A.S.F. The Story of a Great Conspiracy - photo 1
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A.S.F. The Story of a Great Conspiracy

Lot 97
28.09.2023 13:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 4 032
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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Archive
ID 1016412
Lot 97 | A.S.F. The Story of a Great Conspiracy
Estimate value
£ 4 000 – 6 000
A.S.F. The Story of a Great Conspiracy

John Rhode

RHODE, John (1884-1964; pseudonym for Cecil Street). A.S.F. The Story of a Great Conspiracy. London: Geoffrey Bles, 1924.



Very rare first edition of the author’s first book in the dust-jacket: a presentation copy inscribed by the publisher Geoffrey Bles to his wife: ‘To my Darling Evie The first copy of the first book published by Geoffrey Bles’. We are unable to trace any presentation copy or any copy in the dust-jacket in auction records.



‘As its less subtle American title, The White Menace, suggests, A.S.F. concerns illicit cocaine trafficking in twenties England. In classic Edgar Wallace thriller tradition, a nefarious "master brain" is behind the whole deadly business, which has spread its tentacles into the highest reaches of English society' (Evans). This was both the first of Rhode’s works to be published and the first book issued by the publisher. Geoffrey Bles would go on to have a successful publishing career, including issuing the first five books of the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. Curtis Evans, Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery (2014).



Octavo. (A few faint spots, a few short fore-edge closed tears.) Original red cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black, front endpaper reproducing front and rear dust-jacket panels (spine gently rolled); original pictorial dust-jacket (some small marks, repairs to short closed tears along edges). Provenance: Evelyn [Evie] Constance Bles (1887-1983; presentation inscription from her husband, the publisher, on front free endpaper).

Place of origin:Northern Europe, Europe, United Kingdom
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.09.2023 – 28.09.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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