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The Ape of London
1959. First Edition. 191 pages. White & pictorial dust jacket with black lettering over green cloth. Small brown stains (approx. 2cm) to pages throughout. Notable foxing and tanning to endpapers and page edges. Both hinges cracked with netting visible, thus the boards are slack. Some gutter cracking. Small tears to some page edges. Mild wear and bumping to spine, board edges and corners. Notable large stains and marking across the boards. Unclipped dust jacket. Mild wear, tear and chipping to edges and corners. Distinct foxing, tanning, small stains and soiling all over DJ.
196 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1959
About the author
Frank Crisp
40 books1 followerBefore settling as a writer in England after World War II, Crisp served several years in the British Merchant Navy in Indonesia, worked as a pearl fisherman in Western Australia and made two whaling trips to the Antarctic. He died in June 1996.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
Other authors publishing under this name are:
Frank Crisp, English lawyer and microscopist
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
Other authors publishing under this name are:
Frank Crisp, English lawyer and microscopist
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 25, 2026
I wanted to read this because I love the author’s The Night Callers, another creepy extraterrestrial attack on London. Where most of his books are seafaring adventures for young adults.
This delivered, but wasn’t as tight as The Night Callers. The story includes some familiar 1950s sci-fi movie ideas, alien mind control and an invisible energy beast somewhat like Forbidden Planet’s “monster from the Id”.
It also reminded me of later sci-fi films, The Hidden and The Quatermass Conclusion, but…
The opening chapter gives too much away, leaving the reader waiting for the authorities to cafch up. The story sags as it keeps repeating the details of the ‘mystery’ without any new clues given or anything eventful, with the wonderful exception of a chaotic scene on London’s streets.
The book feels like it was written in one go, without any tightening or rewrites, which I didn’t think happened with hardbacks, only paperbacks! Ironic that this never seems to have reached paperback and only the few original first run hardbacks exist, making this very rare.
Lastly, the title is terrible and poorly explained in the book. A shame, for it’s an exciting premise with unused potential.
This delivered, but wasn’t as tight as The Night Callers. The story includes some familiar 1950s sci-fi movie ideas, alien mind control and an invisible energy beast somewhat like Forbidden Planet’s “monster from the Id”.
It also reminded me of later sci-fi films, The Hidden and The Quatermass Conclusion, but…
The opening chapter gives too much away, leaving the reader waiting for the authorities to cafch up. The story sags as it keeps repeating the details of the ‘mystery’ without any new clues given or anything eventful, with the wonderful exception of a chaotic scene on London’s streets.
The book feels like it was written in one go, without any tightening or rewrites, which I didn’t think happened with hardbacks, only paperbacks! Ironic that this never seems to have reached paperback and only the few original first run hardbacks exist, making this very rare.
Lastly, the title is terrible and poorly explained in the book. A shame, for it’s an exciting premise with unused potential.
Displaying 1 of 1 review