[McMURTRY, Larry (1936-2021), his copy]. NANSEN, Fridtjof (1861–1930). “Farthest North;” Being the Record of Voyage of Exploration of the Ship “Fram” 1893–95 and of a Fifteen Months’ Sleigh Journey by Dr. Nansen and Lieut. Johansen London: George Newnes, 1898.
2 volumes, royal 8vo. Etched portrait frontispiece in Vol. I, one color plate from Nansen’s own sketch, numerous full–page and in–text illustrations, large folding map in color of the North Polar regions laid in at rear (foxed, small closed tear). Original pictorial blue cloth stamped in gilt, red, and silver foil over beveled boards, all edges gilt, black coated endpapers (some light spotting). Provenance: Larry McMurtry (his bookplate, which he designed, features the horseshoe-shaped brand his father and grandfather used on the McMurtry cattle), from his personal library at his home in Archer City.
Second English edition and the FIRST TO APPEAR IN THIS FAMOUS PUBLISHER’S PICTORIAL CLOTH. Contains descriptions of the first Fram expedition led by Nansen to investigate the polar basin north of Eurasia and within a few weeks reached the farthest north latitude yet attained by man. One of McMurtry’s favorite genres was travel: “I enjoy books on travel and have an extensive women traveler’s collection in my personal library” (See, Larry McMurtry: By the Book in the New York Times, 10 July 2014). Arctic Bibliography 11983 (first American edition); PMM 384 (Norwegian edition, “it remains the classic story of Polar exploration”).