REX MUNDI. (SIGNED)

First Edition. Hardback. Dust Jacket. 8vo. pp. 160. Original publisher's red cloth lettered gilt on spine. Yellow pictorial price clipped dust jacket lettered red and black. ISBN 057502478X Signed by and with the book plate of George Sims. Loosely inserted typed signed letter from George Sims (with his corrections in ink) to Nancy [Bowden] written on headed notepaper from Peacocks, Hurst, Berkshire, RG10 0DR dated 30 November, 94 and consisting of about 175 words in which Sims thanks the recipient for her 'highly perceptive & interesting letter' and says he is glad she liked 'A Life.' He also discusses the character of Frank Shields in 'Coat of Arms' who was based on a real life boxer. Another typed signed letter from George Sims to 'Dear both' [Nancy & Jill Anne Bowden] (with his corrections in ink) written on headed notepaper from the same address as above dated 14 March, no year noted and consisting of about 230 words in which Sims says he has 'gone off' reading & writing and apologises for not answering their queries about 'Coat of Arms'. He also says a neighbour has asked him where he got all the information about the Secret Service from for his book 'Who is Cato?' He can't remember. A slip of paper loosely inserted that states that the character Frank Shields was based 'on a handsome South London boxer always to be seen at underworld marriages & funerals.' Sims once said that he did nearly everything that the character Harry Gilmour does in 'Rex Mundi' including diving into the sea in Corfu, being flown to Carcassone in a 4-seater plane by his eldest son and visiting Rennes-le-Chateau. George Sims (1923 Ð 1999) was an antiquarian bookseller and writer. Jill Anne and Nancy Bowden both worked at Cyril Beaumont's Bookshop at 75 Charing Cross Road. Fine. Fine.…