Fraser, George MacDonald
Complete set of the Flashman novels, inscribed in every volume
£3,024
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 19 June 2024 from 10:00 BST
Description
London: Herbert Jenkins [Barrie & Jenkins; Collins; Collins Harvill; HarperCollinsPublishers], 1969-2005. 12 works, all first editions, first impressions, 8vo, original boards, dust jackets, inscribed by the author to Edwin Moore, (editor at Collins, later HarperCollins) on the title-page of each volume, notable inscriptions including Flashman in the Great Game ('To Edwin, who, I suspect, was responsible for Flashy's appearance in Collins' Dictionary of Quotations' - with thanks & salaams from George MacDonald Fraser') and Flashman's Lady ('For Edwin Moore, with every good wish from his friend & fellow-Thistle supporter, George MacDonald Fraser’), 3 works (Royal Flash, Flashman's Lady and Flashman and the Angel of the Lord) each with laid-in compliments slip additionally inscribed by the author (that in Flashman's Lady reading 'Will keep an eye open for Barmy Aunt Boomerang'), Flashman in the Great Game with laid-in typed letter signed from the author ('What a magnificent Dictionary …'), Flashman (i.e. the first instalment) dust jacket spine toned, Royal Flash and Flash for Freedom! dust jackets with a little wear, 3 works (… Redskins, … Dragon and … The Angel of the Lord) each with bookseller or publisher ink-stamps and pencilled prices to bottom edge of textblock, … Redskins dust jacket price-clipped;
Together with a copy of Five Classic Adventure Novels (HarperCollinsPublishers, 1995), paperback, inscribed by George MacDonald Fraser ‘To Edwin, Congratulations on a splendid book’ and with a laid-in typed letter signed by Fraser concerning the book ('I'm proud to be associated with it, and do thank you for asking me to write the introduction, etc.' (13)
Provenance
The recipient Edwin Moore was a senior non-fiction editor at Collins (subsequently HarperCollins) in Glasgow from 1986 until 2004. In 1995 he commissioned George MacDonald Fraser to write the introduction and author biographies for an omnibus edition of five adventure stories including King Solomon's Mines, The Prisoner of Zenda (which was the inspiration for Royal Flash), and The Lost World, a copy of which is included with the lot.