Boston: James Munroe and Company, 1849. First edition. An exceptional copy of the rare first issue of Thoreau's first book. Original publisher's cloth binding stamped in blind with gilt to spine. Small split at the lower front outer joint and minor wear at the crown with minor repairs. Previous owner's stamp on front paste-down and title page. Internal contents are clean and many leaves are unopened. Cloth is generally fresh with bright gilt on the spine. A copy that is very nearly Fine.

A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers recounts the trip that Henry David took with his brother John in 1839. After John's sudden death at age 27, Henry David began working on a tribute to his brother. A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers uses this trip and their relationship as the narrative's core, but the work itself moves much more broadly to discuss the changing landscape and many other topics, such as theology and ecology, that would become his hallmark in a burgeoning writing career. Near Fine (Item #4005)