Black-Out in Gretley; A Story of--and of--Wartime
London: William Heinemann LTD, 1942. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. Format is approximately 5.125 inches by 7.5 inches. [2], 215, [1] pages. Cover has some wear and soiling. Very slightly cocked. Some page soiling noted. Notastion on fep. Black-out in Gretley is a spy thriller novel by the British writer J.B. Priestley. The plot revolves around Nazi espionage in an industrial Midlands town. John Boynton Priestley OM (13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in The Good Companions (1929), which first brought him to wide public notice. Many of his plays are structured around a time slip, and he went on to develop a new theory of time, with different dimensions that link past, present and future. In 1940 he broadcast a series of short propaganda radio talks, which were credited with strengthening civilian morale during the Battle of Britain. In the following years his left-wing beliefs influenced the development of the welfare state. Humphrey Neyland is a middle-aged Canadian engineer recruited by British Intelligence to go undercover in the industrial city of Gretley, where aircraft essential to the war effort are being produced and where it is feared Nazi agents and saboteurs are lurking. Almost everyone he meets in Gretley seems to have a double life and a secret agenda, and it doesn’t take long before Neyland is caught up in a web of murder and deceit in this sleepy town, where death lurks around every corner. Published during the height of World War II, J. B. Priestley’s classic spy thriller Blackout in Gretley is both a highly entertaining page-turner and a fascinating window into British life during the war. From The New York Times review: “A master craftsman at spinning a yarn . . . But Blackout in Gretley is more than a spy-hunting story. It is Priestley’s ardent declaration of the things that England is fighting for.”. Condition: Good / No DJ present.
Keywords: British Intelligence, Humphrey Neyland, Engineer, Undercover Operation, Covert Operation, Gretley, Aircraft Production, Nazi, Secret Agents, Saboteurs, Murder, Deceit
[Book #84719]
Price: $45.00