Some Revelations as to "Raymond" - An Authoritative Statement.
London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., ND ( 1918 ). First edition. Hardcover. Small octavo. 246pp. Green cloth lettered in black on spine. An anonymous and unfavorable comment on one of the best known and most controversial books written by Sir Oliver Lodge. Lodge's youngest son, the Raymond of the title, was a Second Lieutenant in the British army who was killed during a German bombardment near Ypres in 1915. Sir Oliver Lodge and his wife attended a number of séances with the medium Gladys Osborne Leonard, and became convinced that they were in contact with their son through her. In his book Lodge chronicled Raymond's brief life and supposed posthumous communications including his descriptions of the Spirit world. For reasons unknown the author of 'Some Revelations as to "Raymond"' moved to have his book withdrawn after publication, and many copies were subsequently destroyed, making it fairly scarce. On the front pastedown of this copy there is a lengthy note, dated in 1942, and written by an editor at American publisher, E. P. Dutton; the inscription explains that, though an American edition of this book was planned, the author moved to have the British edition withdrawn after publication, and that many copies were subsequently destroyed, etc.. The author of the note speculates that this copy is the only one in existence. While not true - it is genuinely scarce. Spine leaned, rubbed & slightly discolored, bumps to corners & edges of boards, a few minor ripples to cloth, page-edges & endpapers browned, endpaper gutters split but hinges holding, small tears & crease to fore-edge of rear free endpaper, text clean - overall a solid just Good copy (no dust jacket). Item #44165
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