Dominic Winter book auctions are offering a first edition copy of Brighton Rock by Graham Greene.

Dating from 1938 this example is described as:

"half title present, scattered light spotting, bookplate, contemporary beige lending-library cloth, circular "Ex-libris" motif in black to upper cover, spine lettered in black, with the incredibly scarce orig. d.j., (priced at 7s.6d.), small sellotape repair to verso at foot of spine, chipped at spine ends (resulting in small loss of lettering to publisher's name only), small tears along folds"

Estimated at £4,000 - £6,000 it is complete with the incredibly scarce first edition dust-jacket.

This copy is a few millimetres shorter than the usual red cloth binding.

The auction is on Thursday 10 December.

Rare books, especially first editions, have been selling exceptionally well at auction of late.

A first edition of Darwin's Origin of the Species sold for £100k and a first edition Emma by Jane Austen recently sold for $10k.

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