CLANDESTINE DANISH COPY OF THE MOON IS DOWN.
STEINBECK, JOHN. 1902-1968. Maanen er skjult. Copenhagen: 'Udgivet af en kreds af danske' (published by a circle of Danes) [mimeographed by Mogens and Grete Staffeldt],' 1942. 4to. Publisher's blue wrappers, staple bound. Pages toned, some toning, spotting and offset to covers. INSCRIBED TO JOHN STEINBECK by Knud Meister and with a TLS from him dated June 25, 1963 explaining the history of the present copy.
Provenance: Knud Meister to John Steinbeck (presentation inscription and letter); Elaine Steinbeck to Dave Heyler (letter dated August 27, 1969); by descent.

RARE CLANDESTINE DANISH EDITION FROM THE PRESS OF RESISTANCE LEADER MOGENS STAFFELDT. Mogens and Grete Staffeldt operated a bookstore out of Dagmar House in Copenhagen (which ironically housed the Gestapo headquarters). In late 1942, members of De Danske Studenter the Danish resistance group Frit Danmark obtained an English copy of The Moon is Down and quickly had it translated by Jørgen Jacobsen, who enlisted the help of Paul Lang. In quick succession, the translation was brought to Jørgen Kieler, who had access to a printer, and to the newly married Mogens Staffeldt, who did not. While his wife Grete typed up the manuscript, Staffeldt sold his life insurance policy for about 3000 kroner in order to finance a 'duplicator.' The Staffeldts proceeded to produce a large number of copies from Grete's typescript, the limitations of their production system leading to a much larger sheet size than most clandestine editions. By managing the layout they managed to reduce the printing to 31 sheets, which they reproduced, folded and bound with staples into brown, grey and green paper covers [and blue as seen here]. Unsurprisingly, given the clandestine and ephemeral nature, and the fact that copies were not held but passed around from person to person, very few copies survive.

From Knud Meister's letter: 'When I visited you at Sag Harbor I told you about the illegal edition of THE MOON IS DOWN and said that even if you don't like keeping your own books I would like you to have just that version, which meant so very much to us Danes during the occupation. However the books had to be handed over from one man to another so that as many possible could read it, and I don't know how many copies were made. I guess that 1000 was the outmost they were able to print and distribute, but ten-thousands read it. / By sheer luck I found this copy in some of my deceased father's papers and I hurry to send it to you with all my best wishes.' Meister's inscription on the inside front cover of the book reads: 'To John Steinbeck / who hoisted the Danish flag at Sag Harbor in 1962—and who had hoisted his own banner of genius over Denmark twenty years before, giving inspiration and hope to many a Dane in our occupied little country....' Elaine Steinbeck sent this copy to David Heyler after cleaning out Steinbeck's writing house on the point, 'a heart-breaking but soul-warming job ... The only collector's item there was the enclosed—and I know John would like it to be in your collection.' Not in Goldstone & Payne; not in Morrow. See Coers, John Steinbeck Goes to War: The Moon is Down as Propaganda, pp 58-83.