Today kicks off the first of several books by C.S. Lewis that were released in the month of September. It was on this date back in 1954 that The Horse and His Boy became available. At the time it was the fifth title in The Chronicles of Narnia. However, today it is numbered third because of when the events occur in the story compared to the other stories. (If you are not familiar with the issue of which order to read the books in, be sure to check out What Order should I read the Chronicles of Narnia?). On September 7, 1953 The Silver Chair was published and then just over a week later, on September 15, 1952 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was first available to read.
However, these are not the only books that were published by Lewis in September during his lifetime. No less than five of his non-fiction titles came out this month. Also, two more of his fictional works were released and one of his poetry books!
Here’s a rundown of what they were (including the Narnia books):
Dymer (9/20/26)
Out of the Silent Planet (9/23/38)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (9/15/52)
The Silver Chair (9/7/53)
The Horse and His Boy (9/6/54)
English Literature in the Sixteenth Century (9/16/54)
Surprised By Joy (9/19/55)
Till We Have Faces (9/10/56)
Reflections on the Psalms (9/8/58)
Studies in Words (9/9/60)
A Grief Observed (9/29/61)
Wasn’t “The Last Battle” published on September 4th?
Thanks for asking about the publication of “The Last Battle.” While the 1st U.S. edition was published on 9/4/1956, it was published for the first time ever on 3/19/1956 in the U.K. by The Bodley Head.
So, all the books listed are first ever editions.
Oh, i see. Any chance you’d have a reference for that? I believe you; it’s just that i did some searching before leaving the first comment and i couldn’t find anything but the Wikipedia page that gave a specific date.
Not a problem. The best reference is Walter Hooper’s “C.S. Lewis: A Companion and Guide” (also titled: “C. S. Lewis A Complete Guide to His Life and Works”)
On page 808 of the edition I have it lists all the publication dates for “The Last Battle.”
You can actually go to Amazon.com and do a word search within the book and see that page:
http://www.amazon.com/Lewis-Complete-Guide-Life-Works/dp/006063880X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1347015606&sr=8-2&keywords=hooper+lewis+companion
Awesome. Thanks so much!
Jes, that`s right. The last battle was published on september 4th, 1956.
“today it is numbered third because of when the events occur in the story compared to the other stories”
Actually, HHB takes place during LWW. Not after. 🙂