City of the Bees by Frank S. Stuart (1947 First Edition)

City of the Bees by Frank S. Stuart is an unusual and evocative work of natural-history writing that follows the life of a wild bee colony through the changing seasons. First published in 1947, Stuart presents the hive almost as a miniature civilisation, combining careful observation of bee behaviour with a highly readable narrative approach.

Beginning with the activity of the colony and progressing through its annual cycle, the book explores the remarkable organisation and survival of honeybees. Chapters include Gold-Dust Ballerina, City of Waxen Streets, The Little People, Bee’s Wedding, Honey Harvest, Drone Day, The Swarms of Death, Battle of the Giants, Nadir and Rebirth. City of the Bees encompasses the roles of workers, drones and the queen, the gathering and storage of honey, reproduction and swarming, seasonal changes and the numerous dangers faced by the colony.

This copy is the 1947 first edition, published in London by George Allen & Unwin Ltd. The copyright page states simply “First Published in 1947”, confirming the original edition. City of the Bees comprises 183 pages and is bound in the publisher’s dark green cloth with decorative gilt lettering and ornamentation to the spine.

Condition – Very Good

Very good 1947 hardcover without dust jacket. The original dark green cloth boards remain clean and attractive with slight edge and extremity wear. The decorative gilt title, author’s name and publisher’s details on the spine remain notably bright.

Internally sound and complete, with foxing present. A previous owner’s Christmas 1949 gift inscription appears in ink on the endpaper. No dust jacket is present.