Baroness Orczy — The Elusive Pimpernel

London , Hutchinson and co. 1908. First edition. Cloth. A first edition copy of Baroness Orczy's fourth adventure novel staring Scarlet Pimpernel. Baroness Orczy was a Hungarian born novelist and playwright and is best known for her series of novels featuring Scarlet Pimpernel.The series began as a stage play with the name The Scarlet Pimpernel and follow Sir Percey Blakeney who leads a double life as both a wealthy man and a formidable swordsman and master of disguise. Baroness Orczy was the first to write about a daring hero with a secret identity, which has subsequently become a trope within superhero fiction, from Zorro to Batman. This series is a first edition copy with thirty-two pages of publisher's adverts to the rear. In the publisher's original cloth binding. Externally, the joints and spine are a little rubbed. The front hinge is starting but remains generally firm. There is a bookseller sticker to the front pastedown. Internally, generally firmly bound with bright clean pages. Good . Ill.: none. Good .