The Privateer by Gordon Daviot aka Josephine Tey - 1952

The Folio Society, London, 1975. Reprint. Hardcover. Very Good Condition/Slipcased. Blue coloured boards with gilt coloured titles the back strip Slipcased. First published in 1948. This is the story of an investigation of a kidnapping of a young woman and the abuse by a mother and daughter who live in a house called The Franchise. The young woman gives a detailed description of the attic room where she was supposedly kept and abused, but, Inspector Alan Grant of the Scotland Yard is not so sure .... Rubbing of the book corners and back strip edges. Some sunning to the top edge of the book, back strip and lower back strip edge. Very light age toning of the text block edges and pages. A slight cock of the spine. Rubbing of the dustwrapper and a few marks to the rear panel. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. [4], 271, [5] pages. Please refer to accompanying picture (s). Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Crime Fiction;… Read More

The Folio Society, London, 1975. Reprint. Hardcover. Very Good Condition/Slipcased. List of illustrations, introduction by Alison Weir. Illustrated front end pages, showing a genealogical chart of Edward III's descendants, the rear end pages show Ralph Nevill's descendants. Colour illustrated frontispiece, showing an illustration of the Two Princes. The text is illustrated with colour illustrations by Lucy Weller. 1/4 marooned coloured cloth covered back strip and rear panel with gilt coloured titles. 3/4 illustrated front panel showing a montage of Richard III and various other luminaries of the time. Burgundy coloured slip case. First published in 1951, and it is a re-examination of the reign of Richard III and his two nephews (The Princes in the Tower), and, whether Richard III murdered his nephews, as investigated by her Detective Alan Grant. Minor rubbing of the book corners and back strip. Rubbing to the panels in edges of the slip case with fading to the front edges.… Read More

The Folio Society, London, 2001. Reprint. Hardcover (Original Cloth). Very Good Condition/Slipcased. Illustrator: Paul Hogarth. List of illustrations and introduction by Antonia Fraser. Light blue coloured end pages. Frontispiece illustration, and 9 other page illustrations by Paul Hogarth. Blue coloured illustrated cloth covered (wraparound) binding with gilt coloured titles to the back strip. Dark blue coloured case. First published in 1948. This is the story of an investigation of a kidnapping of a young woman and the abuse by a mother and daughter who live in a house called The Franchise. The young woman gives a detailed description of the attic room where she was supposedly kept and abused, but, Inspector Alan Grant of the Scotland Yard is not so sure .... A little rubbing of the book corners and fading of the front book edges. Sunning of the back strip. Rubbing of the slip case with some fading to the front edge. Second Printing. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" -… Read More

Peter Davies, London, 1953. Third Impression. Hardcover. Good/No Dust Jacket. in original red cloth covered boards with white coloured titles on the spine. The first outing of inspector Alan Grant, first published in 1929. Where he tries to find the identity of the man killed while waiting in line in a queue in a theatre. Slightly rubbed at the top and bottom of the spine section and at the lower corners. The usual darkening of the page edges from age. Otherwise a more than acceptable copy, with only minor foxing to the first two and last two pages. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. VIII, 248 pages,. Please refer to accompanying picture (s). Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Crime Fiction; Britain; 1920s; Inventory No: 0289057. .

First American edition of the scarce first novel by Elizabeth Mackintosh, best known as Josephine Tey. The eight mystery novels she wrote under that name are considered classics. This novel doesn't really have the legs of those books. It's still interesting. This copy has the presentation bookplate from the American Booksellers Association to the members of the Western Division at a banquet April 18, 1929, on the front paste-down and a previous owner's signature on the front free endpaper. Book is clean and tight, with very slight bumping of the corners and spine ends: slight dustiness on the boards.A nice copy, unfortunately without the elusive dustjacket.

New York: D. Appleton & Company. Very Good in Very Good dj. 1929. 2nd printing. Hardcover. [a good sound copy, minor shelfwear, light surface deterioration of cloth near bottom of front cover, a bit of dust-soiling to top of text block; the jacket is a bit worn at edges and spine extremities, with a one-inch scrape/indentation mark on the spine, and a long diagonal closed tear (and associated crease) at the top of the front panel (which is quite unobtrusive and might have been expertly repaired at some point)]. The story of a horse-loving English farm boy who serves in the British Army during World War I, but whose disillusionment upon his return to civilian life in London leads him to fall in with a bad crowd, a gang of safe-cracking thieves. This was the first novel by this Scottish-born author (1896-1952); although best known under her mystery-fiction nom de plume "Josephine Tey," she actually used the alt-gender Daviot pseudonym much more frequently -- in fact, for… Read More

Second impression, April 1933, a month after the first. Signed twice by John Gielgud, once on half-title "John Gielgud" and also on the front free endpaper "John Gielgud: Richard of Bordeaux New Theatre 1933". Also signed on the front free endpaper by other members of the cast: Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, Richard Ainley, Henry Mollison and Walter Hudd.From the library of ballerina Ludi Horenstein (also known as Ludmila Mlada) with her two different bookplates; one as Rosemary Young, the other as Ludi Horenstein. Also with her ink name on title-page The text has numerous pencil notes, largely alterations to the printed text. These are in a slightly childish hand and we presume them to be by the youthful hand of Rosemary Young who would have been 14 at the time.Richard of Bordeaux was dedicated to John Gielgud and it was a key production in his early career, both as an actor and director:"My own first West End success as a director came in 1933 with Richard of Bordeaux, a new historical play written by… Read More