Description:

Alexander Solzhenitsyn
n.p., n.d.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn Signed "Prussian Nights" - Scarce!
Signed book

A fine signed book, Solzhenitsyn's epic poem "Prussian Nights". (Paris: YMCA-Press, 1974). Softbound 8vo. (4" x 6"), 64pp. Inscribed on the half title page to "Marina Ilyina." Residue from a label on top right of cover, light toning to edges, overall very good.

"Prussian Nights" is a long and harrowing poem in which Solzhenitsyn chronicles his experience as a captain in an artillery battery in Second Belorussian Front during its march to invade East Prussia in World War II. It particularly focuses on the depredations of the soldiers as the Red Army raped and pillaged its way to Berlin in 1944-45 -- retributive acts against the Germans who had done the same to Russia earlier in the war…and acts which were silently sanctioned, if not outright celebrated.

Solzhenitsyn was commissioned into the Red Army in 1942, and soon received command of his own battery. From mid-1943 until 1945, he saw action on the front. In military terms his record was excellent: his unit won top ranking for discipline and battle effectiveness, while he himself was twice decorated for personal heroism and promoted to captain.

Ironically, Solzhenitsyn was then arrested at the front in February 1945 based on opinions expressed a series of letters to a fellow officer in which he naively condemned Stalin, believing that personal mail would receive only the merest glance of the censors. Solzhenitsyn was dead wrong: instead of passing unnoticed, this mail would lead to his imprisonment for eight years in the Gulag for so-called "anti-Soviet agitation" and "malicious slander."

Solzhenitsyn composed "Prussian Nights" during his imprisonment in the Gulag, the experience which also became the material for his most famous work, "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich." About his need to compose it, he stated: "I needed a clear head, because for two years I had been writing a poem—a most rewarding poem that helped me not to notice what was being done to my body. Sometimes, while standing in a column of dejected prisoners, amidst the shouts of guards with machine guns, I felt such a rush of rhymes and images that I seemed to be wafted overhead...At such moments I was both free and happy...Some prisoners tried to escape by smashing a car through the barbed wire. For me there was no barbed wire. The head count of prisoners remained unchanged, but I was actually away on a distant flight." (quoted by Patricia Blake in TIME Magazine, July 25, 1977).

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE

  • Dimensions: 4" x 6.25"
  • Medium: Signed book

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

April 23, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000