DANNY: THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD ROALD DAHL
ILLUSTRATED BY JILL BENNETT
JONATHAN CAPE, LIMITED 30 BEDFORD SQUARE, LONDON 1975
First edition, first printing. Stated at copyright: "First Published in Great Britain 1975" Signed by Roald Dahl on signature cut at half-title page: "Roald Dahl" Very attractive. Sienna orange cloth boards, gilt spine titles, moderate shelf wear. Pages near fine; no writing Charmingly illustrated throughout by Jill Bennet. Bind fine, square; hinges intact.
Original dust wrapper, light shelf wear, slight fox at flaps; unclipped 2.25 net, protected in new clear sleeve. Classic down-to-earth wrap around wrapper illustration of Danny and Dad walking the country trail with pheasant ahead. Rare near fine first printing in same original wrapper.
From front flap: "Danny is the story of a father and his son, and the love they have for each other. A marvellous story-teller, a genius at kites, Danny's father is such a good teacher that before he even started school, Danny knew how to take apart an engine and put it together in no time. But this is also the story of the wild adventures they have together. Full of absorbing action and heart-stopping suspense, it is fabulous, irresistible fun."
Danny’s life seems wondrous: his home is a traveller's caravan, he’s the youngest car mechanic around, and his best friend is his dad, who never runs out of wonderful stories to tell. Despite missing his mother, Danny is well-adjusted living with his father behind his father's filling station. Danny thinks he knows him very well, but he discovers that his father has been hiding a big secret: he's a poacher. In fact, Danny's father likes nothing better than sneaking out of the caravan at night and stealing pheasants from the woodlands owned by the supercilious Mr. Victor Hazell. When Danny discovers this, he's off on the adventure of a lifetime.
Eager to join in, Danny eventually comes up with a plot so cunning that, if successful, will become the greatest poaching run ever achieved! Just as important, it’s the story of the love between a boy and his father who, in Danny’s own words, is the most marvelous and exciting father a boy ever had. Presented here is Roald Dahl’s heart-warming rollick about a young boy, his dad, and their daring pheasant-snatching expedition. A celebration of the eternal bonds that exist between fathers and sons. Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner, Frome and London. 208 pages. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. 162 pages. Insured post.