The Underworld

Phelan,Jim (Signed Copy)

Published by George G Harrap & Co, London, 1954

About this Item

This is a Very Good + Copy of this hardcover Book in Publisher's red cloth with gilt title lettering to spine,in a Very Good Dust-Jacket which has Just one small 6mm chip to the wrapper at head of spine.Not price clipped and this copy has been signed and inscribed by the Author on the front endpaper and reads . '' For Gerald Laing with the Author's best wishes to recall a hitch hike in the New Forest '' The binding is firm with NO hinge weakness.Lovely clean bright copy of this uncommon signed title,8vo 192pp First Edition 2nd Impression [1954] Jim Phelan: In January 1922, two days after the establishment of the Irish Free State, Phelan, along with 200 others led by Liam O'flaherty seized the Rotunda Concert Hall (the building was later separated from the Rotunda Hospital and is now divided between the Ambassador Cinema and the Gate Theatre) in Dublin and held it for four days, in protest at "the apathy of the authorities". Free State troops forced their surrender.In the period of the Civil War Phelan took part in a post office robbery in Liverpool during which a killing took place; although the judge agreed that Phelan did not commit the act, he was legally culpable simply by virtue of having been involved and present at the robbery. He was sentenced to death by hanging and sent to a prison in Manchester On the eve of his execution in 1924, the sentence weas commuted to life imprisonment. He remained in prison for another 13 years before he was released.Upon on his release from prison in 1937, Phelan vowed never to live within four walls again and returned to the tramp life. Like most tramps, he had a preferred route; in his case, the northbound A1 in England. On this road, as it snaked its way from London to the York and back, he learnt the lore of the road from characters such as Lumpy Red Fox, Dicky Tom Cosgrove, Jimmy Scotland, Stan the Man and Stornoway Slim. He perfected the art of story telling ? a line of guff ? to ensure that the passerby or house holder would be as generous as possible. He would write his novels and essays in longhand and send the manuscript off to his publisher from the first post office he encountered as he commenced his day's "work".

Seller Inventory # 77064

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Underworld
• Publisher: George G Harrap & Co, London
• Publication Date: 1954
• Language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition
• Printing: 2nd Printing
• Condition: Very Good+
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • Signed Modern First Editions