War, Invasion & Spy
London, New York, Toronto, Oxford University Press, 1941.
First edition. 8vo. Original pictorial orange cloth. First impression, second state dust-jacket, correctly priced 4/- and with 'found' in the first line of blurb on front inside flap, but with the text printed in brown rather than blue.
A rare forties Biggles title - the Air Ministry has allowed Biggles, Algy, Ginger and Smyth to accompany a party of volunteers to help Finland in their struggle against Soviet aggression.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, New York, Toronto, Oxford University Press, 1939.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original pictorial cloth. Second impression dust-jacket, price-clipped.
W.E. Johns drew on the recently concluded Spanish Civil War (1936–39) as his setting, with Biggles operating against a backdrop of the conflict's final stages. It is among the more topically grounded of the pre-war Biggles titles, the Spanish war having provided Johns with a ready-made theatre of aerial intrigue.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, John Lehmann, 1950.
First UK edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.
Set during the Dunkirk evacuation, the novel follows Sergeant Julien Maillat and a small group of French soldiers stranded on the beach, unable to be evacuated with the British forces. It won the 1949 Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary prize.
War, Invasion & Spy
A Tale of the Civil War
London, Heath Cranton, 1933.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.
An uncommon title by a relatively obscure publisher.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Blackie & Son, n.d. [?1930s].
Reissue. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
Frederick Sadleir Brereton (1872–1957) was a prolific author of adventure stories for boys, published almost entirely by Blackie.
War, Invasion & Spy
Le Carré (John, pseud. David Cornwell) The Naive and Sentimental Lover
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1971.
First edition. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket.
The author's only departure from genre fiction, in his own words it "isn't everyone's cup of tea, to say the least". It certainly divided fans of his work, but for some is seen favourably in comparison with authors such as Iris Murdoch and even James Joyce.
War, Invasion & Spy
A novel
London, John Lehmann, 1947.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7s6d.
Translated from the German by Stuart Hood. A chilling, dreamlike allegory of a peaceful pastoral society corrupted by the sinister "Head Forester," a thinly veiled embodiment of Nazi power and nihilism. First published in Germany in 1939, the work astonishingly escaped an immediate ban, likely owing to Jünger's status as a war hero and the subtlety of its critique (though it faced censorship in 1942). Notable for its early and unsettling prefiguration of the death camps, the narrative depicts a "factory of death" where perfect order masks spiritual annihilation.
War, Invasion & Spy
A 'Man on the Spot' Story
London, Wright & Browne, 1967.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, priced 12/6 but with publisher's price sticker '13/6' overlaid.
Thorne's career ran from 1935 to at least 1968, encompassing exotic adventure novels set in India and the Far East, a long-running series of detective mysteries featuring a character called Q.E.D., a "Brains" Cunningham series, and a later group of Cold War thrillers. By the 1960s he had settled into two overlapping series: the Q.E.D. detective stories and a spy/adventure series featuring a character called "Man on the Spot," a recurring subtitle that appears on both Assignment Haiti (1963) and this one The Moscow File.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1935.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Publisher's compliments slip loosely inserted. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Spy thriller. An American Martin Fawley in Rome is recruited by Fascist Italy's spy chief General Berati to go undercover in a mission that takes him to Nice and Monte Carlo.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Heinemann, 1936.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
A novel of the Irish Revolutionary period between 1916 & 1922.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Dent, 1939.
First UK edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
A novel set against the backdrop of the American automobile industry, exploring labour relations, industrial power and economic tension in late-1930s Detroit.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Sampson Low, [1936].
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Early reissue dust-jacket, price-clipped.
A scarce espionage novel set against rising international tensions, from an author also noted for the thriller Deadman's Bay.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Routledge, [1938].
First UK edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 10s 6d with small stamp above price 'Overseas Edition'.
A semi-autobiographical novel about Polish–Soviet border smugglers in the interwar period, depicting violence, camaraderie and outlaw culture along the Eastern frontier. The work attracted some controversy in later years as some of the details were proven either embellished or fabricated, made more complicated still by the author's potential involvement in espionage.
War, Invasion & Spy
A Prophetic Novel
London, Grayson & Grayson, 1934.
First edition. 8vo. Original black cloth lettered in red.
A prophetic novel indeed, anticipating Churchill's anxiety at the potential readiness of Germany to have at its disposal long-range, high-speed bomber planes. The work was inspired by Stanley Baldwin's 1932 speech to the House of Commons in which he described the threat aerial bombing represented, and suggested that preemptive offence would be the only defence in such circumstances.
War, Invasion & Spy
The Saga of the Flying Men London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1936.First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 5/-.Aviation writer Harry Harper's 1936 volume combines biography and adventure, recounting exploits of pioneering aviators from the Wright brothers to inter-war record breakers.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Harrap, 1935.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 5/-s.
Captain A.O. Pollard, a decorated WWI flying ace who later penned thrillers, here uses his passion for all things aeronautic with a younger audience.
War, Invasion & Spy
A modern spy drama
London, Grayson & Grayson, 1933.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.
An early example of this author's works in the adventure and spy genre. Born in 1892, Dearden had multiple roles (ice skater, dance school founder) and produced several novels across various genres.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1980.
First edition, first impression. Original blue boards. Dust-jacket, priced £5.95.
The final novel in the original 'Karla Trilogy', featuring George Smiley's pursuit of his Soviet counterpart.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Putnam, 1940.
First UK edition, first impression. 8vo. Contemporary lending library cloth. Dust-jacket,
A translated family chronicle following Gustav Hackendahl, a Berlin coachman, coping with post-WWI change, economic hardship and societal transformation.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Ward Lock, 1931.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.
