London, Werner Laurie, 1955. First Edition. First Impression. Hardback. A near fine book in a fine jacket. Dedication copy. Inscribed on the dedication page by the author to Kenneth Hopkins to whom the book is dedicated. Hopkins has further inscribed the book to the verso of the title page. Accompanying the book are two leaves (4pp) of autograph manuscript. The front pastedown bears the bookplate of bookseller George Sims. Formerly George Locke's copy with his price in pencil. So, a physical description of all additional features: (1) front pastedown: Sims' book plate. (2) front free endpaper: Locke's handwritten price (by no means a rarity, but a nice chapter in the story); Kenneth Hopkins' signature; further pencil note in unknown hand (probably Sims). (3) Title page verso: "I proposed to [???] of Werner Laurie a book on Conrad to be written by H.M. Tomlinson, who said Sorry he was too old. So I said oh let us ask E.H. Visiak - and we did. (EHV was even older than HMT, so no matter) KH". (4) Dedication page: "To one who can write from one who can't ([???], Sept 8th), who nevertheless originated and instigated, for the latter's sins and shortcomings, the whole concern. E.H. Visiak. Sept, 1955." (5) 4pp hand-written manuscript leaves, for the chapter Various Voyages (p133). All in all a pleasing copy and a tremendous book for a Visiak collector, or perhaps equally so for the Conrad collector. The book has a little foxing, jacket is fine though has an old fold vertically down the spine, so the book is possibly a file copy or the jacket is supplied from one. [7763, Hyraxia Books].