Genuine Leather. There is a long scratch on the right gilt edge. No other signs of prior ownership. No creases, writing or underlining. The ibnding is straight and strong. I doubt the book has been read more than once, if at all. This special edition was published for the members of the Firearms Classics Library by Odysseus Editions, Inc. in 1996. The book has a genuine leather cover enhanced with a 22-karat gold design, sewn binding, hubbed spine, silk moire endpapers, gilt-edged pages printed on acid-free paper, silk ribbon bookmark.