18 x 11cm, 244pp. Bound in period leather binding. First edition thus of this collection of poems (1917 - 1952) from the former surrealist and post-war darling of nationalist France. Frontal photographic portrait of the poet in b/w and other illustrations elsewhere in the text.

This copy is augmented by a nice and extensive dedication in blue ink by the ethnologist and linguist Marcel Cohen: "un souvenir pour Jeannette (the second name is hard to read it may be: Anghel? Tenghel? Terghel?) d'un compagnon de lutte du grand Eluard Marcel Cohen" and then, additionally, signed in blue ink by the dada-ist Tzara and another dedication above in an unknown hand which reads "En souvenir de ces grands jours de lutte, des communards aux resistants, de belles et glorieuses pages de l'histoire proletarienne paris ce 5/6/55" and the hard to read signature of "Muro(?) des Fedines".

This was Eluard's last book published in his lifetime as the poet died in November of 1952 from heart problems. One small area of damage (a minor loss of the binding) to the top of the spine of the leather binding (the missing piece is retained for repair) which is also split down the edge for about 2cm otherwise VG. Unique association copy.