A Perfect Spy
By John le Carré
 
First edition, first impression: London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1986. Signed by the author to the title page.
 
Octavo. Original quarter dark blue cloth over blue boards, spine lettered in gilt. With the original dust jacket designed by Howard J. Shaw, priced £9.95.
 
A near fine copy, the binding square and firm with bright gilt. There is a small and isolated area of faint spotting to the top edge, though the contents otherwise remain clean and fresh. 
 
The dust jacket fine and unclipped, remarkably crisp and vibrant with no wear.
 
A Perfect Spy is widely considered John le Carré’s most autobiographical and accomplished work. The narrative, which follows the life and disappearance of double agent Magnus Pym, serves as a thinly veiled exploration of the author’s own complex relationship with his father, the flamboyant Ronnie Cornwell (represented here by the character Rick Pym). Upon its release, Philip Roth famously lauded it in the New York Times as "the best English novel since the war." The book’s profound psychological depth and intricate structure elevated the espionage genre into the realm of high literary fiction. It was adapted into a highly acclaimed BBC television serial in 1987 starring Peter Egan and Ray McAnally.