Désirée - Annemarie Selinko | Dutch Book Club | Alice Horodisch-Garman

A beautifully preserved vintage edition of Désirée, the famous historical novel by Annemarie Selinko about Désirée Clary, the former lover of Napoleon Bonaparte who eventually became queen of Sweden and Norway.

This Dutch edition was published by the Nederlandse Boekenclub (NBC) in The Hague and translated by H. van Voorthuizen. This edition is distinguished by its elegant cover, designed by graphic artist Alice Horodisch-Garman. The salmon-pink paper hardcover features gold-colored and dark red decorations, including a historical female figure and the three crowns of Sweden, a reference to Désirée's later position at the Swedish court.

Selinko tells the life story of Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary in diary form. Against the backdrop of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, we follow her childhood in Marseille, her relationship with the young Napoleon Bonaparte, and her later marriage to Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. When Bernadotte eventually becomes king of Sweden and Norway, Désirée ascends the throne herself as Queen Desideria.

A decoratively designed edition of an international historical bestseller, appealing to lovers of vintage books, historical novels, Napoleon, and the Swedish royal family.

Details:

• Author: Annemarie Selinko
• Title: Désirée
• Publisher: Nederlandse Boekenclub (NBC), The Hague
• Translation: H. van Voorthuizen
• Cover design: Alice Horodisch-Garman
• Language: Dutch
• Length: 453 pages
• Period: vintage, probably 1950s to early 1960s
• Copyright of original work: 1951
• Binding: hardcover
• Cover: salmon-pink paper hardcover with gold-colored and dark red decoration
• Decoration: historical female figure, monogram, and Swedish three crowns
• Edges: red top edge, other edges natural
• Dimensions: approx. 21.5 × 15.5 cm
• Thickness: approx. 4.5 cm
• Country of publication: Netherlands

Condition:
Good to very good vintage condition. The cover has been remarkably well preserved with only slight signs of wear. The text block is firm and the endpapers are present. The paper shows slight age discoloration and a few small spots in places, mainly on the edges, consistent with its age. No significant damage found.