John Le Carre – The Spy Who Came In From The Cold – First Edition 1963 – SIGNED with the First Line of the Story and Dated by Le Carre
£15,000.00
A first edition, first printing of ‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’ published by Gollancz in 1963. A near fine book without inscriptions – a thin line of fading to the extreme tail of the spine. Appears unread – a trace of spotting to the page edges. Inscribed by the Author to the title page, ‘The American handed Leamas another cup of coffee and said, ‘Why don’t you go back and sleep? We can ring you if he shows up’ – John Le Carre/New Year/2009’.
In a near fine unclipped wrapper which is not price clipped. Spine NOT faded. A little wear to the spine tips. Accompanied by the wrap-around band with Graham Greene’s quote about the book.
A bleak Cold War thriller about Alec Leamas, a weary British agent drawn into one last operation against East German intelligence. What begins as a spy mission becomes a study in deception, sacrifice, and moral compromise. Le Carré strips glamour from espionage, showing it as brutal, shabby, and ethically corrosive, which helped redefine the modern spy novel.
The current copy is unique. Le Carre, a reluctant inscriber, certainly did not inscribe another using the opening line of the novel – we have seen no other copy and certainly none on the open market.
(We don't keep all of our stock in the shop, so send us an email if you're planning a trip to see a particular author or book.)
- Description
Description
A first edition, first printing of ‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’ published by Gollancz in 1963. A near fine book without inscriptions – a thin line of fading to the extreme tail of the spine. Appears unread – a trace of spotting to the page edges. Inscribed by the Author to the title page, ‘The American handed Leamas another cup of coffee and said, ‘Why don’t you go back and sleep? We can ring you if he shows up’ – John Le Carre/New Year/2009’.
In a near fine unclipped wrapper which is not price clipped. Spine NOT faded. A little wear to the spine tips. Accompanied by the wrap-around band with Graham Greene’s quote about the book.
A bleak Cold War thriller about Alec Leamas, a weary British agent drawn into one last operation against East German intelligence. What begins as a spy mission becomes a study in deception, sacrifice, and moral compromise. Le Carré strips glamour from espionage, showing it as brutal, shabby, and ethically corrosive, which helped redefine the modern spy novel.
The current copy is unique. Le Carre, a reluctant inscriber, certainly did not inscribe another using the opening line of the novel – we have seen no other copy and certainly none on the open market.
















