Espionage

Letters writ by a Turkish Spy, Who Liv’d Five and Forty Years Undiscovered at Paris; Giving an Impartial Account to the Divan of Constantinople of the Most Remarkable Transactions in Europe – Complete in Eight Volumes. Giovanni Paolo Marana – 1748

A very nice set of this almost legendary work, complete and unusually in their original bindings. Fictional letters claiming to have been written by an Ottoman spy named “Mahmut the Arabian” embedded in the French Court of Louis XIV.

Published in London by Wilde, Ballard and others in 1748. Eight volumes (Over 600 letters in all), duodecimo, engraved frontispiece to Vol I, full contemporary calf, spines gilt, some joints a bit cracked but holding. A twelfth edition of a great publishing success of the 18thC which would go on for a further fifty years.

Contemporary bookplate of Robert Midgley dated 1748 so the first owner. And the modern book label of Edward John Kenny the Latinist of Peterhouse College, Cambridge University, visiting at Harvard etc.

A journal of gossip and anecdotes on politics and events and shenanigans going on in France at the time.

Written in Italian by Giovanni Paola Marana (1642-1693) a Genoese refugee in the Court of the said Louis XIV. He completed the first volume of 102 letters, and had it translated to French and published in Paris in 1684-1686. Other volumes were published as they were completed over time. English translations by William Bradshaw became available in 1687. Later volumes issued first in English in London leading some to believe they were not by Marana. However, the consistency in style and use of words really points to Marana as being the author of the full set, not doubt with the help of translators and editors of the day.

Well liked by Daniel Defoe who wrote an aptly named “Continuation of Turkish Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy in Paris” … a sort of 18thC sequel.

Incidentally, the last owner Professor Kenny used to gauge his candidates by seeing how nice they were to his cat Fufu … it became known as the Fufu test … that’s Latin for you.

The Turkish Spy – A Classic By Marana

$890.00

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The Human Factor – Graham Greene – Australian First Edition

A first Australian edition published by The Bodley Head in Australia, Sydney in 1978.

Octavo, 339 pages top edge stained lilac as required. Very good if not better condition with a super dust jacket.

Graham Green himself an ex spy back in the world of spies. “Out of reality are our tales of imagination fashioned” – superb Greene. A leak has occurred in SIS and a suspicions and tensions build. Among a number of characters, Maurice Castle, dull but brilliant enjoys sausages for lunch at Voyager Bill’s favourite pub … must be smarter than they think!

Australian First Greene out Spying.

$40.00

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Secret Servant – My Life with the KGB and the Soviet Elite – Ilya Dzhirkvelov

Published by Collins, London in 1987. 397 pages all in very good condition … a substantial book and a very good read.

Illya Dzhirkvelvov joined the Soviet intelligence services in 1943 as a teenager. He was a guard to Stalin at the Yalta conference. A distinguished career in the KGB followed and then he became a journalist of disinformation , or “fake news” as the “Donald” would say. In 1980 he defected and lived in Britain.

Detailed KJB and fake news

$40.00

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Envoy Extraordinary – Oppenhiem 1940

Espionage at the brink of WWII this edition published 1940 on War paper. What was Rosa Von Kampf doing in England. Interesting assumptions before it all unfolded.

Superb condition and unusual dust jacket art.

Behind and before

$60.00

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The Springing of George Blake by Sean Bourke (the Springer)

Published by Cassell London in 1970 a very good copy in a very good dust jacket.

George Blake got 42 years for spying for the Russians. He was sprung from Wormwood Scrubs by an Irishman Sean Burke who wrote the book in Moscow had it confiscated and then later returned to him now back in Dublin.

Sean Burke did it all alone

$40.00

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Letters writ by a Turkish Spy, Who Liv’d Five and Forty Years Undiscovered at Paris; Giving an Impartial Account to the Divan of Constantinople of the Most Remarkable Transactions in Europe – Complete in Eight Volumes. Giovanni Paolo Marana – 1748

The Human Factor – Graham Greene – Australian First Edition

Secret Servant – My Life with the KGB and the Soviet Elite – Ilya Dzhirkvelov

Envoy Extraordinary – Oppenhiem 1940

The Springing of George Blake by Sean Bourke (the Springer)

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