SKU: 9778035503

THOMAS, Dylan 18 Poems. London [ The Favil Press for ] The Sunday Referee and The Parton Bookshop. 1934. [ with ] THOMAS, Dylan. Twenty-Five Poems.

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THOMAS, Dylan 18 Poems. London [ The Favil Press for ] The Sunday Referee and The Parton Bookshop. 1934. [ with ] THOMAS, Dylan. Twenty-Five Poems.And Death Shall Have No Dominion THOMAS, Dylan 18 Poems. London [The Favil Press for] The Sunday Referee and The Parton Bookshop. 1934. [with] THOMAS, Dylan. Twenty Five Poems. [Letchworth: Temple Press for] London: J. M. Dent. 1936. 18 Poems: 8vo. Original black cloth, spine lettered in gilt, lacking the dustwrapper; pp. 36, [4]; corners and extremities slightly worn, small chips to three of four corners and head of spine; light spotting to endpapers

‘And Death Shall Have No Dominion’

THOMAS, Dylan 18 Poems. London [The Favil Press for] The Sunday Referee and The Parton Bookshop. 1934. [with] THOMAS, Dylan. Twenty-Five Poems. [Letchworth: Temple Press for] London: J.M. Dent. 1936.

18 Poems: 8vo. Original black cloth, spine lettered in gilt, lacking the dustwrapper; pp. 36, [4]; corners and extremities slightly worn, small chips to three of four corners and head of spine; light spotting to endpapers and half-title, a few isolated marginal spots throughout; a very good copy.

Twenty-Five Poems: 8vo. Original grey boards, sympathetically in pale blue cloth, spine lettered in dark blue in imitation of the original, endpapers and pastedowns renewed, lacking the dust-jacket; pp. vii, [1 (blank)], 47, [1]; light rubbing to edges and extremities, a few marks to boards; a very good copy; presentation inscription to Aubrey Douglas-Smith, dated January 1938 to original front flyleaf.

Both volumes housed in an emerald-green, cloth-covered solander box lettered in gilt to front panel.

First edition, first issue of Dylan Thomas’s debut, 18 Poems, together with a second impression of its successor, Twenty-Five Poems, the latter presented by the author to Aubrey Douglas-Smith.

18 Poems, Thomas’s first book, followed a circuitous route to publication. Leaving the Swansea school where his father taught in 1931, aged sixteen — ‘an undistinguished pupil’ (ODNB) — he found work at the local evening newspaper, contributing on literary matters whenever possible. Already writing poems and consciously cultivating the life of a poet (which, for Thomas, invariably involved alcohol), the notebooks he filled between 1930 and 1934 contain a significant proportion of the poems on which his reputation rests.

‘And death shall have no dominion’, his defiantly resonant refusal of mortality, appeared in the New English Weekly in May 1933, followed that October by ‘The Force that through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower’ in The Sunday Referee, a poem central to 18 Poems and which encapsulates Thomas’ preoccupation with ‘the pantheistic union of man and nature’ (Christie). Appearing on 29th Oct. 1933, the poem won the annual prize for poetry awarded by the paper, part of which consisted of publication, under the aegis of the Referee, of a book of the winning poet’s work. These early poems had also attracted the attention of T. S. Eliot and Stephen Spender, the former considering Thomas for his Faber list. The book was eventually issued jointly by the press at the Parton Bookshop and The Sunday Referee. Run by David Archer – ‘the effete left-leaning scion of a Wiltshire landowner’ (Ferris) – the bookshop at 2 Parton Street, between Southampton Row and Red Lion Square, was a gathering place for young writers and poets, George Barker and David Gascoyne among them.

Although 18 Poems proved both a critical and commercial success, Thomas remained dissatisfied with his publisher. Writing to George Reavey in 1938, he complained that he had ‘lost badly on that book, owing to my ignorance & Archer’s vagueness: I was given, in small irregular sums […], no more than £4 or £5, and have not received a halfpenny royalty although the book, for poetry has sold […] remarkably well.’ Five hundred sets of sheets of the volume were printed, bound in two issues of two hundred and fifty copies; this copy is the first state with flat spine, untrimmed upper and fore-edges and lacking the extra sheet between half title and title page.

