R. Austin Freeman Books For Sale

A selection from stock.
Further details are available on request.

Freeman, R. Austin, with Pitcairn, Dr. John James. THE ADVENTURES OF ROMNEY PRINGLE by Clifford Ashdown.
London: Ward Lock, 1902.
First edition. No d/w. Half-title and advertisement pages present. Very good (contents clean with a few corner creases; frontispiece missing and supplied in facsimile; spine ends repaired; new endpapers; light wear to cloth). This copy is somewhat of a puzzle, in that the binding is not as those hitherto recorded but is instead an ornately ribbed and embossed dark blue cloth, lettered on the front and spine in gilt, including 'Ward, Lock & Co.' at the foot. It has the appearance of a publisher's original binding and not of a rebind, though which it actually is I cannot say for certain. In 1959, Ellery Queen, noting that only six copies appeared to have survived, rated it one of the three rarest 20th century mystery books, alongside Victor L. Whitechurch's 'Thrilling Stories of the Railway' and C. Daly King's 'The Curious Mr. Tarrant'. Whilst a few more copies have since been located, 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' remains a very scarce title.
£495 Enquire-Buy

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