This extended hostage crisis, which played out live on television for the world, had quite an impact on Harris, and anyone else who saw it, and this book was the result of that shared “text,” published three short years later. In interviews, Harris mentioned how he was inspired by real-time news reportage of the murder of Israeli athletes by terrorists at the Munich Summer Olympics. But in spite of a high-profile film adaptation containing at least one iconic and alarming scene of the Goodyear Blimp buzzing the 50-yard line during the game, Harris’ real superstar status was still to come, and this book, and the film version, have been mostly forgotten, which is a shame as it was an introduction to many of the writing strengths that would serve him so well later. The very successful film adaptations of his Lecter novels seem to have permanently overshadowed the source material, however, and even though some might argue that the novels are as noteworthy as they deserve to be, or even slightly overrated, I still maintain this his work is the teeny-tiniest bit underrated (I am holding my index finger and thumb approximately a half inch apart).īut six years before his big splash with sardonic serial murderer, Harris’ first novel, Black Sunday, published in 1975, was an efficient and fairly popular crime thriller about a very unique way to drop a bomb on a Super Bowl (millions of steel darts? yikes!), and it’s release was just successful enough for him to quit his day job as a crime reporter.

Hours of business: Mon-Fri 10 to 6 Number 46 is at the northern end of Shepherd Market, formerly the location of Shepherds bindery, a five minute walk from Green Park tube station (Jubilee, Victoria and Piccadilly lines) and only slightly more from Bond Street station.Thomas Harris could never be considered prolific, publishing just 5 novels in the 44 years since his debut (66% of those novels being Hannibal Lecter-related), but he almost became a household name anyway, when he had the fortune of publishing Red Dragon (his masterpiece) and, more specifically, the bestselling phenomenon The Silence of the Lambs at a pivotal time in pop culture history.

We also display a selection of stock at our Mayfair shop: 46 Curzon Street Number 48 is on the south side of Bedford Square, a five minute walk from Totten ham Court Road or Goodge Street underground stations and a ten minute walk from Russell Square. Great Britain Hours of business: Mon-Fri 9:30 to 5 Our primary address is our Bloomsbury shop: Stock Code: 124980 Members of: Antiquarian Booksellers Association Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association International League of Antiquarian Booksellers A near fine copy in dust jacket, which is slightly dusty and faintly nicked at the head of spine.

Black Sunday by Thomas Harris