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Spy Thrillers: 15 works

Lot 405
29.09.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 10 080
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
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ID 1029056
Lot 405 | Spy Thrillers: 15 works
Estimate value
£ 4 000 – 6 000
A group of fifteen volumes, comprising:

AMBLER, Eric (1909-1998). Epitaph for a Spy. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1938.
First edition. A Haycraft-Queen Cornerstone. Octavo. (Various splits to textblock.) Original blue cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (cocked, lightly rubbed, spine and edges sunned); original dust-jacket (lightly rubbed and nicked, spine ends somewhat frayed, some closed tears).

— Cause For Alarm. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1938.
First edition. Octavo. (A few spots, two splits to textblock). Original blue cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (cocked, spine lightly sunned); original dust-jacket (somewhat dust-soiled, some creases, large closed tear to bottom edge of lower panel and spine, small chips at foot of spine).

— Luncheon in Honour of Mr. Eric Ambler, Whose distinguished Novel Epitaph for a Spy is published today. London: 7 April 1938. Rare printed menu for a luncheon held in honour of the author, signed by Ambler. 4pp. menu printed on card in blue, front cover with title and decorations printed in white and blue (top edge spotted and soiled).

LE CARRÉ, John [David Cornwell] (1931-2020). Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy [with] The Honourable Schoolboy [and] Smiley’s People. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1974, 1977 and 1980.
First edition, all presentation copies to famed polish poet and author Jerzy Pietrkiewicz. Three volumes, octavo. Blue boards cloth and buckram, spine lettered in gilt (head- and tailcap lightly bruised and spine tanned). Original dust-jacket (spine sunned, edges very lightly rubbed). Provenance: Tinker Tailer Solider Spy and The Honourable School Boy: author’s signature (blue ink to verso of half-title) — All three volumes: Jerzy Pietrkiewicz (1916-2007; Polish poet and author; authorial presentation inscription to title and ownership stamp to front pastedown).

BEEDING, Francis [John Leslie Palmer] (1885-1944). The Nine Waxed Faces. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1936.
First edition. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (extremities lightly rubbed, covers and spine tanned); original dust-jacket (sometime extensively repaired with loss at head and foot of spine extending into front and rear panels supplied in excellent facsimile).

— No Fury. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1936.
First edition. Octavo. 5 illustrations at front (tiny marginal stain to title). Original light blue cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (extremities rubbed, spine tanned); original pictorial dust-jacket (lightly soiled and faintly creased at edges, several short closed tears and nicks repaired with tape on verso).

— The One Sane Man. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1934.
First edition. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (spine sunned, a few stains); original dust-jacket (restoration to corners and head of spine without loss, repaired small chip at centre of lower panel with a few letters in facsimile).

— The Ten Holy Horrors. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1939.
First edition. Octavo. Original black cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in red (top edge lightly sunned); original dust-jacket (faintly rubbed). Provenance: The Times Book Club (stamp to back pastedown).

ANNESLEY, Michael [Frederick Annesley Michael Webster] (1886-1949). The Missing Agent. London: George G. Harrap & Co., 1938.
First edition. Octavo. (Light marginal spotting to first and last few leaves.) Original blue cloth, spine lettered in black (extremities very lightly rubbed, endpapers browned, and front free endpaper clipped); original price-clipped dust-jacket designed by Alex Jardine (lightly rubbed, a few chips and tears, one with minor loss at foot of lower panel, a few neat repairs). Provenance: Angus & Robertson, Sydney (bookseller’s ticket to front pastedown).

CRAIG, Peter [Thom MacWalter] (1887-1963). Conspiracy Island. London: George G. Harrap & Co., 1933.
First edition, signed by the author. Octavo. Original black cloth, spine and upper cover with titles and decoration stamped in yellow (slightly cocked); original dust-jacket (lightly rubbed and creased, small nicks and closed tears with minor loss, minor glue residue on verso).

WILLIAMS, Valentine (1883-1946). The Crouching Beast. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, [1928].
First edition, presentation copy. Octavo. 2 leaves of ads at end (a few faint creases, textblock just splitting in places). Original blue cloth, spine and upper cover with titles, publisher’s and author’s device stamped in black (endpapers partially browned, spine lightly sunned); original dust-jacket (lightly marked). Provenance: ‘Asea’ (authorial presentation inscription to half-title, dated Oct. 1928) — loosely inserted pamphlet from ‘The Prudential Assurance Co. Ltd.’.

SETON, Graham (1890-1946). The V Plan. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1941.
First edition, presentation copy, with ink caricature drawings of world leaders by the author and inscribed: ‘Dear Mr. Downing, Surprise is the first element of success in war: yet, the only time it really manifests itself is in defeat.- I do not think we shall have a very long to wait before this is realized’. Octavo. Illustrative map (light spotting, some creases throughout). Original orange cloth, spine lettered in black (lower board cockled); original buff dust-jacket (lightly tanned and creased, several closed tears and chips, most repaired on verso with tape). Provenance: authorial caricature sketch of contemporary world leaders signed ‘The World on Holiday, summer 1941, V E.S.H’ (blue ink to front pastedown) — authorial signature (front panel of dust-jacket) — Mr. Downing (authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper, dated 1st September 1941) — two autograph letters and one typed letter signed from the author to Mr. Downing dated August and September 1941 and 1st December 1943 (latter pasted to verso of front free endpaper, the remaining two pasted to the inside lower cover).

— According to Plan. London: Rich & Cowan, Ltd., 1938.
First edition, presentation copy, inscribed and additionally signed by the author. Octavo. Original brown cloth, spine lettered in white; original dust-jacket (rubbed and tanned, spine sunned, several chips, nicks and tears, with minor textual loss to publisher’s line to spine). Provenance: authorial signature (black ink to title) — Kenneth Allsop (authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper, dated June 1941).
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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