TIKHONOV, Valentin, pseud. of Robert Payne. (Robert Medley dust-wrapper)

First British edition. Original blue cloth, scarce original price-clipped dust-wrapper illustrated by English artist Robert Medley. 416 pp.. A very good, clean tight copy just very slightly cocked, spine ends lightly bruised, endpapers browned. Contemporary neat ink inscription (1941) to f.e.p.: “To Auntie With best wishes for Xmas from Bella & George”. Dust-wrapper chipped at spine ends and upper edge, small tear to back edge, two neat contemporary repairs inside. Novel by British born, Robert Payne 1911 - 1983 who lived much of his life in the United States. Versatile writer, known principally for his biographies (some now contentious), he was prolific both in fiction as well as history and wrote under many pseudonyms.