B A U M A N R A R E B O O K S J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 13 "WE WILL MANAGE OUR WORLD FOR OURSELVES BECAUSE IT IS OUR WORLD, COSA NOSTRA": FIRST EDITION OF THE GODFATHER, INSCRIBED BY PUZO 13. PUZO, Mario. The Godfather. New York, 1969. Octavo, original half black cloth, dust jacket. $8500 First edition of Puzo’s Cosa Nostra classic, boldly inscribed,” For Joe, I hope you like the book. Best regards, Mario Puzo,” in original dust jacket. Puzo’s first two books, while critically praised, had sold only modestly. “With a family to support and deeply in debt to relatives, banks, and bookmakers, he decided to abandon ‘art’ and write a ‘commercial’ novel (Godfather Papers, p. 34). During the roughly three years he worked on the book, Puzo met expenses by writing adventure stories, a children’s book…, and magazine articles. The resulting novel, The Godfather… rapidly ascended the New York Times bestseller list… remained there for 67 weeks…. [and eventually] outsold every other novel of the 1970s” (ANB). Puzo co-wrote the screenplay for the 1972 film, which won three Oscars, including Best Screenplay Adaptation for Puzo and director Francis Ford Coppola. Books of the Century, 266-7. Book fine, dust jacket very good with closed tears, creasing, a few small chips to spine head.
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