Amid the Alien Corn: An Intrepid Englishman in the Heart of America, by Hugh Willoughby (First Edition), 1958 📜🌽🇺🇸

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a First Edition of Amid the Alien Corn: An Intrepid Englishman in the Heart of America, by Hugh Willoughby.

Published in 1958 by The Bobbs-Merrill Company, this volume offers a unique, firsthand perspective on American culture as seen through the eyes of an English visitor. This book is a valuable historical account, providing insight into the American agricultural and social landscape of the mid-20th century.

2. About the Book 📖✍️✨

Amid the Alien Corn is a journal-style narrative based on the observations of a young English agriculturalist. The book details his journey across the American Midwest, where he encounters different farming methods and cultural practices.

The narrative contrasts his English background with the unique American way of life, resulting in a series of humorous and insightful anecdotes. It is a story of cultural exchange and personal discovery, as the protagonist learns to navigate an environment quite different from his own.

3. About the Author ✍️🏛️

Hugh Willoughby, the author of this account, was a young English agriculturalist who, in 1937, was given the opportunity to study American farming. The book is based on his letters and notes from his time in the United States.

The text was edited by Joseph L. Martin, a professor with a Master's degree in history from Oxford University, who helped shape Willoughby’s original writings into a cohesive and engaging narrative.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

Published in 1958, this book was released during a period of significant post-war cultural growth and increasing international travel. The narrative, although based on a journey from the 1930s, offers a nostalgic and comparative perspective that was highly relevant to a 1950s American audience.

It speaks to a time when regional identity and cultural differences were more pronounced, and the American Midwest was often seen as the heartland of the nation. The book provides a valuable perspective on Anglo-American relations and the exchange of ideas during the mid-20th century.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book is for a cultural historian, an Anglophile, or a collector of mid-century Americana.

It is a perfect fit for a collection that values unique, firsthand accounts of cultural exchange. The book appeals to a collector who is interested in the intersection of travelogue and historical analysis.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This book is valuable because it is a First Edition with its original dust jacket, a key factor for collectors.

The historical context, combined with its unique status as a firsthand account of an English observer, gives it a special significance beyond a typical travelogue. The artistic cover, which encapsulates the book's narrative, also adds to its collectible appeal. 

This book is 67 years old as of 2025.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

• The book and its original dust jacket show signs of wear consistent with their age.

• The dust jacket has some chipping and small tears along the edges and spine.

• The cloth cover of the book itself is in good shape, with minor scuffs.

• The pages are clean and well-preserved.

• The binding is intact and sturdy.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The title, "Amid the Alien Corn," is a reference to a poem by John Keats, titled "Ode to a Nightingale". The line "the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home, she stood in tears amid the alien corn" perfectly captures the book's themes of cultural difference and observation.

• The book's editor, Joseph L. Martin, was a historian at the Bobbs-Merrill Company.

• The publisher, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, was a well-known American publishing house that published both popular fiction and historical accounts.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Author: Hugh Willoughby

• Edited by: Joseph L. Martin

• Publication Date: 1958

• Edition: First Edition

• Publisher: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc.

• Place of Publication: Indianapolis, New York

• Origin: United States

• Book Cover Type: Hardcover with Dust Jacket

• Genre: Non-Fiction, Travel, Cultural History