Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Ambler Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$83.26 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Book measures 19.5x13.5.cm. 280,[2]pp. Bound in original publishers cloth, with black zig-zags, title lettering. Cloth rubbed, lean on spine, faded and marked. Binding in good condition. Internally, pages clean. A good copy. Size: 8vo
Seller: George Jeffery Books, HERTFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom
Ambler, Eric. BACKGROUND TO DANGER. Knopf, 1937.
Price: US$232.00 + shipping
Description: BACKGROUND TO DANGER, Knopf, 1937, first American edition, folded, gathered and sewn sheets unbound. An advance copy (?) of the authors first book printed in the USA. A very good copy housed in custom tray-case. (As new facsimile dust-wrapper available for a modest fee. Please inquire if interested. Thank you).
Seller: THE FINE BOOKS COMPANY / A.B.A.A / 1979, ROCHESTER, MI, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$350.00 + shipping
Description: First American edition, first printing. [xii], 280 pp. Publisher's orange cloth binding with dark brown stamping. Very Good with light rubbing to cloth at edges, toning to pages and browning to paste downs from binder's glue. In a Good+ dust jacket with price intact, rubbing at folds, medium-sized chips to edges and fraying at the spine ends.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
AMBLER, Eric.. Background to Danger.. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$350.00 + shipping
Description: 280 pp. 8vo, publisher's orange cloth in dust jacket. First American edition. The fore-edge of the front board is slightly sunned; endsheets a little tanned; tight and sound. The dust jacket has shallow chipping at the extremities, some rubbing along the folds, and general light use.
Seller: Jeffrey H. Marks, Rare Books, ABAA, Rochester, NY, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$385.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Very good, first edition book in very good minus dust jacket. Pinkish-beige cloth covered boards with purple-brown graphics stamped on front panel, same color lettering and graphics on spine, and publisher's logo stamped on back panel. Upper external page edges are purple-brown tinted. Spine and extremities are sunned and spine gutters are darkened. Fore-edge corner tips are scuffed but not rubbed through. External side and lower page edges are age-darkened. Transfer shadows on end papers. Stains and smudging in margins of pp. 29-39. Text pages are lightly age-toned. Text block is sound. Dramatic dust jacket is shelf-wear scuffed and soiled overall, more obvious against the white-background of back jacket panel. All folds are creased and rubbed; front fore-edge fold is almost completely rubbed through. Losses at head and tail of jacket spine and fore-edge corners; irregular loss along upper edges of front and back panels which are also heavily creased. Numerous chips, rubs and open/closed tears along both upper and lower edges. Not price clipped. Please use close-up options for best inspection and in support of condition description. Additional photos available at your request. International sales to all countries other than the UK will require use of an alternative shipping company which will result in higher shipping expense. A signature upon receipt may also be required.
Seller: R & G Bliss Books, Excelsior, MN, U.S.A.
AMBLER, Eric. Background To Danger [aka Uncommon Danger]. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$440.00 + shipping
Description: First Printing. Octavo (19cm); orange boards titled in black on the spine; decorated lines stamped in black on cover. Heel of spine is pushed, else a Fine copy; The dustjacket is unclipped (priced $2.00) and has several small chips and tears, with shallow loss to the crown; Very Good only. Inspiration for the 1943 World War II spy film starring George Raft. "It began with a game of poker-dice. It broke Kenton, so when the stranger in the train offered him six hundred marks for a small service, he accepted. He knew the fellow was a rat and his story a lie. What of it? He needed the cash." (from the dustjacket); HUBIN, p.7; BARZUN & TAYLOR 50.
Seller: Lorne Bair Rare Books, ABAA, Winchester, VA, U.S.A.
Price: US$475.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Background to Danger by Eric Ambler (First U.S. Edition) Owner's name and 1939 to front endpaper, some offset tanning to endpapers, and tanning to page edges. Rubbed jacket with several minor chips along edges. Not price-clipped. Clear cover. First U.S. Edition. Originally published in the UK as UNCOMMON DANGER. Basis for the 1943 WWII spy film.
Seller: Heartwood Books and Art, Fort Lauderdale, FL, U.S.A.
AMBLER, Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$600.00 + shipping
Description: First American Edition, Published in England as Uncommon Danger, the author's second book. Intrigue and mystery novel which served as the basis for the 1943 Warner Brothers' production, directed by Raoul Walsh and starring George Raft, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Turhan Bey from a script by W. R. Burnett. Almost Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket, vertical crease at spine, some tiny spine end chips, modest signs of wear.
