Iles Francis Aka Anthony Berkeley (2 results)

Soft cover. Condition: Good. 1st Edition. First Pocket Book edition, first printing # 432 of this stand-alone mystery. Lamination is peeling in spots. A 2-inch sticker scar on the front cover. Earlier owner's name on the first half title page and on the title page. In good condition.

FIRST EDITION, publisher's slip tipped in at rear 'To the Reader' (exhorting them to spread positive notice of the work through word-of-mouth), a couple of tiny spots at foot of half-title and the odd spot to border within, pp. 289, crown 8vo, original orange cloth, backstrip lettered in black, edges spotted with a few spots to endpapers, dustjacket price-clipped with some very light handling and the odd miniscule nick, very good. Rather a scarce book. The author was by then well-established as a detective novelist under the pseudonyms 'Francis Iles' and 'Anthony Berkeley', but Hamish Hamilton - then a young publisher - probably anticipated the likely readership for this book to be a little smaller: it is, the author confesses, 'written in indignation' and addresses itself to 'the ordinary citizen' in decrying the state of the nation at a time of crisis throughout Europe (Cox considers the character of Communism and Fascism, 'simple-souled twins' with 'at least one arm in common'). As often, the analysis seems to all-too-current in respect of its assessment of our political parties and the behaviour of our politicians, who are characterised by 'timidity', 'incompetence' and 'petty dishonesty': 'The Roman Emperors knew that, if they did not keep their plebs happy, they would lose their jobs, and probably their heads. Our Pollies are not afraid even of losing their seats'. Throughout his literary career, Cox wrote journalism and published collections of his work in that area, generally of a light and humorous variety - the present critique is distinguished from these by its earnest tone, though it is far from dry and full of the wit and brio that characterises his writing generally.