The Gladiators - (signed association copy to Alan Paton)

Koestler's first novel, 'The Gladiators', about the Spartacus slave revolt. However, he uses the story of Spartacus as an allegory for the corruption of socialism by Stalin.

Dark blue cloth boards, silver design and spine titling, end-papers clean, text clean, page edges lightly spotted.

Dust-jacket: rubbed, lightly chipped (more wear/creasing at spine ends), flaps creased, not price-clipped, very little (if any) spine fade. The jacket is now protected by a Brodart plastic sleeve.

Koestler's inscription on the half-title reads: 'To Alan Paton, (from one elderly gladiator to another), Arthur Koestler, 26.10.66'

It is not clear where this copy was signed (perhaps the author signed and sent them on request to Paton), but Koestler's signature is scarce, therefore making this signed 'author association' copy a unique item, linking two great authors and activists of the 20th century - a handsome addition to the library of the Paton collector.

One other interesting fact is that Cynthia Jefferies (Koestler's third wife, and secretary) was South African.

Born Kösztler Artúr 5 September 1905, Budapest, Austria-Hungary. Died: 1 March 1983 (aged 77) London, England. Occupation: Novelist, essayist, journalist. Nationality: Hungarian, British. Ethnicity: Jewish. Citizenship: Naturalized British subject. Period: 1934–1983. Subjects: Fiction, non-fiction, history, autobiography, politics, philosophy, psychology, parapsychology, science. Notable work(s): Darkness at Noon, The Thirteenth Tribe. Notable award(s): Sonning Prize (1968) CBE (1972). Spouse(s): Dorothy Ascher (1935–50), Mamaine Paget (1950–52), Cynthia Jefferies (1965–83). [source: wikipedia]