DARCY GLINTO – BRITISH PULP FICTION AT
ASH RARE BOOKS
43 HURON ROAD
LONDON SW17 8RE
UNITED KINGDOM

London : Wells Gardner, Darton & Co., (1940). First edition. The first of the Darcy Glinto series – “Clare Holding went to a night club, but she didn’t go back home ...” – Kelly’s archetypal White Slave kidnap novel – withdrawn from sale by the publishers after a prosecution for alleged obscenity and hefty fines for both publishers and author.
Crown 8vo (18cm). 192pp. Original wrappers; tiny split at foot, a few spots, but a very good copy in the rare pictorial dust-jacket – the jacket with a couple of repaired tiny tears and a few faint marks, but still a very good copy of an uncommon survival. Just two copies (British Library and Trinity College, Dublin), located in major libraries worldwide. Stamp of Moore’s half-price exchange Moseley Road Book Shop on upper wrapper, two preliminary leaves, and last leaf.

SOLD

London : Wells Gardner, Darton & Co., (1941). First edition. “His work was sabotage; his recreation women”. Gangsters, Nazi spies and mistresses in East Coast America. The book was voluntarily withdrawn from sale by the publishers when both they and the author pleaded guilty to obscenity charges relating to two other Glinto titles at the Old Bailey in May 1942.
Crown 8vo (18cm). (156),[iv]pp. Original wrappers; a few very minor marks, but an excellent copy of the true first edition in the original dust-jacket – reclining blonde, smoking gun – the jacket with just minimal wear. Just a single copy (Cambridge) traced in major libraries worldwide.

SOLD

London : Robin Hood Press, [ca.1949]. [Second edition]. “His work was sabotage; his recreation women”. Gangsters, Nazi spies, and mistresses in East Coast America. Originally published by Wells Gardner, Darton & Co. in 1941, the book was voluntarily withdrawn from sale by the publishers when both they and the author pleaded guilty to obscenity charges relating to two other Glinto titles at the Old Bailey in May 1942. Although retaining the original 1941 date, the present edition from the Robin Hood Press (established in 1946) is manifestly somewhat later and roughly datable from the lower wrapper advertisement for a Bryn Logan western published in 1949.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 160pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers; slight snag to head; some minor wear; some creasing; a few marks, nicks and spots; a good copy of a key title. No copy of this edition located in any major library worldwide.

£75

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Robin Hood Press, [1950]. Second edition. “Fiendish drug-orgies shock America”. Originally published By Wells Gardner in 1941, but almost certainly withdrawn from sale in the wake of the Old Bailey obscenity trial in May 1942. Although undated, the present copy has a small and neat date-stamp of October 6th 1950 on the title-page, presumably representing a date of acquisition.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 128pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers; some very mild rubbing and wear at tips; slight crease; a few faint marks just a hint of rusting to staples, but still overall a very good copy of a seldom-seen title. No copy of this edition located in any major library worldwide.

£100

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London : Robin Hood Press, 1947. First edition. “Searchlight beams from the famous revenue cutters stabbing out of the blackness. The chase! The grim stutter of machine guns! The pile-up! The blaze!”. Greek gangster rules the Atlantic waterfront – “Carrie’s father challenged him. But the Greek won. Donovan went to the ‘chair’. Yet that was only part of the revenge ... Carrie was to become his mistress ... But Carrie was different. She would and did fight him on his own terms”.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 140,[iv]pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by Hofbauer; some wear and mild discolouration; staples rusted; text faintly tanned, with faint fringes of damp-staining in places, but a reasonable copy of a scarce title. Just two copies (Bodleian and British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

£75

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London : Robin Hood Press, 1950. Second edition. “She was Irish and her hot blood could not submit to the steamy confinement of a machine shop and the baiting of the vicious old forewoman. She cut loose ...”. First published in 1941 – both author and publisher were found guilty of publishing obscene books at an Old Bailey trial the following year, the present book characterised as “coarse and brutal”. Kelly was heavily fined (£100 at 1942 prices) and remanded in custody until payment had been made.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 160pp. Original stapled wrappers – the less common and presumably earlier pictorial variant, with the again presumably earlier price of 2/- in brown (rather than 2/6d in blue in a white circle); minor chip at foot; wrappers very slightly frayed, with a chip to the lower one; staples rusted, but a good copy of a scarce and fragile item. Just four copies of this edition (Bodleian, British Library, National Library of Scotland, and Trinity College, Dublin) located in major libraries worldwide.

