Hardy Boys “The House on the Cliff” in RARE Dust Jacket (1959 Hardcover)


  • Author: Franklin W. Dixon (of Stratemeyer Syndicate)
  • Jacket Art: Rudy Nappi
  • End-paper Artist: (?) Brown
  • Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap, New York, NY U.S.A. 1959


1959C-51 (per Toni Carpentieri, 6th Edition) with extremely rare DJ that states "This Volume FREE With the Purchase of Hardy Boys #1". This was overprinted in red on the DJ. Jacket shows wear at corners with minor chips missing. Brown's multi-scene end-papers in brown & white. This 1959 edition is the 1st revised edition with Nappi & Brown art work.


Here's the story behind that. In 1959 they started to revise all the Hardy Boys books to that point. They felt they needed to modernize and also get rid of stereotypical references. This free offer was a way to induce purchases. This offer was only published once, and so this is one of the scarcest of the Hardy Boys books


Franklin W. Dixon is a pen name used by a variety of authors writing for the classic series, The Hardy Boys. The first and most well-known "Franklin W. Dixon" was Leslie McFarlane, a Canadian author who contributed 19 of the first 25 books in the series. Other writers who have adopted the pseudonym include Christopher Lampton, John Button, Amy McFarlane, and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Andrew Svenson has been cited as the author of the revised version.


"The House on the Cliff" was the 2nd story in the Hardy Boys series. Frank and Joe Hardy are investigating a mysterious old house high on the cliffs above Barmet Bay when they are frightened off by a scream. The boys return to the apparently haunted house when they make a connection between the place and a smuggling case their father is working on. When their father goes missing, they have to investigate the caves beneath the house and confront the smugglers.


Hardcover has tan tweed cloth boards with brown lettering & designs in a Good plus DJ as noted above. Has blue tinted top-edge and square corners. Interior is tight, clean and unmarked. Illustrated with B&W drawings. Book is as new.


Illustrators were not stated in the book and the art work not signed. However Rudy Nappi has been credited with this Jacket art, (unknown artist) Brown for the illustrated end-papers and A.O. Scott for the internal art in the 1944 version. It is unclear whether either Nappi or Brown created any line drawings in this 1959 version or not. 


  • Size: 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall, 180 pp.
  • Condition: Fine (As New) Hardcover in Near Very Good Dust Jacket.


Copyright 1959. No ISBN, LCCN nor MSR. Marked “2” in The Hardy Boys Series.


Notes on Condition/Edition ratings:


Fine – means like new, but any book produced over 10 years ago isn't “brand new”.  Booksellers needed some word to describe this...


Very Good – How you or I might take care of a book, closer to “as new” than standard.


Good – How someone else might take care of a book. Also referred to as “standard.” The most likely condition

for books of this age, shows the book has been read or previously owned.


Acceptable – How a child, student or a librarian might take care of a book. (Either trying to make sure

someone doesn't steal it by plastering ownership everywhere, filled it with copious notes or

a book that has been damaged.)


Poor – Combination of “acceptable” factors above. Most likely with water damage as well. Might have

missing pages (you should ask).


Near – Means “almost” in an optimistic sense. e.g., “Near Fine” means very good, but on the high end.


1st Thus – Unique somehow, maybe 1st paperback, new illustrator, misprint or even the 1st edition. A collector

might desire this copy.



Thanks for looking!