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, 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.