Fifty years ago,
on the 4th day of September 1956, "The Last Battle" appeared in the United States. The very last volume of The Chronicles of Narnia - completing this series of seven books begun in England
on 16 October 1950.
Of course not many will consider this very significant. Still I would like to use this occasion to share my personal list of the Chronicles which I find very helpful as I am also exploring C.S. Lewis' life:
2.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, 1950
was published in London by Geoffrey Bles on October 16th
and in New York by Macmillan on November 7th.
4.
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia, 1951
was published by Geoffrey Bles in England on October 15th,
by Macmillan in the U.S. the following day: October 16th.
5.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 1952
by Geoffrey Bles on September 15,
by Macmillan on September 30.
6.
The Silver Chair, 1953
Geoffrey Bles on September 7
Macmillan on October 5
3.
The Horse and His Boy, 1954
Geoffrey Bles September 6
Macmillan October 5
1.
The Magician's Nephew, 1955
The Bodley Head in London on May 2
Macmillan October 4th
7.
The Last Battle, 1956
The Bodley Head in the UK on March 19th
and Macmillan in the US
on 1956 September 4th.
The year 1956 was also very significant for the entire C.S. Lewis family. In the morning of April 23, 1956, Jack Lewis and Joy Davidman Gresham were secretly married at Oxford's Register Office. In the evening of October 18, 1956, at 10 Old High Street, Joy Lewis fell, broke her left hip and was taken to the Wingfield Hospital (where she remained until the end of March) . In early December 1956 David and Douglas, her boys and adopted sons of Jack, found their new home at 1 Kiln Lane in Oxford-Headington.
P.S. Right now a complete first edition set of The Seven Chronicles is being offered by Abebooks.com for "only" 29,415 dollars.