Angleterre

réf. rja1253526 — UK8vo HBdw/dj1st reprint. Though reprinted in the same year possibly a second print run after the first run thus it's a first reprint of that first print run. Shortlisted for the inaugural Booker Prize in 1969 - the winner was P. H. Newby's 'Something to Answer For.' but it won the Author's Club Best First Novel Award. Author's debut and his only novel. FINE/FINE. No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj. An exceptionally crisp bright and clean wrap-around vibrant matt colour pictorial artwork depiction of a scene in the novel in a surreallist collage of images by Tom Adams illustrated dw/dj with capitalised black-lettered title and author name at its front top edge. Spine with similarly colouredlettered title and author's name at its head and publisher's b/w illustrated initialled lettered name to foot of same rear panel of dw/dj with continuation of colour collaged illustration without any text or lettering. Dw/dj with infinitesimal creases to top edge of rear inner flap and head of spine and most strikingly - without ANY nicks tears or splits present anywhere on the dw/dj. Residual evidence internally to rear's lower edge near rear corner of a small indeterminate fluid stain - concomitant area of board unaffected and stain not visible externally. Top edges dust-free with a shiny/waxed deep red-brown ochre colouring fore-edges bright crisp and clean without ageing/toning no foxing/spotting nor thumbing bottom edges ditto; contents text block bright tight and clean solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners - would appear unread other than my own collation. Publisher's bright crisp clean/unblemished sharp-cornered - no bruised tips - original plain auburn cloth boards with bright crisp blocked gilt-lettered and colophon illustrated spine and immaculate plain white edpapers - no off-setting present. UK 8vo HBdw/dj1st edn7-219pp paginated includes novel without any chapter numeration; plus unpaginated 2pp blanks half-title with blank verso title page with copyright details to its verso a title separator page and to the rear 2pp blanks. Visually the external appearance is exceptional especially and particularly internally is also in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation for a book of it's 55 year-old age. Despite the minor and minimal number of detractions described it really is still an exceptional exemplary example for it's brightness cleanliness and lack excessive usual or other age-acquired detracting faults commonly encountered in a book of a comparable age. An underrated overlooked and little-known classic of the escape fiction genre. Two professional soldiers Ansell and MacConnachie have escaped from a column of POWs with one gun and a few rounds of ammunition in an unnamed country in the tropics. Their most important resource being their instinct to survive. Soldiers on the ground track them day and night a helicopter circles above life becomes a second-by-second fight for survival. Safety across the border lies 400 miles away; in the meantime they must make their way through alien territory battling the climate and the terrain as well as these enemy soldiers and their helicopter. Please contact the seller @ rpaxtonden@blueyonder.co.uk particularly ALL overseas buyers for correct shipping/Pp quotes BEFORE placing your order especially if ordering any multiples. N.B. ALL buyers please note stocks' actual shipping/Pp costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded AFTER order's receipt and BEFORE before the order's despatch especially if the items are offered either Pp included/FREE. N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard US AIRMAIL to these destinations can now in some cases cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. LONDON.JONATHAN CAPE,May,1968. hardcover