Click for full-size.
Ashenden.
by MAUGHAM, W. Somerset
- Used
- Hardcover
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Heinemann,, 1928. Scarce signed and in the jacket First edition, first impression, signed by the author on the front free endpaper. Maugham's masterpiece of spy fiction inspired Ian Fleming, John le Carré, and countless other espionage and thriller writers. A collection of interconnected short stories, Ashenden is based on the author's time working in the British Secret Intelligence Service. It follows the adventures of the eponymous character as he operates for the SIS during the First World War across Europe and Asia, under the cover of being an author. The book provided the source material for Alfred Hitchcock's 1936 film The Secret Agent. Provenance: from the collection of the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts (1941-2021), with his posthumous bookplate. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine and front cover lettered in gilt. With supplied dust jacket. Housed in a custom quarter blue morocco folding box by the Chelsea Bindery. Spine slightly cocked and faded, extremities lightly worn, occasional faint mark to contents; jacket spine creased, extremities worn with some loss to rear panel, split to front flap fold discreetly stabilized, a few spots to flaps, else bright and unclipped: a very good copy in very good jacket. Stott A37a.
Synopsis
W. Somerset Maugham was born in Paris in 1874. He began to study medicine in London but quit to focus exclusively on writing. In 1926 he bought a house in Cap Ferrat, France, which was to become a meeting place for a number of writers, artists and politicians. He died in 1965.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Peter Harrington
(GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 172410
- Title
- Ashenden.
- Author
- MAUGHAM, W. Somerset
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Place of Publication
- London: Heinemann,
- Date Published
- 1928
Terms of Sale
Peter Harrington
All major credit cards are accepted. Both UK pounds and US dollars (exchange rate to be agreed) accepted. Books may be returned within 14 days of receipt for any reason, please notify first of returned goods.
About the Seller
Peter Harrington
Biblio member since 2006
London
About Peter Harrington
Since its establishment, Peter Harrington has specialised in sourcing, selling and buying the finest quality original first editions, signed, rare and antiquarian books, fine bindings and library sets. Peter Harrington first began selling rare books from the Chelsea Antiques Market on London's King's Road. For the past twenty years the business has been run by Pom Harrington, Peter's son.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Cocked
- Refers to a state where the spine of a book is lightly "twisted" in such a way that the front and rear boards of a book do not...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Flap(s)
- The portion of a book cover or cover jacket that folds into the book from front to back. The flap can contain biographical...
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
Collecting Classic Supernatural Fiction
Classic supernatural fiction is distinct from contemporary horror because it is more literate and often relies upon poetic subtlety rather than unpleasant gratuity to create an atmosphere. Enter if you dare!
Collecting One Book
Instead of collecting by series, author, publisher...why not just one title? Learn more about collecting variations and editions of one book.
