The Big Kill, Mickey Spillane — June 1953 Reprint

£30.00

The Big Kill, Mickey Spillane — June 1953 Reprint

Name: The Big Kill, Mickey Spillane — June 1953 Reprint
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5029
Price: 30.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Arthur Barker Limited, 1953

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 192.

Condition Report: Very Good. The publisher's original blue cloth binding remains exceptionally bright and sharp, with unoxidised red lettering to the spine and virtually no shelf-wear to the extremities. The binding is tight, square, and structurally sound. Internally, the pages are largely clean, with some mild, customary age-toning and light foxing strictly confined to the text block edges and endpapers, typical of 1950s production standards. The original unclipped dust jacket presents well but exhibits some minor edge-wear, mild surface scuffing, and minor chipping to the spine ends and corners, alongside typical age-toning and spotting to the white rear panel.

Catalogue Note: This is an early UK reprint of Mickey Spillane's iconic thriller, originally published by E.P. Dutton in the US in 1951, and first issued in the UK by Arthur Barker in 1952. The copyright page identifies this as the June 1953 reprint, representing the third such reprinting following the initial UK publication.

The volume retains its original, vibrant pictorial dust jacket, bearing the 9s. 6d. net price to the front flap, celebrating the immense commercial success of the first American edition. Early UK hardback impressions of Spillane's Mike Hammer series retaining intact dust jackets are increasingly scarce on the open market, as the vast majority were read to pieces or heavily handled over the decades.

In The Big Kill, Mickey Spillane brings back his quintessential, hard-hitting private investigator, Mike Hammer, plunging him into the gritty, violent underworld of the city. When a distraught man begs Hammer to protect his infant son just moments before being gunned down, Hammer is thrust into a chaotic web of blackmail, syndicate violence, and deadly femmes fatales. Driven by vengeance and his own uncompromising sense of justice, Hammer takes on the mob single-handedly to settle the score. Spillane’s rapid-fire, unapologetically tough prose cements Mike Hammer as a defining figure of post-war American hardboiled fiction.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Mickey Spillane

Book Publisher: Arthur Barker Limited

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Crime & Mystery

Book edition:

Signed: No

Book Pages: 192

Book Publication Year: 1953

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: Mike Hammer

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.