FAR, FAR THE MOUNTAIN PEAK

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Publisher's original black cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in the Donald Green illustrated dustwrapper. A very good copy, the binding firm with slight bumping to the spine tips and corners. The contents, with the ownership stamp of the recipient, Basil Jackson, on the front pastedown, offsetting to the endpapers and a little spotting to the closed text-block edge, are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the rubbed and nicked dustwrapper which has some chipping and short closed tears at the edges and slight fading to the spine. There are three pieces of tape to the underside and one tiny piece of tape to the right side of the rear panel. Not price-clipped (15s on the front flap)

Inscribed by the author in blue ink on the front free endpaper "For Basil Jackson [underlined] / With best wishes / John Masters / x /26/57". The recipient's stamp shows his address as being in Bombay, making it likely that he was a friend of Masters' during his time as an officer in the Indian Army. After leaving the army in 1948, Masters began writing novels set in India, the time periods ranging from the 17th century to contemporary. This, his sixth book, tells the story of a British mountaineer's desire to conquer an uncharted mountain, set against the backdrop of the inter-war period in India.