The black tent, and other stories

These stories cover the years from 1943 to 1972, including The 1946 ms, Maugham's first important publication and his short story Testament: Cairo 1898, which was originally part of Maugham's novel The Last Encounter. However, the publisher removed this section because it was thought there was too much emphasis on the main character's homosexuality, so it is here published for the first time. Its wide variety of settings and themes, its fascinating character studies and its penetrating insight into the curious quirks of human behaviour make this first collected edition of Maugham's short stories a rich feast of literary pleasure. Young 2561