Seller: Babylon Revisited Rare Books, Northampton, MA, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$630.00 + shipping
Description: Pretty nice copy of first printing with first American edition stated on copyright page. Burnt orange cloth with Burgundy lettering and rule. Unmarked, tight and square with light wear to base of spine. Not frayed. Some toning to front pastedown perimeter. Jacket is a professionally made facsimile of first printing with no flaws protected in transparent mylar. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall
Seller: Timothy Norlen Bookseller, Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$684.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Nice copy of first printing. Burnet orange boards with zig zag line design onfront board and spine is clean and pretty fresh. Light cimpting at spine ends. Only faint toning to edges of text which is still supple. His second novel. First edition stated on copyright page. Jacket is professionally made facsimile of first with no flaws and protected in transparent mylar. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall
Seller: Timothy Norlen Bookseller, Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$700.00 + shipping
Description: First American edition, first printing. [xii], 280 pp. Bound in publisher's orange cloth with dark brown stamping. Near Fine with bookseller's stamp to front free endpaper, pages toned with age, offsetting to endpapers, in a Very Good+ dust jacket with wear spot along top edge of front panel, tiny stain, rubbing, unclipped ($2.00). A spy novel that inspired a 1943 film directed by Raoul Walsh; the British first was titled Uncommon Danger.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. Background To Danger. Alfred A . Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$750.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: octavo, 280 pages; tanning to inner and outer hinges; pictorial dust jacket, with price of $2.00 on front flap, small loss at spine ends, light wear at extremities; soiling to rear panel of dust jacket. First American Edition, stated. Owner name and date on FFEP. Author's first book, and source of the 1943 movie,starring George Raft and Sydney Greenstreet.
Seller: Charles Parkhurst Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Surprise, AZ, U.S.A.
AMBLER, Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$750.00 + shipping
Description: First American Edition, Published in England as Uncommon Danger, the author's second book. Intrigue and mystery novel which served as the basis for the 1943 Warner Brothers' production, directed by Raoul Walsh and starring George Raft, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Turhan Bey from a script by W. R. Burnett. Very Good, spine cloth a bit faded and foxed, in Very Good dustjacket, vertical crease at spine, small chip at top front panel.
Seller: Babylon Revisited Rare Books, Northampton, MA, U.S.A.
Price: US$850.00 + shipping
Description: Advance Reading Copy, preceding the First American Edition. Very Good in publisher's standard card wrappers, stating "SPECIAL ADVANCE COPY: For private and confidential use only." Tipped on on the front wrapper, as issued, is the full-color illustration from the first edition jacket. Basis for the 1943 film directed by Raoul Walsh, written for the screen by W.R. Burnett, and starring George Raft, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Turhan Bey. Very Good, lightly worn at the extremities, slight lean and roll with corresponding faint vertical creases to the spine. The only advance copy we have ever encountered of this key Ambler title.
Seller: Royal Books, Inc., ABAA, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.
AMBLER, Eric (1909-1998). Background to Danger. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1937, 1937.
Price: US$960.65 + shipping
Description: [Intrigue] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.280; [1], blank; [1], advertisements; [2], blank. Publisher's orange cloth lettered in burgundy, pictorial jacket priced at $2.00. Edges of text block toned, ink ownership to flyleaf, jacket with a few chips and tears, clipped to rear flap corner. A very good copy. The author's second spy novel, basis for the 1943 film starring George Raft and Peter Lorre. "The pioneer of the sophisticated espionage novel and widely regarded as the inventor of the modern political thriller" [Gilbert; Ian Fleming The Bibliography, p.634].
Seller: Adrian Harrington Ltd, PBFA, ABA, ILAB, Royal Tunbridge Wells, KENT, United Kingdom
Ambler, Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$1000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: The first American edition, published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1937. This copy has been presented to the owner ( Isadore T. Jaffe ) by Blanche Knopf. ( notation that this book is a gift from Mrs. Alfred Knopf in march of 1938. ) A near fine example of the book with light toning to the endsheets and a touch of fading to the peach cloth in the gutters. Dust jacket very good with some rubbing to the folds and edges. Light chipping to the spine ends and a thumbnail sized spot to the base of the rear panel of the jacket. Published in England as Uncommon Danger. Signature of Isadore T. jaffe.
Seller: The Reluctant Bookseller, Albany, NY, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$1100.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Advance Reading Copy, preceding the first American edition. 280 pp. Publisher's plain wraps: "Special Advance Copy for private and confidential use only / not to be sold or offered to the public." Good with masking tape to some corners of wraps, creased concave spine, bumped corners. Wraps unevenly toned and offset (it looks like some sort of makeshift spine label was made at one time, perhaps for a reference copy?), back cover a little stained. The basis of the 1943 film; titled Uncommon Danger in the UK.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. BACKGROUND TO DANGER. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$1500.00 + shipping
Description: Octavo, cloth. Espionage thriller involving military secrets, Soviet agents, German agents and Rumanian oil. Filmed in 1943, directed by Raoul Walsh with George Raft, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Turhan Bey from a script by W.R. Burnett. A little offsetting to end papers, a nearly fine copy in a very good to nearly fine dust jacket with rubbing to corner tips and spine ends. A bright attractive copy. (11600)
Seller: John W. Knott, Jr, Bookseller, ABAA/ILAB, Laurel, MD, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. BACKGROUND TO DANGER. [SPECIAL ADVANCE COPY]. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$1500.00 + shipping
Description: Octavo, pp. [1-12] [1-2] 3-280 [281-284], printed wrappers. Signed inscription by Ambler on the half title page to Otto Penzler: "To Otto, enviously, / I've never even seen / this book at this stage -- / Eric Ambler / 21 IX 81." Signed and dated a second time on the title page. This is an advance reading/review copy. Espionage thriller involving military secrets, Soviet agents, German agents and Rumanian oil. Filmed in 1943, directed by Raoul Walsh with George Raft, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Turhan Bey from a script by W.R. Burnett. Some tanning to text paper, spine leaned, small dampstain to upper front cover at right edge and another at upper spine / upper left front edge, light wear at edges with creasing at corners, a good to very good copy. An uncommon advance copy rarely found signed. (18924) Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first U. S. edition.
