunset; Captain Bottle; The Road; The Storm; Jan; Loo; Feud; Greaser Anderson; After the Funeral; Victory.

CONDITION: Very Good / Good.
+++ THE BOOK: The bindings are tight and square. The internal text is clean with light, even age-toning throughout. The cloth shows moderate shelf handling wear but remains structurally sound.
+++ DUST JACKET: The dust jacket is present and retains the original price. The spine is notably sun-faded, with wear to all edges and extremities. Now preserved in a clear, archival Mylar sleeve.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
'Half an Eye' represents the peak of Hanley’s maritime 'Modernism,' collecting the raw, often censored stories of the 1930s that challenged the romanticized British sea-faring tradition. Hanley’s focus on the 'stoker' and the merchant seaman provided a gritty, psychological realism that remains a landmark of interwar fiction.

The phrase 'not for publication' transforms this volume into a primary document of private publishing history, capturing a rare moment where author and publisher communicated outside formal corporate boundaries. Here is a window into the 'unvarnished' Hanley—a confidential, retail-purchased gift that carries a layer of intimacy and professional secrecy missing from standard presentation copies. This is more than a provenance marker; it is a physical record of a lifelong partnership, making it an essential acquisition for those seeking the most significant association copies of mid-century maritime fiction.

SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ Maritime Modernism: Collects the controversial 'The German Prisoner' and 'The Last Voyage', stories that challenged 1930s censorship and established Hanley as a visceral, uncompromising stylist.
+++ The 'Coded' Inscription: The directive 'not for publication' elevates this from a presentation copy to a piece of 'confidential correspondence.' It suggests a private exchange regarding the rights or the controversial nature of stories like 'The German Prisoner,' which Hanley had struggled to keep in print.
+++ Author-Purchased Provenance: The presence of 'The Times Book Club' ticket implies Hanley purchased this copy at retail in London specifically to gift to Raeburn, rather than utilizing a standard publisher's complimentary copy.
+++ Publishing History: This volume likely served as the foundational text for Raeburn’s later work in re-establishing Hanley’s reputation in the United States through Horizon Press.

SUBJECTS: Maritime Literature, Irish Literature, British Literature, Sea Stories, Horizon Press, Ben Raeburn.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: Gibbs A19a.

Item #21936

Price: $375.00