The Spider King, Traitor's Moon, The Cardinal, and The Silver Chalice make up this four book 1950s historical fiction hardcover lot, all in Book Club Editions with dust jackets.
The books remain clean and readable inside, while the jackets range from light wear to heavier edge wear. The Cardinal has the strongest binding wear, with a split at the back board and a smaller split at the front board, although its pages remain firmly attached.
The group brings together historical novels set across different periods, including medieval France, seventeenth century England, Catholic history, and the ancient world.
Details
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Item: Lot of four vintage hardcover books with dust jackets
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Title: The Spider King; Traitor's Moon; The Cardinal; The Silver Chalice
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Author: Lawrence Schoonover; Robert Neill; Henry Morton Robinson; Thomas B. Costain
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Publisher: The Spider King: The Macmillan Company; Traitor's Moon: Doubleday & Company, Inc.; The Cardinal: Simon and Schuster; The Silver Chalice: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
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Publication Year: The Spider King: 1954; Traitor's Moon: 1952; The Cardinal: 1950; The Silver Chalice: 1952
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Edition and Printing: All four are Book Club Editions. Individual printings not confirmed from photos
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Format and Binding: Four hardcover books with cloth boards
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Dust Jacket: Present on all four books
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Pages: The Spider King: 375; Traitor's Moon: 318; The Cardinal: 565; The Silver Chalice: 503
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Genre: Historical fiction
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Language: English
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ISBN: No ISBN
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Dimensions: The Spider King: 8.75 x 6 x 1 inch; Traitor's Moon: 8.75 x 6 x 1 inch; The Cardinal: 8.75 x 6 x 2 inches; The Silver Chalice: 8.75 x 6 x 1.75 inches
Condition Grade: Good
Positives
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Graded Good: All four books remain complete and readable, with their dust jackets present and the pages firmly usable.
- The Spider King has 375 pages that are clean and easy to read.
- Traitor's Moon has 318 clean, easy to read pages.
- The Cardinal has 565 pages that are clean, easy to read, and firmly attached.
- The Silver Chalice has 503 clean pages with no writing noted.
- The Silver Chalice jacket remains especially clean overall, with only light wear noted on the back.
- The jackets retain strong period artwork and readable spine titles across the group.
Issues / Wear
- The Spider King dust jacket shows edge wear and chipping.
- Traitor's Moon has small tears to the dust jacket.
- The Cardinal dust jacket has heavier edge and surface wear.
- The Cardinal has a split at the back board and a smaller split at the front board.
- The Silver Chalice dust jacket shows slight wear on the back cover.
- Page edges show age toning across the group.
Condition Grade Key
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Near Fine: Close to new. Any flaw is small and named above.
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Very Good: Light use. Every flaw is named above, and none of them get in the way of reading or display.
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Good: Complete and usable, with clear signs of use. Every flaw is named above.
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Fair: Heavy wear or damage, named above. A reading or working copy, not a display piece.
Collector's Notes
These four novels come from the early 1950s, when large historical novels were a familiar part of American Book Club reading.
There is plenty here to read, and the visible jacket wear and binding flaws are part of the history of books that have already spent decades on a shelf.
Shipping + Trust (Reading Vintage standards)
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Disclaimer
All items are vintage and may show signs of age, wear, or use consistent with their history. Photos show the exact condition of each piece, please review them carefully, as they are part of the description.
Care and Handling
Handle with clean, dry hands. Store upright, out of direct sunlight, at about 68°F and 40 to 50% relative humidity. Avoid damp areas and extreme temperature swings.
