This Final Crisis.

First edition, first impression. Allen Hutt (1901-1973) journalist and political activist. "After a spell at the International Lenin School and two years as chief sub-editor at the newly launched Daily Worker (1930-32), Hutt produced a series of books on British working-class politics, most of them developing historical narratives which seemingly culminated inexorably in the current policy of the Communist Party. Perhaps the best of them, however, was The Condition of the Working Class in Britain (1933), an early example of the decade's committed documentary style, revealing a flair for the investigative side of journalism as well as its technical aspects" (ODNB). The "final crisis" referred to in the title is the crisis of capitalism.

Provenance: from the publisher's archive of Victor Gollancz (1893-1967), one of the revolutionary figures of 20th-century publishing. Everything about Gollancz was distinctive, from his business practices - he flouted convention, backed newcomers extravagantly, and held unique sway over the Book Society choices - to the appearance of his books. The famous yellow jackets, a collaborative design between Gollancz himself and the typographer Stanley Morison, bristle with blurbs, recommendations, and reviews in black and magenta.

Prior to its acquisition by Peter Harrington, the archive was shelved together from first publication, though occasionally moved from warehouse to warehouse over the decades. The copies were retained by Gollancz as "archive" or "file" copies and most are stamped in ink with rubber stamps, usually on the front panel of the dust jacket, the front free endpaper, and the title page.