The Same Scourge

First edition, first printing. 360pp, with map frontispiece. In blue cloth boards with gilt lettering on spine, top edge sprayed red (cloth a little bruised at base of spine). Endpapers a little tanned, with gift inscription, dated 1954, and small bookseller’s ticket on front endpapers, else internally neat, clean, bright and tight. In its original, striking, dust jacket (moderately chapped and rubbed at edges, faded Daily Mail Book of the Month label on spine, price clipped, some visible shelf wear on verso. Historical thriller set in Palestine during the New Testament years. Dario, A Roman officer is seconded to the military intelligence section for special duties – the investigation of Jewish nationalist movements. Dario’s activities inevitably bring him into contact with the followers of Christ, and he begins to compile reports on these strangely un-Judaistic Jews.