HANS HARDTS MONDFAHRT. EINE ABENTEUERLICHE ERZÄHLUNG. Stuttgart, Berlin, Leipzig: Union Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft, [1928]. Octavo, pp. [1-7] 8 [9] 10-200 [201] [202-204: ads], eight inserted plates with illustrations by Richard von Grünberg, title page printed in orange and black, original pictorial gray cloth with chromolithograph illustration by Richard von Grünberg on front and spine panel, publisher's monogram on rear panel, top edge stained brown. First edition, first printing. A story about a trip to the moon intended to educate young men about the problems and potential of rocket flight. 40,000 copies were sold between 1928 and 1954. Later editions were revised by the author. The novel was translated into English as BY ROCKET TO THE MOON: THE STORY OF HANS HARDT'S MIRACULOUS FLIGHT (1931). "Boys' book, fairly realistic in its description of the first flight into space ... Despite Atlantis and life on the moon, the author has very carefully used the best scientific and technological data of his day, and much of what he says seems very modern. Successful as a boys' book." - Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 829. Clute and Nicholls (eds), The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1993), p. 486. Fisher, Fantasy and Politics: Visions of the Future in the Weimar Republic, p. 107. Bleiler (1978), p. 78. Reginald 05703. Bloch (2002) 1090. Nagl, p. 255. Private owner's name and address stamped on the title page, small signature on title page, and small private owner's name stamped on rear paste-down. Lacks front free endpaper, slight spine lean, some soiling and patchy tanning to rear cover, still an attractive, very good copy in better than average condition. (#139577).
Price: $450.00
No statement of printing. Subsequent printings are so marked.