Dirty Story: A Further Account of the Life and Adventures of Arthur Abdel Simpson is a 1967 novel by Eric Ambler. It was also published as This Gun for Hire.[1][2][3]
 First edition (publ. The Bodley Head) | |
| Author | Eric Ambler |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Bodley Head |
Publication date | 1967 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | |
| OCLC | 1264477400 |
| Preceded by | A Kind of Anger |
| Followed by | The Intercom Conspiracy |
The book continues the life of Ambler's anti-hero, petty criminal Arthur Abdel Simpson, a man whose English father and Egyptian mother have given him uncertain citizenship. Simpson took part in a daring Istanbul robbery in Ambler's earlier novel The Light of Day.
In Dirty Story Simpson faces the prospect of becoming a penniless exile, a non-citizen of any country. He is forced to become a mercenary for a cynical Central African mining company seeking to secure control of land rich in rare earth ores. He is a misfit with little military experience and is unsuited for the role of mercenary; however, he manages to outwit his ruthless adversaries who are seasoned professionals.
This is one of several novels by Ambler in which statelessness or the danger of becoming stateless (an exile, not a citizen of any country and unwelcome in all countries) features prominently in the plot.[4][5]
It was nominated for the 1967 Gold Dagger award.
References
edit- ^ "This Gun for Hire by Eric Ambler: 9780307950055 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ "This Gun For Hire". Eric Ambler. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ Ambler, Eric (11 December 2012). This Gun for Hire. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-95005-5. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ Lassner, Phyllis (2016). Espionage and exile : fascism and anti-fascism in British spy fiction and film. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781474401104.
- ^ Noble, Michael (15 October 2018). "Our Man in Europe: Eric Ambler and the 1930s". The History Foundry. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
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