Published by Macmillan, London; 1975. 252pp. 8vo. First UK edition, first impression. Condition: Fine/Near Fine
Bound in original blue cloth boards with title in gilt to the spine, The binding is square and tight and in excellent condition. with just a touch of bumping to the spine ends. Inside, the pages are clean and bright, free from blemishes or wear, with just a hint of toning to the edges.
The book is housed in its smart, first issue, dust jacket. There is a little shelf wear to the edges, but it is otherwise vibrant and bright, and in lovely condition.
In all, this is a very smart example of this first edition by William Goldman. It was the basis for the film, directed by John Schlesinger and starring Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, William Devane and Marthe Keller. It is a conspiracy thriller, arguably Goldman's most successful, and it tells the story of Babe, a brilliantly gifted young historian, working on a thesis that will clear his father's name, hounded to death by Senator McCarthy, and trying to become the greatest marathon runner in the world. Over the course of a few days, Babe's innocent, ordered world turns into a haunted arena of pursuit and terror, where Babe is caught in the ineradicable stench of the Third Reich, between agents who have only their utter ruthlessness in common, and he soon finds that he needs all his speed, and more (blurb).