Max Perkins: Editor of Genius

A. Scott Berg. First edition, second printing. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978. Price-clipped dust jacket in Very Good+ condition, designed by David Levine. Hardcover in Near Fine condition with no writing or markings found inside, 498 pp. Related newspaper article laid in. 

A finely preserved scholarly biography of the legendary literary editor Max Perkins, crafted by award-winning writer A. Scott Berg. This first-edition copy offers collectors a deep dive into Perkins’ influence on authors such as Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Wolfe — and it’s a particularly strong addition for any collector of modern literary first editions or for those specialising in 20th-century publishing history.

The dust jacket, designed by David Levine, remains intact and attractive though the price-clipping should be noted by serious collectors. Internally the copy is bright, clean, and free of ownership markings. A handsomely bound, collectible volume — ideal for inclusion in a first-edition bookshelf, a literary biography collection, or as a highlight in a specialist store catering to Hemingway/Kerouac/Faulkner/First Editions.

📚 Why this copy matters:

• A major contemporary biography writer (A. Scott Berg) who later won the National Book Award.
• Focus on Max Perkins, one of the pre-eminent 20th-century literary editors (Hemingway, Wolfe, Faulkner).
• Scarcer in Near Fine + dust jacket condition.