THE SECRET AGENT. A Simple Tale

1907. New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1907. Original light blue-grey cloth decorated in orange, white and black.

First American Edition of Conrad's great novel of espionage (filmed by Alfred Hitchcock as "Sabotage"). The American edition has over a hundred variations in text from the English edition, since Methuen sent early uncorrected proofs to Harper as copytext. Harper printed 4,000 copies of the book, but initially sold only about two-thirds of them. Most of the others did not sell until after 1914 (when CHANCE reawakened interest in Conrad); these later copies have "Printed in the U. S. of America" ink-stamped onto the title verso (not present in this copy). This American edition also has one of the most unusual bindings among his works -- portraying Atropos about to cut the thread of life. This is a fine, clean copy (just a touch of rubbing at the extremities). We find this to be the very toughest American edition of Conrad to find in truly collectible condition -- due to the fact that it is typically found with its spine so dull as to be illegible. Although orange-on-grey does not stand out anyway, on this copy the spine lettering is eminently readable. Supino A12.6.0 (this copy); Cagle A12b; Connolly Modern Movement #15. Provenance: discreet bookplate of the Conrad bibliographer David J. Supino; also loosely inserted is a former description of this copy, with his penciled collation notes.