"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. "
— Oscar Wilde
Len Deighton (Leonard Cyril Deighton) | First Editions
1929
Leonard Cyril Deighton (born 18 February 1929), known as Len Deighton, is a British author. He is considered one of the top three spy novelists of his time (along with Ian Fleming and John le Carré), and is a highly acclaimed military historian, cookery writer, and graphic artist. His fictional works include: The ICPRESS File (1962), Funeral in Berlin (1964), Bomber (1970), Twinkle Twinkle Little Spy (1974), and others.The IPCRESS File, his first novel, was an instant bestseller and broke the mould of thriller writing. The Sunday Times dubbed him "the poet of the spy story". Deighton’s first protagonist - a nameless spy later christened Harry Palmer - was made famous worldwide in the iconic 1960s films which starred Michael Caine. According to writer Anthony Masters, Deighton's interest in spy stories may have been partially inspired by the arrest of Anna Wolkoff, which he witnessed as an 11-year-old boy. Wolkoff, a British subject of Russian descent, was a Nazi spy and next door neighbour of the Deightons. She was detained on 20 May 1940 and subsequently convicted of violating the Official Secrets Act for attempting to pass secret documents to the Nazis.
See below our stock of Len Deighton First Editions and signed copies.
The Orient Flight L.Z. 127-Graf Zeppelin.
Maryland: Germany Philatelic Society, Inc. 1980. [German Postage] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo. pp.135, illustrated. SIGNED 'From Len Deighton' in blue ink to half-title. Publisher's blue leather-effect boards with gilt titles to the spine and upper. A fine copy, but for a little sunning to the extremities. A collaboration between Deighton..... More
Action Cook Book. Len Deighton's Guide to Eating.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965 and 2009. [Gastronomy] UNCORRECTED PROOF, FIRST EDITION, and REISSUE. Three volumes. Octavo (20 x 24cm, and 14 x 21cm), pp.[6] 134 [4]; pp.[6] 138; pp.320. All volumes illustrated throughout, including diagrammatic endpapers to proof and first edition. Proof in publisher's green monogrammed soft covers, with provisional..... More
The Assassination of President Kennedy.
London: Jackdaw Publications, 1967. [Historical Dossier] FIRST EDITION. A blue card wallet (23 x 36cm), complete with all 18 documentary items and the contents pamphlet. Light handling and creasing to wallet. Missing a couple of small pieces of the Dealey Plaza model. Near fine. 'This Jackdaw — originally published in..... More
Billion Dollar Brain.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1966. [Cold War thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.312. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine and white braille design to upper. With the metallic-effect dust-jacket designed by Raymond Hawkey, priced at 21s. Jacket shows some rubbing to edges, with several closed tears, and..... More
The Billion Dollar Brain.
New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1966. [Spy Thriller] FIRST US EDITION, the true first edition. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.[2] 312 [6]. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and gilt device to upper. Fore-edge untrimmed. With the dust-jacket. Bookseller's label to front pastedown. Light toning and spotting..... More
Declarations of War.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1971. [Short Stories] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.205 [3]. Publisher's dark brown cloth with gilt titles to spine, and red endpapers. With the dust-jacket illustrated by Christopher Foss, priced at £1.50. Light toning to edges, with one larger soil mark to fore-edge. Jacket spine lightly..... More
Drinks-man-ship. Town's Album of Fine Wines and High Spirits.
London: Haymarket Press, 1964. [Literary Cocktail book] FIRST EDITION. Folio (33 x 24cm), pp.133; [1], blank. Publisher's quarter white cloth over green paper-covered sides, photographic dust-wrapper. Illustrated with photographs throughout. A very good copy in similar price-clipped wrapper with a few nicks, tears and creases. This is a superior example..... More
Eleven Declarations of War.
New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1971. [Short War Stories] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[10] 180 [2]. Publisher's black quarter cloth with red titles to spine and yellow paper over boards. With the typographic dust-jacket priced at $6.95. A little spotting to top edge. Head-cap pulled. Jacket..... More
An Expensive Place to Die
Jonathan Cape, London, 1967. FIRST EDITION. Cold War -era spy thriller, set in Paris. 8vo. Publisher's cloth in original dust-wrapper. Near fine, with a slight lean to book and jacket sunned to backstrip. Includes the original loose 'In Transit Docket', designed by Raymond Hawkey. HUBIN; CRIME FICTION IV. Milward-Oliver; Len..... More
An Expensive Place to Die.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1967. [Cold War spy thriller] UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY in oversized PROOF-ONLY dust-wrapper. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.254;[2], blank. Publisher's lime-green softcovers in jacket, with traces of the bold printed word 'ENGLISH' to extreme front edge of the flap and 'PROOF ONLY' in bold to rear with provisional..... More
An Expensive Place to Die.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1967. [Cold War spy thriller] UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY in oversized PROOF-ONLY dust-wrapper. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.254;[2] blank. Publisher's lime-green softcovers in jacket, with traces of the bold printed word 'ENGLISH' to extreme front edge of the flap and 'PROOF ONLY' in bold to rear with provisional..... More
Funeral in Berlin.
