Black Sun. The Brief Transit and Violent Eclipse of Harry Crosby.
New York: Random House, 1976. First Printing of the First Edition. A Fine copy in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket. Crosby was an American heir, bon vivant, poet, and an exemplar of the Lost Generation in American literature. During World War I, he served as a volunteer ambulance driver. On November 22, 1917, a German shell seriously wounded a man standing next to Crosby. As Crosby drove several wounded soldiers to a medical aid station, his ambulance was destroyed by artillery fire. Miraculously, Crosby was unhurt. He declared later that that was the night he changed from a boy to a man. After the war, Crosby abandoned all pretence of living the expected life of a privileged Bostonian. Instead, he moved to Paris with his wife and together they devoted themselves to art and poetry. Together they founded the Black Sun Press and published many important writers and poets in Paris. But because of his near death experience during the war, Harry had a deep obsession with death until on December 10, 1929, he and one of his many female intimates committed suicide. Some Crosby scholars maintain that Harry shot Josephine and several hours later shot himself. Others suggest that Josephine shot herself first, leaving Crosby little choice but to follow suit. Item #29035
ISBN: 0394474503
Price: $75.00