Description
The first edition of Miss Shumway Waves A Wand by James Hadley Chase. This work is dedicated to Merrill Panitt and personally inscribed to him by the author.
Octavo, 169pp. Publisher’s yellow cloth, title printed on spine. The first issue, with no additional printings noted. Soiling to yellow cloth, notable at the spine. Solid text block. In the publisher’s scarce dust jacket, 8/6 net retail price on front flap, chip at head of spine, a few short closed tears, bright illustrations. Includes a typed letter from “James Hadley Chase” to Merrill Panitt, dated 1945, with interesting World War II content.
Signed on the title page: “For Merrill, So many thanks for all your help. James Hadley Chase / 27.1.44.”
While in London during World War II, Panitt met René Raymond (psd. James Hadley Chase), and the two became lifelong friends. Panitt gifted Raymond a dictionary of American slang, which Raymond used to develop the characters for this book. Merrill Panitt (1918-1994) served on the staff of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, where he came to the attention of Walter Annenberg, the publisher of the The Philadelphia Inquirer. Panitt joined The Inquirer in 1945 and worked with Annenberg to found TV Guide in 1953. He later become the director of Triangle Publications, publisher of TV Guide, Seventeen Magazine, and many more.
