James Grover Thurber (1894-1961), was an American cartoonist, author, humourist, journalist, playwright, and celebrated wit. What's more, we want the 13 castle clocks to whir and tick and tell us that the time is NOW. In a comic and poetic way, this story makes us all want to love a Princess and to be a Prince. The only warmth he understands is the warm hands of Princess Saralinda, his fair niece, whom he cherishes and protects from suitors. He is a wicked Duke who has hands cold enough to choke a bull. So begins James Thurber s sublimely revamped fairy tale, The 13 Clocks, in which a wicked Duke who imagines he has killed time, and the Duke s beautiful niece, for whom time seems to have run out, both meet their match, courtesy of an enterprising and very handsome prince in disguise. The Duke of the castle ignores time and pays no attention to temperature either. James Thurber's enduring story of life in a castle where time stands still on every clock at 10 minutes to five. 124pp, illustrated, illustrated endpapers. Its a simple fairy tale, a book to be shared with a child. If so, the world needs more self-indulgence, because this book is pure fun.

He says it was escapism and self-indulgence.

The Thirteen Clocks (1950), and a superb account of the early days of the New Yorker. James Thurber went to Bermuda to finish a book, and wrote The Thirteen Clocks instead. 2' loss to top of front jacket and spine neatly repaired with strip of blue marbled paper, edge wear, chipping and short closed tears to top and bottom of back jacket and spine, corners and folds rubbed with small loss, some time staining to back jacket, not price clipped (9s 6d), no inscriptions, internally clean tight and square, overall a reasonable copy. Few younger Americans may know the name James Thurber, let alone his wonderful work and art. Jacket and illustrations by Mark Simont (illustrator).

The thirteen clocks by james thurber