Inscribed to John Mayfield
The story of language
Philadelphia and New York: J. B. Lippincott Company, [1949]. First edition, 8vo, pp. 493, [1]; full tan cloth, gilt title on spine; boards faded, corners bumped, text clean and sound, inscribed by Pei to John S. Mayfield, very good. Laid in is an autograph postcard signed from Pei, dated March 15, 1953: "Dear Mr. Mayfield, I shall be delighted. Just send your copy and I shall inscribe it ... It is very pleasing to an author to know his work is liked." Signed "Mario Pei." Also laid in is a second typed postcard signed from Pei to Mayfield regarding the definition of "forgery," and "as I know through Grand Jury duty, forgery does not necessarily imply the existence of an original..." "[Mario Pei] moved into the vanguard of language scholars in 1949 with the publication of his acclaimed volume, “The Story of Language,” which became a Book-of-the Month selection and was re-issued in a revised edition in 1965. Making technical information accessible to the nonspecialist, the book dealt enjoyably with the sounds and structure of languages, their family relationships; dialects, jargon and slang." (NYT). Item #61402
Price: $175.00
