Hans Hellmut Kirst; John Maxwell Brownjohn — Twentieth of July

London, Collins, 1966. First edition. Cloth. A very smart first English translation of this historical work on a failed assassination attempt of Hitler, signed by the author with an inscription in German. First U.K. edition. Signed and inscribed by the author to the front endpaper in German, dated 25th April 1966. On the 20th July 1944, a German officer walked into Hitler's field Headquarters with a bomb inside his briefcase. He placed the case under the table and waited for it to explode. This plan was the culmination of many high-ranking officers across the German army, and although the assassination attempt ultimately failed, Kirst has turned this attempt into a magnificent novel. Written by Hans Hellmut Kirst, a German novelist. Earlier in life he joined the German Army in 1933 and served as an officer during World War II, ending the war as a First Lieutenant as a member of the Nazi Party, stating later that he had "confused National Socialism with Germany." His novels explore the ongoing struggle of individuals to maintain their identity and humanity amidst the criminality and corruption of Nazi Germany. Translated into English by John Maxwell Brownjohn, a British literary translator. Dust wrapper designed by Brian Russell, a British artist. In the original green cloth binding. Externally, excellent. Original unclipped dust wrapper is very smart with light shelf wear and sunning to the extremities. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are very bright and clean throughout. Author's inscription to the front endpaper. Fine . Ill.: Brian Russell. Fine/Near Fine.