Published by Hodder & Stoughton, London; 1991. 8vo. 314pp. The Lamplighter Edition. First edition thus. Condition Fine/Near Fine.
Bound in original black cloth boards with the title in gilt to the spine and the lamplighter logo blind-stamped to the front board. The binding is square and tight and appears unread. It is free from marks and damage and is in beautiful condition, with just a touch of bumping to the spine ends. Inside, the pages are clean and bright and in immaculate condition.
This smart edition is housed in its original dust jacket. It is vibrant and sharp and in very smart condition. There is one small white mark to the front board and a hint of bumping to the top of the spine, but otherwise it is in excellent condition.
In all, this is a very collectible example of this edition of one of le Carre's most popular and best known novels, and the first volume of one of the most influential spy trilogies of the twentieth century. The novel follows the endeavours of spymaster George Smiley to uncover a Soviet mole within the British Secret Intelligence Service. The novel was critically acclaimed for its complex social commentary, and at the time of its publication, relevance following the defection of Kim Philby. It has been made into both a film and a tv series, and to this day remains a firm favourite within the spy fiction genre.