First UK Edition, First Impression — 1958 - William Heinemann, Ltd., London**
 
A handsome first UK edition of Steinbeck’s celebrated nonfiction chronicle of his 1940 specimen‑collecting voyage through the Gulf of California aboard the Western Flyer, undertaken with his close friend and collaborator, marine biologist Ed Ricketts. This edition features the striking double‑sided portrait frontispiece of Steinbeck and Ricketts, along with the distinctive map endpapers charting the six‑week expedition’s route.
 
Condition: 8vo. (9" × 6"), 282pp. including glossary and index. Publisher’s blue cloth boards in near fine condition, showing only a touch of wear with a small bump to the upper spine tip, light foxing to the map endpapers and outer page edges. The binding remains clean, square, and bright.
Housed in the original unclipped dust jacket with the 18s net price present. The jacket is very good, with expected creasing along the edges and spine tips and foxing typical of Heinemann’s mid‑century paper stock—most noticeable on the rear panel. Still an attractive example, complete and presentable.
 
A strong, collectible first UK printing of one of Steinbeck’s most engaging works—equal parts travel narrative, natural history, and philosophical meditation—offering a vivid snapshot of his partnership with Ricketts and their shared curiosity about the living world.