In Cold Blood. A True Account Of A Multiple Murder And Its Consequences. Capote, Truman.

First edition, first printing, inscribed by the author on the half-title, "For Hal, who not only ruined this book but wasted his gin. Tru", additionally signed by Capote on the title page and by the recipient on the front free endpaper. Capote's inscription refers to the gin stains affecting the top edge, endpapers, and upper margins of this copy. Capote himself was no stranger to the spirit: the gin martini was for many years his "customary" drink, and during the writing of In Cold Blood, he would start each day with a double martini, and have another with lunch (Clarke, pp. 176, 402). In Cold Blood is one of the most influential "true crime" novels ever written. "Vivid, painstakingly constructed, simultaneously fevered and lingeringly sad. a transfixing read. In 1966, this was a new kind of journalism; now, Capote's revolutionary and compelling approach to narrative non-fiction has been much copied, but rarely bettered" (Colquhoun). This copy is in the first issue dust jacket, with "1/66" printed on the front flap and "Publishers of The American College Dictionary and The Modern Library" on the rear flap. Stanton, p. 6. Gerald Clarke, Capote, 1988; Kate Colquhoun, "Book of a Lifetime: In Cold Blood", Independent, 13 May 2011. Octavo. Original purple cloth, spine lettered in gilt with silver decorations, author's initials to front cover in gilt, purple endpapers, top edge dark blue, fore edge untrimmed. With dust jacket, designed by S. Neil Fujita. Frontispiece and title page printed in red and black. Lightly bumped and rubbed, some pale damp stains (see note), contents otherwise clean; unclipped jacket lightly creased at extremities, else sharp: a very good copy in near-fine dust jacket.