An adventurous, speculative maritime novel (sometimes a "future-war" story) featuring ex‑Machine‑Gun Corps captain Bill Parslow who embarks on a canal journey that turns mysterious and perilous.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Jonathan Cape, 1963.
First edition. Small 4to. Original cloth-backed boards. Dust-jacket, priced 30s.
An attractive first edition of Bond-creator Fleming's adventure-charged visit to the world's most exciting, exotic and sinful cities. Includes snapshots of Hong Kong, Tokyo, Honolulu, Las Vegas, New York and Monte Carlo.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Stanley Paul, 1909.
First English edition. 8vo. Original cloth.
Invasion literature. "In Germany itself an air attack on the American fleet is described by Ferdinand Heinrich Grautoff (1871–1935), writing under the name Parabellum, in his novel Banzai!." (Wikipedia).
War, Invasion & Spy
Edinburgh & London, William Blackwood & Sons, 1915.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original blue cloth lettered in black.
First edition of Buchan's classic tale of adventure and espionage, introducing the character Richard Hannay.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1933.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
The second novel in the Mr. Malcolm series, following Shot in the Dark (1932). Fairlie was known for continuing the Bulldog Drummond series after the death of H.C. McNeile (Sapper).
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Herbert Jenkins, 1940.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
The name's Bond...Christopher Bond - great jacket artwork on this spy thriller, complete with villainous Nazis.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Jarrolds, 1939.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Marthe Mathilde Cnockaert (1892–1966) was a Belgian nurse who became a spy for the United Kingdom during WWI. She was awarded the Iron Cross by the Germans for her medical service and later wrote several novels based on her experiences.
War, Invasion & Spy
New York, Doubleday, Doran for The Crime Club, Inc., 1929.
First US edition, first printing. 8vo. Original charcoal cloth. Dust-jacket, priced $2.00.
Austin J. Small (1894–1929) was a British author who also wrote under the name Seamark. His works include The Master Mystery and The Avenging Ray.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, George Newnes, [1904].
First UK edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth.
A collection of stories about Brigadier Gerard, a dashing French soldier during the Napoleonic Wars.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Wright & Brown, 1939.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6 to spine.
Bolton was a British author active during the early 20th century, known for writing adventure and war novels.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1980.
First edition, first impression. Original blue boards. Dust-jacket, priced £5.95.
The final novel in the original 'Karla Trilogy', featuring George Smiley's pursuit of his Soviet counterpart.
War, Invasion & Spy
Le Carré (John, pseud, David Cornwell) A Small Town in Germany
London, Heinemann, 1968.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
A political thriller set in Bonn, involving the disappearance of a British Embassy staffer and sensitive documents.
War, Invasion & Spy
translated from the German by C.A. Macartney
New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1928.
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth-backed boards. Dust-jacket.
Fritz von Unruh (1885–1970) was a prominent figure in German literature, known for his expressionist works that often critiqued militarism and advocated for peace. His literary contributions include plays, novels, and essays that reflect his commitment to humanistic values and his opposition to authoritarianism.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Jonathan Cape, 1963.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original red boards, stamped in black to upper cover and lettered in gilt to spine. Dust-jacket, priced 16s.
The second "Harry Palmer" spy book by Deighton, featuring drug trafficking, blackmail and neo-Nazism.
War, Invasion & Spy
Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1930.
First US edition, first printing. 8vo. Original black cloth. Dust-jacket, priced $2.50.
An epic depiction of a generation's experiences in Germany over four decades, showcasing the harsh realities and sacrifices of soldiers during their nation's most challenging times. It portrays vivid and moving scenes of men facing certain death and the German army's retreat from France, highlighting the resilience and nobility of the common man.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Jonathan Cape, 1964.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original pictorial boards. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
The third of Deighton's "Harry Palmer" novels, in which the blood-stained legacy of Nazi Germany is revealed in the intricate moves of cold war espionage...
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Jonathan Cape, 1963.
Uncorrected proof copy. 8vo. Original pictorial wrappers with publisher's device.
Uncorrected proof of the second "Harry Palmer" spy books by Deighton, featuring drug trafficking, blackmail and neo-Nazism.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, T. Fisher Unwin, 1900.
First edition. 8vo. Original tricolore cloth.
Being sketches based on personal observation during a few weeks' residence in Cape Colony.
War, Invasion & Spy
Told by an Eye-Witness
London, Robert Hale, 1937.
First edition. Publisher's file copy. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Scarce Spanish Civil War title.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1960.
First UK edition, first impression. 8vo. Original burgundy cloth lettered in silver. Dust-jacket, priced 18s.
Inspiration for the 1963 Steve McQueen film.
War, Invasion & Spy
Le Carré (John, pseud. David Cornwell) The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
London, Gollancz, 1963.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original blue boards. Dust-jacket.
The first printing of Le Carré's classic of spy fiction, ex-library unfortunately but in a very good example of the jacket.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Peter Davies, 1936.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 8/6.
An unusually good example of Lewis's classic of aviation. Sent to France with the Royal Flying Corps at just 17, and later a member of the famous 56 Squadron, Cecil Lewis was an illustrious and passionate fighter pilot of World War I, described by Bernard Shaw in 1935 as "a thinker, a master of words, and a bit of a poet." In this vivid and spirited account the author evocatively sets his love of the skies and flying against his bitter experience of the horrors of war, as we follow his progress from France and the battlefields of the Somme, to his pioneering defense of London against deadly nighttime raids.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Blackie, 1937.
First edition. 8vo. Original grey cloth. Dust-jacket.
A sci-fi aviation thriller, uncommon in jacket.