H.M.S. ULYSSES

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Original red cloth boards and gilt titles to the spine, in the John Rose illustrated dustwrapper. Map endpapers. A better than very good copy, the binding square and firm with very slight bumping to the spine tips and corners, the cloth bright and fresh. There is some spotting to the top edge of the closed text block. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owners' stamps or inscriptions. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that is a little faded at the spine and lightly spotted to the rear panel. Not price clipped (12s 6d net to the front flap).

Signed by Alistair Maclean in blue ink on the title page. The author's debut novel, written at the publisher's request (and huge advance) after he won a short story competition for the maritime adventure 'Dileas' the previous year (1954). Drawn heavily from his experiences in the Royal Navy during World War II, 'H.M.S. Ulysses' was a runaway success from the get go, selling a remarkable 250,000 copies in hardback in the UK in the first six months of publication.