GUILT- EDGED

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Publisher's original cream cloth boards with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. Illustrated with black and white photographs and map endpapers of the 'Voyage of Sperwer across Europe'. A near fine copy, the binding tight and square, with some bumping and rubbing to the spine ends and corners. The contents are clean throughout and free from inscriptions or stamps, with some light spotting to the top of the closed text block and a few faint marks to the to the fore-edge. Complete with the lightly creased and rubbed dustwrapper, that remains without fading, loss or tears.

Inscribed by the author in black ink on the title page "To Danny / cordial greetings / from / Merlin Minshall / 007 / Jan 28 1977". Scarce thus. An autobiographical account of the authors experiences as a spy in WWI and later being recruited by Ian Fleming to serve as part of British Naval Intelligence during WWII. Linked as a possible inspiration for Ian Fleming's James Bond, of which Minshall initially denied, he later used this as promotion for his autobiography. Also documents the author's adventures, including winning the Foreign Challenge Trophy of the world's longest car race and being the first to ride a motorcycle across the Sahara. Rare signed.