[The Balkan Trilogy, comprising:] The Great Fortune, The Spoilt City, [and] Friends and Heroes by MANNING, Olivia (1908-1980) - 1960

London: William Heinemann [through 1965], 1960. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. A Fine set of "probably the most important long work of fiction written by a woman since the war" and "one of the finest records we have of the impact of that war on Europe." (Burgess) Three First Impression in correct dust jackets. 8vo (195 x 128mm): [8],3-289; [10],3-319,[1]; [10],3-363,[1]pp. Publisher's sky blue and black cloth, spines stamped in blue and gold; illustrated dust jackets (two by John Raynes and two price-clipped). Square, tight bindings (two probably unread) and clean throughout; Fine jackets (Great Fortune very minimally restored to spine tips). Burgess, p.76. Manning is "widely regarded as one of the leading illustrators, in fiction, of the experience of the Second World War in Europe and the Middle East. In the Balkan and Levant trilogies [we have both sets on offer], her portrait of a group of British expatriate teachers, writers and diplomats caught up in the disruptions of the conflict sets an intimate study of personal relationships in the context of international political and military intrigue across a five year period. Her fictionalized treatments of wartime Romania, Greece and Egypt convey as a backdrop the suffering caused by the collapse of old imperial Europe, the rampant spread of fascist ideology and the mass displacement of populations, while focusing in the foreground on the fragile marriage of the trilogies' protagonists, Harriet and Guy Pringle." (Literary Encyclopedia) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, with dust jackets carefully preserved in archival, removable polypropylene sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).