Description
Author Howard Fast
Publisher Published by the Author 1952
Format: Hardcover with Dust Jacket (Brodart-protected)
Edition: Third Printing — January 1952 of the self-published edition
Condition: Near Fine (jacket bright; light age toning)
Summary
Howard Fast’s Spartacus stands as one of the most culturally and politically significant novels of the 20th century—and this 1952 self-published edition is the form in which the book first reached the world. Written while Fast was blacklisted during the McCarthy era, Spartacus became a defining act of literary resistance. Unable to secure a mainstream publisher because of political persecution, Fast published the novel himself, financing its production and distributing it independently.
This copy, printed in January 1952 (Third Printing), represents that turbulent era in American history when art and ideology clashed—and when courageous authors refused to be silenced. The novel retells the legendary slave uprising led by Spartacus, blending historical drama with themes of justice, dignity, and the enduring human fight for freedom.
The dust jacket’s striking classical illustration and the book’s exceptionally preserved condition make this a standout copy. For collectors interested in American political history, McCarthyism, self-published protest literature, or Howard Fast’s legacy, this edition is a meaningful artifact of defiance and creative autonomy.
A rare chance to own a powerful symbol of literary independence—preserved in near fine condition and protected in a Brodart archival cover.
