My Diaries: Being a Personal Narrative of Events 1888 - 1914

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1923 Two volumes. Foreword by Lady Gregory. Later American edition ("Third and Popular Edition"). Signed and inscribed by Hemingway to his cousin, Ruth White Lowry, on front free endpapers of both volumes. Volume I: "Dear Ruth: - These good, solid books are to throw after the American Poetry book at the head of [strikeout] any one [sic] who criticizes the management -- Ernest."; Volume II: "Dear Ruth - This is the second solid volume to throw after the first - Ernest."; Ruth Lowry's ownership signature in pencil on front pastedown of Vol. I. Publisher's dark blue cloth, with title labels to spines printed in black; lacking dust jackets. Very good set, with some toning to spines and labels, light wear to spine ends, light rubbing to front board of Vol. I, Bennett Schneider bookseller tickets to both rear pastedowns, and Bennett Schneider bookmark laid in to Vol. II. Overall, a lovely set, inscribed twice by Hemingway. From the personal library of Hemingway's cousin, Ruth White Lowry. Wilfrid Scawen Blunt (1840 - 1922) was an English poet, diplomat, and outspoken critic of colonialism. Blunt married Lady Anne Noel, the granddaughter of Lord Byron, in 1869, and together they ran the Crabbet Arabian Stud, a prominent horse breeding farm in Sussex, which imported exceptional Arabian horses from the Middle East. Blunt's marriage to Lord Byron's granddaughter was emblematic of his broader aspiration to emulate Byron: much like the renowned Romantic poet, Blunt was a strikingly handsome womanizer, a social outcast, and a world traveler who fought for idealistic causes. Some of the chapter titles in My Diaries illustrate the sweeping range of Blunt's interests and adventures: "A Visit to Greece in 1888," "Egypt under Tewfik in 1889," "A Visit to Tunis and Tripoli," "Satan Absolved - The Boer War," "Literature and Politics," "The French Invade Morocco," and "The War with Germany Declared." Blunt published many works in his lifetime, including The Love Sonnets of Proteus (1881), The Future of Islam (1882), and Satan Absolved: A Victorian Mystery (1899). Blunt and Hemingway were similar in personality and lifestyle, in that they are both remembered not only for their literary contributions, but also for embracing a comprehensive life and valuing the wisdom gained from experiences. . Signed. Later American Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good.