Together with a signed letter and postcard by the author

Mortimer, John ~ Answer Yes or No :Together With A Letter And A Postcard Signed By The Author

FIRST UK PRINTING. The Bodley Head, London : 1950

The First UK printing published by The Bodley Head, London : 1950. 8vo, pale blue-grey cloth lettered in dark green to spine; together in the unclipped wrapper (9s. net) featuring a design by Holland, and a black and white photograph of the author to the lower flap; The BOOK is a Very Good+ copy, patches of light ghosting and spotting to the backstrip; lightly spotted to the outer edges of text block; endpapers faintly offset; with a couple of scratches to the final page and paste-down leading to some closed tears; the Very Good+ WRAPPER is evenly toned, with some darkening to edges and lower fold; lightly rubbed at the edges, with a little subsequent nicking, creasing and chipping to the spine ends. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First issue of the author's third novel. This copy comes complete with a TLS on Mortimer's headed notepaper, signed to a Peter Dyson and stating 'I was pleased to add to your autograph collections', as well as a postcard showing the oil portrait of the author at the National Portrait gallery, also signed 'with best wishes, John Mortimer'. John Mortimer (1923-2009) was a barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author who worked under Laurie Lee in WWI, writing scripts for propaganda documentaries. His first published novel was based on these experiences, working for the Crown Film Unit, though it is perhaps for his later writings, inspired by his own work as a barrister and his father's career in the same field (the Horace Rumpole short stories), that he is best known today. 'Answer yes or no' utilises a similar theme, and follows Ransom, a struggling barrister, and his experiences with love and divorce in the courtroom. Scarce with these attributes.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good+
JACKET: Very Good+