A Gun for Sale

Lot 69
28.09.2023 13:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 15 120
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 1016436
Lot 69 | A Gun for Sale
Estimate value
£ 15 000 – 25 000
A Gun for Sale

Graham Greene

GREENE, Graham (1904-1991). A Gun for Sale. An Entertainment. London: William Heinemann, 1936.



A true rarity in the dust-jacket: first British edition, first issue. All of Greene's early books are scarce in the dust-jacket, but A Gun for Sale is one of the rarest, with only one in the jacket recorded at auction (Anthony Hobson’s copy, sold Sotheby’s 28 June 1996, lot 104 £7,130). The action of A Gun for Sale in part anticipates that of Brighton Rock as Raven's killing of Kite in the former allows Pinkie to take over the gang at the start of the latter. It was first published in the USA under the title This Gun for Hire. Wobbe A12.



Octavo. (Faint insignificant finger-soiling in margins of pp.168-9.) Original full red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, publisher’s logo stamped in blind on lower cover (extreme head of spine slightly discoloured and with 5mm tear without loss); original pictorial dust-jacket after Arthur Barbosa in first state without reviews on flaps (chip to upper edge of front cover, 25mm tear to spine with old repair on verso, head of jacket fractionally chipped and frayed, spine faded with slight loss to foot).

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