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THE SECRET AGENT. A Simple Tale

THE SECRET AGENT. A Simple Tale

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THE SECRET AGENT. A Simple Tale

by Conrad, Joseph

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  • first
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Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Yarmouth, Maine, United States
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About This Item

1907. London: Methuen & Co., (1907). 40 pp ads dated Sept 1907. Original deep red cloth with gilt-decorated spine.

First Edition of Conrad's tale of espionage sited in Russia. The idea for the story came from an actual 1890s revolutionary attempt to blow up the Observatory at Greenwich. Conrad initially planned this to be a short story (titled "Verloc"); however, as he "got into" it, he lengthened it into a full-blown novel. He then strove to make it a popular novel, one that would provide him with the cash he needed to get out from under pressing debts; however, after an initial flourish, sales dropped off and the book was not reprinted until 1914, after the success of CHANCE reawakened interest in Conrad. The initial printing consisted of 2,500 copies, including 500 for the colonies plus 500 for Canada. However, the good initial reception of the book prompted the publisher to use the colonial copies for the domestic market instead, replacing the colonial half-title and title with the standard domestic one -- "there is no visible evidence of cancellation and for all practical purposes we must regard these copies as indistinguishable from the regular domestic issue" [Cagle]. This is a very good-plus copy (minor rubbing at the corners, spine slightly faded as usual); the original endpapers are intact, and atypically there is no foxing. In our experience LORD JIM, YOUTH and THE SECRET AGENT are the toughest of Conrad's first published editions to find in collectible condition. Supino A12.1.0; Cagle A12a(1); a "Modern Library 100" selection and a "Connolly 100 Key Books of the Modern Movement" selection. Provenance: Indiana University bookplate of Fred Bates ["Pappy"] Johnson (1880-1963), who as an Indianapolis newspaperman was instrumental in the formation of IU's School of Journalism; he later went into the law.

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Details

Bookseller
Sumner & Stillman US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
15384
Title
THE SECRET AGENT. A Simple Tale
Author
Conrad, Joseph
Book Condition
Used
Quantity Available
1
Date Published
1907
Keywords
Espionage; Russia; Mod Lib 100
Bookseller catalogs
Fiction (Early 20th Century);

Terms of Sale

Sumner & Stillman

30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.

About the Seller

Sumner & Stillman

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2009
Yarmouth, Maine

About Sumner & Stillman

Founded in 1980, Sumner & Stillman is a small family business providing personal service in the buying and selling of literary first editions of the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) for over 30 years.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

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....
Bookplate
Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
Rubbing
Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
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...

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