By the time Dent ‘t[ook] him by surprise’ (Lycett) by publishing Twenty-Five Poems in 1936, Thomas’s work was selling in greater numbers: the first impression of 750 copies sold quickly and was followed by three further impressions. This copy of the second impression was inscribed by Thomas in 1938 to Aubrey Douglas-Smith (1899–1963), later the author of Guilty Germans? (Left Book Club, 1942; subsequently issued in a Gollancz trade edition). Thomas may have known Douglas-Smith through the Parton Bookshop circle (the shop closed in 1939, a year after the present inscription). The poet’s political sympathies were firmly with the radical left, without, it seems, formally joining any party or group.

Rolph B. 1(a), B. 3. See Christie, Dylan Thomas: A Literary Life (2014); Ferris, Dylan Thomas: The Biography (1999); Lycett, Dylan Thomas: A New Life (2003); Ferris ed., Dylan Thomas: The Collected Letters (1985).

SKU: 2124733

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SKU: 9778035503

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Maria Peters
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Durable & Leather. For Small-Medium Dogs
Size: 15 in, Color: Retriever, Size: 15 in, Color: Retriever
This is a great dog toy! My Pomeranian is a small guy at only 8lbs. but he sure knows how to chew and he does it as often as he can. I was throwing out toy after toy because he was tearing them to pieces after only a half hour or so. After putting my money in the garbage so many times, I decided to search for toys that would hold up to his destructive mouth. I found a lot that claimed they wouldn't fall apart but they were all more than I wanted to spend. I came across this toy and a rabbit shaped one just like this. I bought both months ago and both are still in tact after all this time. Sure the edges are a little frayed but other than that, no damage whatsoever! I'm not sure what dura fused means but that seemed promising to me when I was reading the description, also the fact that they're leather made them seem more durable to me. Both have squeakers inside and some sort of stuffing as well. I throw all of my dogs toys in the laundry or hand wash them once a week, except for these. When these toys get wet with my dogs saliva, they look like they're not meant to get wet. Even without washing, these seem fine. This toy is probably about 9" long or so if I had to guess. In my opinion, it'd be perfect for a medium sized dog. It's a tiny bit big for my little guy but he manages just fine! If you're looking for a durable toy that your small to medium dog can chew on constantly, look no further!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2020
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GK5040
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Always looking for less destructible dog toys
Size: 8 in, Color: Squirrel, Size: 8 in, Color: Squirrel
I am constantly searching for aggressive chewer dog toys. So many claim to be and one look and you know they haven’t met your dog!! Our golden retriever is so sweet until he gets his claws and teeth into a new toy. We nicknamed him the shredder, as he rips his new toys to pieces. I accidentally stumbled across this toy. We have never owned a leather dog toy. The squirrel is going to give Maverick a run for his money. The edges are double sewn closed. I am very impressed with the quality of this toy for $5.75 which includes the sales price and an additional 10% off coupon. Even without those two incentives the toy is less than $8 prime. The other shapes are similar or cheaper in price and now I see a 50% off 1 toy coupon when you buy 2. What a deal and the squirrel has a squeaker inside. What I like about the squirrel is that there’s less limbs or appendages for Maverick to shred off. The bunny has ears, the raccoon has hands, the buffalo has legs, the bone and retriever stick have a rope, the bear has a neck and head that could be chewed off, similar to the fox who has a tail and snout. The squirrel looks like it would be harder to destroy! The squeaker was hard to push at first but is easier now. Maverick has a black lab sister who loves squirrels, more so than she loves toys, and I found this toy searching for squirrel toys for her. It is offered in 8 other shapes. The squirrel measures almost 8” tall by 5” wide. It’s perfect for a medium or large size dog. Based on the construction of this squirrel dog toy it looks acceptable for an aggressive chewer and won’t break the bank. It’s very affordable. Always supervise! Updates to follow at Christmas:). BTW, the squirrel did not smell bad upon opening.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2024
