Estimated to Ship Summer 2027
Photos shown are of the binding prototype. Blank spreads are included to show thread at each signature. Layout pages are included to show interior spreads.
The Attack on the Mill is the inaugural title of the Apertio imprint of Copperhead Press, bringing together the literary naturalism of Émile Zola with the unflinching visual world of Francisco de Goya in a fully letterpress printed fine press edition.
Each copy is bound in the Bradel style, with boards wrapped in rainwater gray Italian bookcloth and spines in burgundy Nappa lambskin. The grain of the leather anchors the quieter texture of the cloth, creating a pairing that is restrained and refined. An inlay of Goya's Plate LIX is affixed to the front cover board, extending the visual dialogue between image and narrative before the book is even opened.
The seven illustrations, reproduced after the work of Francisco de Goya and tipped in by hand, are drawn from his Disasters of War, works produced during the same era of European conflict that haunts Zola's novella. Together they form a conversation between two of the 19th century's most uncompromising artistic voices.
Each copy is housed in a handmade slipcase wrapped in rainwater gray Italian bookcloth, built to protect the edition and look good on the shelf.
From the Publisher
Published in 1880, The Attack on the Mill is one of Zola's most concentrated works, a story of war, innocence, and devastation told with the unflinching naturalism that defined his literary legacy. When preparing this edition, I kept returning to Goya's Disasters of War for the same reason. Produced between 1810 and 1820 in response to the Napoleonic invasion of Spain, these prints don't glamorize violence, they record it with a directness that still unsettles two centuries later. Both Zola and Goya resist the impulse to ennoble suffering. Seen together, their work reflects a shared conviction that realism, unadorned and honest, is itself a moral act.
Edition Details
- All orders placed during the opening period are guaranteed a copy
- Bradel binding in burgundy Nappa lambskin and rainwater gray Italian bookcloth
- Mocha bugra paper endpages
- Handmade head and tailbands in matching bookcloth
- Seven illustrations after Francisco de Goya, tipped in by hand
- Inlay of Goya's Plate LIX on front cover board
- Letterpress printed in two colors throughout on Crane's Lettra cotton paper — text in black, with chapter headings and Goya plate captions in red
- Printed by The Mandate Press, Utah, on a Heidelberg Windmill press
- 64 pages
- Cloth covered slipcase measuring 10 3/4" tall x 7 1/2" wide
- Designed and made by hand by Chaz & Katie Ross, Copperhead Press
A Note on Edition Size
When we began accepting orders for The Attack on the Mill, we had planned to limit this edition to fifty copies. The response from collectors has been greater than we anticipated, and we want to make sure that those who are genuinely interested in owning this edition have the opportunity to do so.
We are accepting orders through August 1, 2026, at which point we will determine the final edition size based on demand. All orders placed during this window are guaranteed a copy. The final number will be announced shortly after the window closes.
Sold with Rights
Purchasing Apertio I reserves your place as a rights holder for future Apertio releases, guaranteeing early access to upcoming titles. Purchasers also receive first right of refusal on Dubliners, the inaugural title of Copperhead Press's Votum imprint.