Seller: John W. Knott, Jr, Bookseller, ABAA/ILAB, Laurel, MD, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. BACKGROUND TO DANGER. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$1500.00 + shipping
Description: Octavo, pp. [1-12] [1-2] 3-280 [281-284], printed wrappers. Advance copy of the first U.S. edition. Inscribed by Ambler on the half title page to Otto Penzler: "To Otto, enviously, / I've never even seen / this book at this stage -- / Eric Ambler / 21 IX 81." Signed and dated a second time on the title page. Espionage thriller involving military secrets, Soviet agents, German agents and Rumanian oil. Filmed in 1943, directed by Raoul Walsh with George Raft, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Turhan Bey from a script by W. R. Burnett. Some tanning to text paper, spine leaned, small damp stain on front cover at upper right edge and another at upper spine edge, light wear at edges and creasing at corners, a good or better copy. An uncommon advance copy rarely found signed. (#154604)
Seller: Currey, L.W. Inc. ABAA/ILAB, Elizabethtown, NY, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. Background To Danger. Alfred a Knopf Inc, 1937.
Price: US$1800.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: Stated first American edition. Came out simultaneously with the British version, entitled Uncommon Danger. Original blue cover with picture of a man's face. Unclipped DJ in archival cover with tiny tear, small corner chips.
Seller: J. Mercurio Books, Maps, & Prints IOBA, Garrison, NY, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. BACKGROUND TO DANGER. Knopf, 1937.
Price: US$1835.00 + shipping
Description: BACKGROUND TO DANGER, Knopf, 1937, first American edition (published a bit earlier in the U.K. as UNCOMMON DANGER), near fine in like full color pictorial dust-wrapper with some slight wear along the front spine fold. The source book for 1943 film of the same name.
Seller: THE FINE BOOKS COMPANY / A.B.A.A / 1979, ROCHESTER, MI, U.S.A.
Ambler, Eric. Background to Danger. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$2000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Inscribed by Ambler on the title page. Near Fine in a Very Good jacket, unclipped ($2.00), rubbed at the surface and edges, shallow chips to the head and foot of the spine. Orange cloth with brown ink lettering and designs on the spine and front board. Firmly bound with a forward lean, a black stain near the fore-edge on the top edge, toned pages, clean internally. Ambler's spy thriller that sees a recently bankrupt man take on a "small service" to pay off his debt that finds himself in the middle of a plot involving stolen Soviet secrets and a gang of German provocateurs. Adapted into the 1943 film of the same title starring George Raft.
Seller: Carpetbagger Books, Woodstock, IL, U.S.A.
Price: US$2208.96 + shipping
Description: New York, Knopf, 1937. 8°. 6 Bl., 280 Seiten, 1 Bl. Illustr. OLeinen mit farbig illustr. OUmschlag. Full cloth with dust jacket First American edition of his second novel, published in England as 'Uncommon Danger'. A hint of dampstain, visible faintly at the bottom of the endpapers, else fine in a near fine dust jacket which appears fine. One of the handful of spy thrillers he wrote in the late 1930s that helped revolutionize the genre, being both more realistic and more politically aware than earlier efforts in the field had been. Ambler's successful formula became a model for later writers of spy novels, including John Le Carré, who took the realism and realpolitik one step further. An attractive copy of a scarce early novel. - Proceeds the UK edition. Scarce in this near fine condition! *** Bitte kontaktieren Sie mich immer BEVOR Sie bestellen! Für ausführliche Beschreibungen und Bilder sowie günstigere Versandoptionen kontaktieren Sie mich bitte per Email! Please contact me always BEFORE you order! For detailled descriptions and photos as well as cheaper shipping options please send an email! ***
Seller: Antiquariat CoBrA, Oberrohrbach, Austria
Eric Ambler. BACKGROUND TO DANGER. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$3297.74 + shipping
Description: Very Good+ in a Very Good dust jacket. Rubbing, few small open tears along panel edges. Light toning on rear inner gutter.
Seller: Rare Book Cellar, Pomona, NY, U.S.A.