The Economic Consequences of the Peace
New York: Harcourt, Brace and Howe, 1920. Early printing. Original cloth. Octavo. [vi], 298 pages.
Here is John Maynard Keynes's first major book, a blistering and prophetic economic analysis of the Treaty of Versailles which concluded World War I. Keynes had been Britain's official treasury representative at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 but resigned when it became clear that body would not alter its destructive economic course against Germany and Austria-Hungary. His prediction that another major war would be the result was fulfilled by the rise of Hitler in Germany.
The book was an international commercial success and in America it influenced public opinion against the U. S. joining the League of Nations. It left such a strong impression in Britain of unfair treatment of Germany that there was significant support for appeasement of Hitler as he openly violated the Treaty of Versailles in the 1930s.
This appears to be a first printing of the book according to the publisher's practices at the time (same date on title and copyright page, no additional printings noted). The jacket, however, states "30th Thousand."
Bound in dark blue cloth over boards with gilt-stamped spine titles. Jacket in archival Mylar cover. Book is clean and sound with just a few shallow bumps to spine ends. Jacket has some short closed edge tears, mild rubs, and shallow chips. There is a name pencilled near top of front jacket panel along with a date, in pen. Overall near fine in a good dust jacket.
Item #2034
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