The Lifeline

First edition, first impression.  398pp.  Red cloth covered boards, gilt titles on spine.  12mo.  Cloth a little tired and slightly faded, gently rubbed and rounded at corners and spine ends.  Internally pages are a little less than bright and have a few minor signs of handling else neat, clean and tight.

A now hard-to-find novel of Nazi-occupied Austria.  Phyllis Bottome, an English novelist and short story writer, ran a pioneering school in Litzbuhel in Austria whose pupils included Ian Fleming of James Bond fame. (Fleming later wrote to Bottome saying, ‘My life with you is one of my most cherished memories”). But the real reason we love this particular copy is that there is a small business card from a Welsh bookseller loosely laid in, with the hilarious inscription ‘ Hello Mr Boyd, If your (sic) the Mr Boyd the author its a privilige (sic)”. Presumably if it wasn’t THE Mr Boyd, is wasn’t a privilege at all!.  The Mr Boyd referred to is likely William Boyd, the Scottish novelist and short story writer, author of among others A Good Man in Africa, Any Human Heart and Restless, from whose book collection this copy came.