1954 Early Edition: A Book of Wales Hardcover [Beautiful 1959 Welsh Poetry Inscription to Stanley Dutton Willis] 1954年早期版《威尔士之书》精装本｜附1959年威尔士古诗手写赠言

This is a beautiful 1954 early printing of A Book of Wales, edited by D. M. and E. M. Lloyd and published by Collins. It is an evocative anthology celebrating the rich history, folklore, poetry, and breathtaking landscape of Wales, complete with historic monochrome photographic plates.

This particular copy is a touching and deeply personal association copy:

 The Return to the Homeland: Inscribed on the front free endpaper in June 1959 by Gladys to Stanley Dutton Willis: "For Stanley as he approaches his homeland, June 1959, Gladys."

 Welsh Folk Verse Inscription: Gladys lovingly penned a famous traditional Welsh stanza ("Cleddwch fi, pan fyddwyf farw..."), a poetic wish to be buried under the oak trees where a young lad plays the harp.

 National Library of Wales Inserts: Slipped inside are two gorgeous vintage educational cards printed by Oxford University Press for the National Library of Wales. One features a XII-century poem from the famed Black Book of Carmarthen, and the other showcases Three Historical Versions of the Lord’s Prayer in Welsh (from 1546, 1555, and modern Welsh).

Condition Report:

 Overall Condition: Very Good.

 Binding: Bound in publisher’s original forest-green cloth. The spine and cover edges show a lovely, natural vintage sun-fading, but the hinges and binding remain tight, firm, and structurally sound.

 Interior: Pages are clean, bright, and free of annotations. The handwritten poetic inscription is crisp and dark. Both vintage library inserts are in pristine, collectable condition.

本品为 1954 年由 Collins 出版的经典文学与地理选集《威尔士之书》（A Book of Wales）。书中收录了大量描绘威尔士壮丽风光、历史传奇及浪漫诗歌的佳作，并配有数十幅精美的单色历史写真插图（包括 Snowdon 雪山等经典地标）。

本册为情感真挚、故事性极强的家族与历史关联本（Association Copy）：

 感人归乡寄语： 1959 年 6 月，Stanley Dutton Willis 在即将启程踏上威尔士寻根之旅前，收到了友人 Gladys 送上的这份温馨礼物。扉页上手写了祝愿他「亲近祖土」的温馨寄语。

 手抄威尔士民谣： Gladys 特意在书前抄写了一段优美的威尔士传统民谣《Cleddwch fi...》（意为「将我葬于橡树林下，看少年在墓前弹奏竖琴」），字里行间洋溢着古老塞尔特民族的浪漫与哀愁。

 珍贵文献插卡： 书内完好夹存两张由威尔士国家图书馆与牛津大学出版社印制的骨董文献卡，分别印有 12 世纪《卡马森黑皮书》的古诗手稿及三种历史版本的威尔士语《主祷文》。

【品相说明 (Condition)】

 整体状况： 很好（Very Good）。

 书体： 1954 年精装版（无书衣）。经典绿色布面封面，书脊与边缘因岁月有些微自然褪色，但整体结构依旧结实、装订稳固。

 内页： 干净完整，纸张因年代自然微黄。扉页手写墨水字迹极其清晰，随书附赠的两张原版国家图书馆插卡品相完美。