SOLD

London : Robin Hood Press, [ca.1950]. First edition. The anatomy of a Soho “cosh-boy” – “It is the publisher’s belief that in this book Darcy Glinto performs a great public service. He strips every shred of glamour from the figure which is, perhaps, the most contemptible and vicious in all London’s underworld”.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 160pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a brunette in emerald with mask and noose from Reginald Heade; spine a little rubbed, creased and faintly discoloured; small area of scratching on front cover; price-stamp on rear cover; very mild tanning of text, but overall a good copy of a very scarce production. No copy located in any major library worldwide.

SOLD

London : Robin Hood Press, (1941) [but 1952]. [Second edition] : a variant state, with a 2/6 rather than 2/- cover price, and the cover tag-line reading “a sincere and gripping story”, rather than “the book that was nearly banned”. The other alternative state announced, “Like the public, Darcy Glinto himself and the present publishers, believe that ‘You Took Me, Keep Me’ is the best Darcy Glinto of them all”. First published by Wells Gardner, Darton & Co. in 1941, the book was voluntarily withdrawn from sale by the publishers when both they and the author pleaded guilty to obscenity charges relating to two other Glinto titles at the Old Bailey in May 1942.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 128pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by Terry; a few faint marks; staples a little rusted; text lightly tanned, but still overall a very good and much better than average copy. Just a single copy (Trinity College, Dublin) of this 1950s edition located in major libraries, although the continuing presence in this edition of the original 1941 date may perhaps have confused cataloguers – but, in any event, only four major libraries worldwide have a copy of any edition.

£100

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London : Alexander Moring, [ca.1956]. First edition. Two gangsters fall out over Carol Marinska, she of the “pale, creamy complexion, the red full lips looking like an advert for a top-class line in lipstick”, “the big, soft, dreamy eyes”, and “her voice. Most of the talk about music in dames’ voices is hooey. Not the music in Carol Marinska’s”.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 144pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – redhead in green looks wary; small chip at head; slight split at foot; covers a little creased, marked and discoloured; staples rusted, but a good and internally clean copy of a rarity. No copy located in any major library worldwide.

£75

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London : Robin Hood Press, 1953. [First? edition]. Lugs Cortesi, slum-rat with an underwear fetish, junkies, brothels, etc. An earlier edition published by Wells Gardner has been inferred, but the evidence is sketchy and the publishers’ edition statement (first published 1953) is quite explicit. It may be possible that a Wells Gardner edition was announced but pulled from publication in the wake of the 1942 trial.
Crown 8vo (19cm). (160)pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design probably by Leonard Potts; somewhat worn, creased and chipped; lacks lower wrapper; text lightly tanned, but a serviceable copy of a very uncommon title. No copy located in any major library worldwide.

£50

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London : Alexander Moring, [ca.1956]. First edition. “The biggest blow-up Chicago had ever known” – “There had been a time when Sid had been known as the Stiff on account of his resemblance to a corpse”. Other titles listed on the lower wrapper had originally been published 1952-1953 under Reginald Carter’s earlier Comyns imprint: he took over the Alexander Moring name on his release from prison in 1955.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 140,[iv]pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers; minor wear; a few marks; slight nick to upper wrapper; lower wrapper lightly discoloured, but a better than average copy of a scarce title. No copy located in any major library worldwide.

SOLD

London : Alexander Moring, [ca.1956]. First edition. An army veteran on the brink of madness and despair cleans his rifle – and then he loads it.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 131,(v)pp. Original pictorial wrappers; short tear, some wear, and slight splitting to spine; some creasing; a few slight marks; price stamps on front wrapper and half-title; a little shaken, but a serviceable copy. No copy located in any major library worldwide.

£50

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London : Alexander Moring, [1956]. First edition under this title. A Glinto curiosity – gangster Dainty Sabina turns out to be a woman. The action commences with a stick-up in the Long Bar at the Sandy Hook Hotel on 53rd. Originally published as “Dainty was a Jane” in 1948.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 144pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers; some very minor wear and creasing; staples rusted; text a trifle tanned, but a very good copy still. No copies of this edition located in any major library worldwide (and only two of the earlier edition – Bodleian and British Library).

SOLD

London : Alexander Moring, [ca.1956]. First edition under this title. Originally published as “Straight-Up Girl” in 1949 – “Maybe it would be nice and romantic and real story-book stuff if I could tell the world that Coral Follett was in a class by herself as far as looks and shape was concerned. Well, it’s just too bad, but as far as looks and shape went, Coral Follett was just another judy” – but she’s a straight-up girl and wants to save hoodlum Les Meaker from both himself and the police.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 143,[i]pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers; chipped at head and tail; a little worn and slightly creased; staples a little rusted, but a good copy of a scarce title. No copy of this edition traced in any major library worldwide.

£50

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