New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1965. [Spy Thriller] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.[2] 312 [6]. Publisher's black quarter cloth with grey titles to spine, cream cloth over boards, and orange endpapers. Top edge orange; fore-edge untrimmed. With the dust-jacket designed by Ben Feder. A little toned..... More
Funeral in Berlin. Secret File No.3.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1963. [Cold-war spy thriller] FIRST EDITION, SIGNED BY HAWKEY. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.320. Publisher's hardcover, printed black endpapers, dust-wrapper designed by Raymond Hawkey, priced at 18s. Very light wear to crown of spine else a clean, fine copy which appears unread. Autographed in blue ink by..... More
Goodbye Mickey Mouse.
London: Hutchinson, 1982. [Wartime air adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.395; [5], blank. Publisher's red cloth hardcover in illustrated dust-wrapper priced at £8.50. Near fine (top edge dusty/spotted) in near fine wrapper. A popular read and certainly not a scarce book, but increasingly uncommon in anything approaching fine..... More
Goodbye Mickey Mouse.
London: Hutchinson, 1982. [Wartime air adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.395; [5], blank. Publisher's red cloth hardcover in illustrated dust-wrapper priced at £8.50. Trivial dustiness; a lovely fine copy. A popular read and certainly not a scarce book, but increasingly uncommon in anything approaching fine condition. Milward-Oliver; Len..... More
Hook, Line and Sinker Trilogy. Spy Hook; Spy Line; Spy Sinker.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf and Harper Collins, 1988, 1989, 1990. [Cold War espionage saga] FIRST U.S. EDITIONS (stated on copyright page). Complete in three volumes. Publisher's black cloth hardcovers blocked in foil to spines, With the dust-jackets variously priced at $18.95 and $21.95. A little dusty and handled; a...... More
Horse Under Water.
New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1968. [Espionage Thriller] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.255 [1]. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine, black and blind decoration to upper, and orange endpapers. Fore-edge untrimmed. With the blue illustrated dust-jacket. Quite heavy spotting to edges. Some dulling to..... More
Horse Under Water. Secret File No. 2. A Novel by Len Deighton.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1963. [Espionage fiction] FIRST EDITION. Two copies (regular and variant). Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.255;[1] blank. Publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt to spine. Black "office stamp" motif and blind-stamped DOWNGRADED TO UNCLASSIFIED on front board, with plain black endpapers. Dust-wrapper designed by Raymond Hawkey. With a...... More
The Ipcress File.
Pennsylvania: The Franklin Library, 1988. [Cold-War thriller] FRANKLIN LIBRARY EDITION. With two illustrations by Terry Widener [front cover and frontispiece]. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.279; [1], blank; [1], Colophon; [1], blank. Publisher's black cloth hardcovers blocked in gilt, colour plate to upper, brick wall patterned endpapers, all edges gilt. Small..... More
Len Deighton's Continental Dossier. A collection of cultural, culinary, historical, spooky, grim and preposterous fact compiled by Victor and Margaret Pettitt.
London: Michael Joseph, 1968. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm). Publisher's glazed photographic boards with all-over design in colour. Printed on glossy paper stock, folding cloth map at rear. A particularly fine example of an unusual 'sixties reference book, without the heavy fading to the spine that affects this title..... More
Len Deighton's Continental Dossier. A collection of cultural, culinary, historical, spooky, grim and preposterous fact compiled by Victor and Margaret Pettitt.
London: Michael Joseph, 1968. [European culture] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), unpaginated. Publisher's glazed photographic boards with all-over design in colour. Printed on glossy paper stock, folding cloth map at rear. Lightly handled, top corners bumped, some fading to spine; a very good copy. Book Collector No.287 (pp.32-62) 'The..... More
Len Deighton's London Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1967. [Counter-culture] FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.352. Publisher's bright red cloth lettered in gilt, 'aerial' photographic endpapers, top edge coloured black, collage-style dust-wrapper designed by Raymond Hawkey with printed price of 30s. net. Faint mark to fore-edge else a crisp, fine copy. An amusing guide to swinging London;..... More
Mamista.
London: Century, 1991. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 15cm), pp.[vi]; 360; [2], blank. Publisher's red hardcover cloth blocked in gilt to backstrip, black endpapers, illustrated dust-jacket priced at £14.99. Top edge slightly dusty else a clean, fine copy. Guerilla warfare story set in 1980s South America... More
Only When I Larf
London: Penguin 1968 [1967]. A comic novel about three con-artists. FIRST TRADE EDITION, a paperback original. Octavo (18 x 11cm), pp.251; [5], advertisements. Publisher's photographic card covers showing some acceptable wear, spine a trifle sunned, expected toning to cheap paper. A very good copy. The true first edition following a...... More
Only When I Larf.
London: Michael Joseph, 1968. [Modern Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.233; [3], blank. Publisher's cloth in dust-wrapper designed by Raymond Hawkey, priced at 25s. Top edge dusty/spotted else a lovely fine copy in fine jacket. This is the scarcer hardback trade issue comprising just 9000 copies (released as..... More