The Painted Tent.

UK,slim,small 8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.FINE/FINE. No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright,crisp, clean,glossy colour pictorial illustrated artwork by John Gorham,illustrated front panel of dw/dj - repeated to rear panel too,with black outlined+shadowed, capitalised lettered title - the first letter of each word of same coloured red and remainder of each word coloured yellow,black lettered author name and other black lettered information of author's other titles in this trilogy at lower edges,white background to spine/backstrip with author's black-lettered name, capitalised,black-lettered title and publisher's capitalised black lettered+illustrated colophon to foot of same.Negligible shelf-wear,bumping,creasing to edges and corners - no nicks,tears or splits present - very minimal superficial scoring/indent to either panel. Top edges with minimal,faint dust-soiling flecks but still bright without ageing/toning,fore-edges particularly bright and clean and unusually,without any foxing/spotting; contents bright,tight,clean,soild and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips,appears unread,other than my own collation.Publisher's bright,crisp,clean,sharp-cornered, original plain olive green cloth boards with bright, crisp,blocked silver gilt lettered spine/backstrip,and immaculate repeated illustrated endpapers - horizontal lines of flying birds' silhouettes in black to a green background,the alternate lines with bird's direction of flight with 180 degree turn.UK,8vo HB+ dw/dj,1st edn,1-247pp [paginated] includes 11 chapters and an Envoi; plus [unpaginated] half-title+ title pages,a dedication and Contents list/table,both with a blank verso. Visually the exterior appearance is exceptional,and even internally,the book is also in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation for a book of its age.It really is an exceptional,exemplary example for its cleanliness,brightness,minimal wear and entirety. Author's 3rd and final title of the 'SMILER' trilogy,following 'Runaways' and 'Flight of the Grey Goose',respectively. As the book opens Smiler is on the loose again.Much as he would like to be near his girl-friend Laura he cannot risk staying at the Laird's animal sanctuary in Scotland after it had been visited by the police.Luckily he soon meets up with a Mr Jimmy Jago and together they travel south,to Bullaybrook Farm near Dartmoor where Smiler is introduced to a plump jolly red-haired lady called the Duchess,who tells people's fortunes in the painted tent behind the farmhouse. In return for his help on the farm,she sees that he is fed and educated,and encouraged in his ambition eventually to become a veterinary surgeon. Many animals are kept at Bullaybrook and Smiler's favourite is Fria,a peregrine falcon.Smiler's adventures revolve closely around Fria's escape from captivity and the trials and dangers of adapting to a life of freedom. Then a visit from Laura persuades him to make a most important decision,as a result of which he discovers another side to Jimmy Jago and learns of his friendship with Maxie,a prisoner from nearby Princetown. In 'The Painted Tent' Victor Canning shows,against an idyllic Devonshire background,how Smiler at last comes to terms with his past and finds a way to a new life with the people he loves. British novelist,b. 1911,Plymouth,Devon – d.1986. Primarily he was a writer of thrillers,and also wrote his many books under the pseudonyms 'Julian Forest' and 'Alan Gould.' Among his immediate contemporaries were Eric Ambler, Alistair Maclean and Hammond Innes. A prolific writer throughout his career, which began young:he had sold several short stories by the age of nineteen and his first novel, 'Mr Finchley Discovers His England' (1934) was published when he was twenty-three.Canning also wrote for children: his trilogy 'The Runaways' was adapted for US children's television. Please contact seller,because of the lighter weight of this item,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded, after order's receipt and before the order's despatch, especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now 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. **