An Inquiry into Physiocracy.

Inscribed by the author. A presentation copy, inscribed by the author to the journalist and newspaper editor J. L. Garvin: 'To J. L. Garvin, / a tribute to his political genius, / "desiring to join humanity and policy together". / The Author. / Christmas 1939.'

Moses 'Max' Beer (1864–1943) was an Austrian-born Jewish Marxist economist, journalist and historian, best known as an early writer on imperialism and the social class struggle. Beer first came to Britain in 1894 to study at the LSE, before spending time in Paris, New York and at the Marx-Engels Institute in Moscow, where he worked from 1927 to 1928. He left Germany permanently in 1933 when the Nazis came to power and fled to London, living there until his death in 1943.

J.L. Garvin (1868-1947) served as editor of The Observer from 1908 to 1942. A moderate voice in British politics, he pushed for a fair settlement at Versailles in 1919 and for greater Anglo-American co-operation. By the end of his tenure the newspaper's weekly circulation had reached 200,000 copies, and was widely recognised for its independent fact-based reporting.

First edition, presentation copy inscribed by the author; 8vo (19 x 13 cm); presentation inscription to front free endpaper; publisher's burgundy cloth with gilt title to spine, top edge purple, slightly rubbed, occasional staining and pencil annotations to pages; 196pp.