Modern Literature

with Which Are Included Songs of a Savoyard, 6th edition, 350 b&w illustrations from the author’s drawings (see specimen below), indexes to first lines and titles, xii & 564 pp, green cloth in d/w, edges and spine of d/w darkened, front cover of book very slightly marked (see picture), some pages in centre of book slightly bent at bottom corner, otherwise in very good condition, Macmillan 1964

18.4 x 11.6 cm, 580g, no ISBN

One of the few books which needs no introduction. The Bab Ballads were originally published in two parts in the 1880s, and Gilbert then selected a number of the popular songs from the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and published them as Songs of a Savoyard. They were then published in one composite volume in 1897, and this went through six editions to 1904, and has been reprinted at least 15 times since. Although the book is now well out of copyright, many of the paperback reprints now available are only of the individual parts of this composite whole.

This hardback edition is now out of print, and the paperback reprint of this 6th edition published by the British Library is available for £21.90.