The Warwick Woodlands or, Things As they Were There, Ten Years Ago

Philadelphia: G.B. Zieber & Co, 1845. First Edition. Octavo. 18cm. Bound in original publisher's paper wraps titled and bordered in black to front wrap. [iv]; 168pp. Chipping and wear to edges and extremities, spine panel heavily chipped, lacking rear wrap, strong and tight but with several closed tears, soiling etc; internally clean & untrimmed with some dampstaining to the upper quarter of the earlier pages, bookplate of noted sporting bibliophile Harry Worcester Smith to verso front wrap, some light spotting and soiling in places, a couple of proud gatherings, last 2 leaves a frayed and spotted, cosmetically but not substantially affecting the last page of text. Strong despite its innate fragility, handsome despite wear, a good, solid example of a book that is a distinct rarity complete in its original wraps.

Henry Herbert was a rather tragic figure, seemingly continually falling short of his own expectations of himself, and who only seemed to find any sort of steady personal voice in his works under the Forester pseudonym, discussing the finer arts of shooting, fishing, and woodland stalking. A sort of lost genetic remnant of several aristocratic British bloodlines, but frequently financially wobbly and unable to get a steady footing, Herbert seems to have alienated most people in his circle at one time or another, and eventually shot himself in a full length mirror, after having thrown a party to which many were invited but none attended.
Although his output included a slew of adventure novels and various other literary exploits, he is chiefly remembered for his wistful, keenly observed, and evocative accounts of woodland sporting activities. Scarce and collectable.