The All Conquering Power By Joseph Hocking Appraisal

The All-Conquering Power by Joseph Hocking

This is an antique hardcover edition of 'The All-Conquering Power' by the prolific Cornish novelist Joseph Hocking, likely dating from the early 20th century (circa 1920s). The book is bound in a coarse-grained red cloth over boards, featuring the title and author's name blind-stamped or printed in black ink on the front cover and spine. The typography is a classic serif font typical of British popular fiction from the Interwar period. Physically, the volume shows significant signs of age and handling; the red pigment of the cloth has faded unevenly, exhibiting dark spotting, potential water staining, and general surface soiling across the front board. The corners are bumped and show clear fraying of the textile fibers, exposing the underlying cardboard. The spine exhibits more severe wear, with visible structural weakening at the top and bottom edges (head and tail caps) and a noticeable vertical crease along the hinge, suggesting the binding is brittle. No dust jacket is present. While Hocking was a popular author of his time known for religious and romantic themes, the condition of this specific copy indicates it was a heavily used 'reading copy' rather than a preserved collector's piece. The materials are standard for mass-market publishing of the era, prioritizing affordability over luxury.