Description

This is the true first edition published by Methuen in May 1922; it preceded the much more common Princeton edition by one month.

A well-preserved, first edition copy of the Methuen edition is scarce in any state, however it's particularly rare as a presentation copy.

Presentation copies are issues of a work set aside by the author or publisher as gifts for a select group of recipients. The recipients may have been friends, family or anyone with a special or commercial interest in the work. Presentation copies are often stamped or inscribed by the author or publisher. 

The Meaning of Relativity is a work based on Einstein’s 1921 Stafford Little Lectures at Princeton, and it represents his first sustained attempt to explain the theory of relativity to an English-speaking audience.

This particular lecture was delivered only a few months before he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. These lectures marked a turning point in his career and extended his influence beyond European academia and onto the broader international stage.

Condition report

Tanning to the endpapers, with a few pencil retail marks. Light marking and rubbing to the boards. Pages are generally clean, with light rubbing visible on the title page (see images). Some slight wear to the gutter at approximately page 80 (middle of the book). The text block is tight. The images form part of the description; prospective buyers are encouraged to examine them closely. Overall, the book is in good to very good condition for its age.