Charles Maurras: original editions, limited printings and inscribed copies

Biographical notes

Born in Martigues on 20 April 1868, Maurras became deaf at the age of fourteen. He began his career in Paris as a literary critic and, alongside Jean Moréas, became the theorist of the Roman School. An anti-Dreyfusard, he turned the daily newspaper L'Action française (1908-1944) into the platform for a monarchist doctrine whose "state antisemitism" was one of its core principles.

In 1926, the Holy Office placed the newspaper and several of his books on the Index; the ban was lifted in 1939. Elected to the Académie française on 9 June 1938, Maurras welcomed Marshal Pétain’s rise to power in 1941 as a "divine surprise." On 27 January 1945, the Lyon court of justice sentenced him to life imprisonment and national degradation for collaboration with the enemy. Pardoned for medical reasons in March 1952, he died on 16 November of that year near Tours.

Key editions

His earliest books are the most literary: Le Chemin de Paradis (Calmann-Lévy, 1895), a collection of philosophical tales, followed by Trois idées politiques (1898), Anthinéa (1901), Les Amants de Venise (1902), devoted to George Sand and Musset, and L'Avenir de l'intelligence (1905). Their original editions, fresh or enriched with an inscription, form the cornerstone of any Maurras collection.

Several political texts were published by the Nouvelle Librairie nationale, a publishing house close to the movement: the 1909 edition of Enquête sur la monarchie, Kiel et Tanger (1910). His poetry followed, with La Musique intérieure (Grasset, 1925), critical essays such as Lorsque Hugo eut les cent ans (1927), and texts published during his imprisonment, including Le Mont de Saturne (Les Quatre Jeudis, 1950). The Œuvres capitales (Flammarion, 1954, four volumes) gather the essential works after his death.

Limited and large-paper editions

Between the two World Wars, many of his books and pamphlets were published in small print runs on Japanese, Dutch or laid paper. Always check the colophon: Le Conseil de Dante (Nouvelle Librairie nationale, 1920) comprises fifty copies on pure Lafuma laid paper, numbered 1 to 50, followed by a run on vellum, also numbered. This text reprints the preface Maurras wrote in 1912 for Louise Espinasse-Mongenet’s translation of Dante’s Inferno.

The same principle applies to numbered series of the period, such as Grasset’s Cahiers verts, which published La Musique intérieure: a single number does not make a large-paper copy. Only the paper specified at the head of the colophon distinguishes a tiré à part.

Presentation copies, provenance and pitfalls

For a presentation copy, the recipient matters as much as the signature: a writer, an academician or a known public figure lends the item archival value. Books once owned by Maurras himself, received from colleagues, form a distinct category. Always compare the handwriting with verified examples.

Beware of “new edition” notices or edition numbers on the wrapper: Le Chemin de Paradis, for instance, reappeared with De Boccard in 1920 with a new preface, then again in 1927 in an illustrated edition by Gernez. Papers from the war years and the immediate post-war period yellow quickly; a fresh copy in its original wrapper commands a higher price.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a Charles Maurras book worth?

Most common editions fetch a few tens of euros. A first edition on large paper, a presentation copy to a known recipient or documented provenance can push a copy into the several-hundred-euro range. Condition and completeness remain decisive.

How do I identify a true first edition by Maurras?

Compare the date and publisher with the first appearance of the text, and reject copies marked “new edition” or bearing an edition number. For a numbered book, the colophon specifies the paper and the copy’s rank.

Which titles should I look for when starting a collection?

First editions of Le Chemin de Paradis, Anthinéa and L'Avenir de l'intelligence for the writer; Enquête sur la monarchie and Kiel et Tanger for political history; then the numbered pamphlets of the inter-war years, often affordable.

Do you buy Charles Maurras books?

Yes. The bookseller will appraise them free of charge from photographs and purchases libraries in Paris and throughout France. Photograph the title page, the colophon, any presentation inscription and the binding.

To go further

• Our authors: all author pages in the catalogue.
• Maurice Barrès, friend and critic of Maurras.
• Autograph presentation: how to recognise, authenticate and value a dedication.