New York: The Macmillan Company, 1936. First edition. First printing, with "May 1936" as the only date on the copyright page. Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in full blue crushed morocco, all edges gilt, deep burgundy endpapers. Internal contents are fresh and clean.

Set in Georgia during the Civil War and Reconstruction, the novel follows the fall of the South and its gentility as experienced by Scarlett O'Hara, one of literature's most ruthlessly optimistic characters. More than a war story, Gone With the Wind is a reflection on humanity and an unmatched portrayal of old Southern aristocracy. "Mitchell carefully analyzes the nature of human resilience, and hold up hopefulness as the critical tool for getting through the worst of times" (The Guardian). Popular from its release and an almost-immediate best-seller, Gone With the Wind won the Pulitzer Prize the following year and would be transformed into one of the most iconic Hollywood golden-era films, starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. "This is beyond a doubt one of the most remarkable first novels produced by an American writer. It is also one of the best" (contemporary New York Times review). Fine (Item #7776)