Private Pilot Jonathan Livingstone Seagull (First appearance in Private Pilot magazine)
Covina, California: Gallant Publishing, 1967. Staple bound magazine in printed colour wrappers, 82 pages. A near-fine copy. This issue of Private Pilot magazine from 1967 contains the first appearance of the story Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by American author Richard Bach. For this nascent version of the story the author was paid two hundred dollars by the publishers of Private Pilot magazine.
Here we find a short story of three pages. Over the next three years it was re-written and expanded by Richard Bach to become one of the most popular and successful children's books of modern times. The process of writing the final book was arduous, and the manuscript was rejected by several publisher before being accepted by Macmillan in 1970.
Author Richard Bach is himself an amateur pilot who has enjoyed a lifetime of flying. These personal experiences inspired his story of Jonathan the aspirational seagull. At the age of 76, Bach narrowly survived a crash in his light aeroplane but sustained significant injuries.
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull is regarded as a classic of modern American children's fiction, and is beloved by millions across the world. The book has remained in print for over four decades and has been translated into 37 languages. Item #4579
Price (AUD): $500.00