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Verified Purchase
Cakirsch
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 4
Puppy loves it. Well built and fun for her to play with.
Size: 15 in, Color: Retriever
My double doodle mix loved this toy. It is well made and she loves the different texture of the rope. Sadly she has already torn the rope apart and so now it’s just the leather part. This would be the perfect toy for non agressive chewers. Wish the rope lasted a little longer. SPOT is my new favorite company to get her chew toys from now. They’re well built and aren’t expensive like all the other dog toys out there.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2025
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KAV
New York, US
★★★★★ 2
Destroyed in under 10 minutes
Size: 9 in, Color: Large Bone
I bought 2 of these toys, one for my 9 year old great dane who isn't an aggressive chewer, and one for my 6 month old puppy who is average. In less than 10 minutes both were destroyed and my dane managed to swallow a good chunk. I wasn't surprised when they both had small holes on the ends and started pulling the stuffing out. The stuffing and squeakers were confiscated immediately, but I let them keep chewing. By the time I came back from throwing the insides away, both dogs had chewed the toys in half and my dane swallowed a chunk when he saw me coming. The puppy was going to do the same thing, but luckily we're working on his "drop" command so he was excited enough for the bigger payout and dropped it. They didn't just come apart at the seams, the whole toy ripped in half making it too easy to swallow. Neither of them are aggressive cheers and the toys didn't hold up at all. A stuffed animal toy would have lasted longer (and has any time I've allowed it). 10 minutes of playtime is probably too generous , but I'm trying to be fair. If I hadn't been right there watching them, they both would have been able to swallow the whole thing in minutes. Definitely not safe for any amount of actual chewing.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2025
S
Verified Purchase
Skylaire
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
The perfect teething toy for a puppy of any size - apparently indestructible!
Size: 9 in, Color: Large Bone, Size: 9 in, Color: Large Bone
I ordered this product for an overly excitable, destructive corgi chihuahua mix puppy, who was teething. He was a foster and managed to destroy, almost immediately, every toy I had on-hand for him, and toys I picked up at the local pet store. I was very concerned he'd swallow parts of toys, which can lead to fatal intestinal blockages, not to mention extremely high vet bills which I couldn't cover as a simple foster mom. When it arrived, I crossed my fingers that the "Seam Protection - doubled-stitched seams with heavy duty thread" would actually add "extra durability." And I was NOT disappointed! The bone shape of the toy would probably fit comfortably in the mouth of any dog or puppy, as you can see from photo #4. What's coolest about the shape of this toy is the pup can sink all of his or her teeth into it, providing comfort for the entire mouth and not just a few teeth or only one section of its mouth at a time. I was much more experienced as a kitten foster mom, and had had similar difficulties finding teething toys for kittens. This toy is thin and light weight enough that I imagine it could provide relief for little kitten mouths, also, but I didn't get to find out, as my little foster pup chose this as his #1 favorite toy and brought it with him to his forever home. I wanted to know how long it would take before he'd destroy it, though (picture 5 he'd had this Dura-Fused bone toy for a few hours short of one week, and the last photo - you'll see he'd not even undone a small portion of the seam!) Overall I would highly recommend this product for teething babies of almost any species. As far as I could tell it is indestructible. Almost seven days of constant gnawing and he'd not even taken one stitch out, created any tear or rip, let alone, gotten close to being able to swallow the squeaker (always a fear!). I imagine months later, he's still been unsuccessful at ripping/tearing this toy at all. I'd gladly buy again should I foster any dog or puppy - the company lives up to its moniker, Ethical Products, because they've produced a no-frills and apparently indestructible squeak toy which I'd have no fears of leaving with a teething puppy unsupervised. Highly recommended!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2020

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