J O N K E R S R A R E B O O K S
25. FLEMING, Ian CASINO ROYALE Cape, 1953 [46766] First edition. Original black cloth with red heart vignette on up- per cover and titles on the spine, in gun metal grey dustwrapper designed by the author. A fine copy in a fine dustwrapper, which just shows the most trivial wear to the head of the spine and one corners, but has a freshness and consistency of colour which is now seldom found in this title. $85,000 The author’s first book and the first appearance of James Bond, who has probably had a greater impact on popular culture than any other ficti - tious character since Sherlock Holmes. 4,728 copies of the first impres - sion were printed, although no more than 3,000 were issued in the first state dustwrapper, the remainder having a favourable Sunday Times review overprinted on the front flap. A significant proportion of the first printing would have been sold to libraries and the remainder were well read, meaning that only a very small number of copies will remain in such fine condition as this one. “Ian Fleming has discovered the secret of narrative art... the reader has to go on reading” - John Betjeman (review in The Daily Telegraph). Gilbert A1a(1.1) 26. FLEMING, Ian LIVE AND LET DIE Cape, 1954 [46765] First edition, first state. Original black cloth with gilt titles and vignette, in printed dustwrapper. A fine copy in a fine dustwrap - per. Exceptionally crisp and bright, virtually flawless. $42,000
The second James Bond novel. The first state of the dustwrapper is iden - tifiable by the lack of the two line credit on the front flap “Jacket devised by the author and executed by Kenneth Lewis”. This was changed dur- ing the print run. Liberated by the encouraging response to his first novel, Fleming adopt - ed a more adventurous style in this novel and in doing so developed his own “informative journalistic” form of fiction which was to become char - acteristic of all the James Bond novels to follow. Certainly mentor and fellow writer William Plomer approved of the book, “If I’m any judge, this is just the stuff - sexy, violent, ingenious and full of well-collected detail of all kinds.” 27. FLEMING, Ian MOONRAKER Cape, 1955 [42886] First edition. Original black cloth with silver embossed titles, in striking ‘flames’ dustwrapper. A fine copy in a fine dustwrapper which is bright and crisp and, exceptionally, shows no meaning- ful fading to the spine. The front panel shows a couple of small, barely visible superficial stains, but withal an exceptionally well preserved copy. Housed in a clamshell case. $35,000 The third James Bond book, in which Fleming’s well established nar - rative style grows in confidence, displaying his own brand of polished suspense. Cape’s confidence in Fleming is evident as well, as 10,500 cop - ies of the first edition were published, and the book is not intrinsically scarce. The materials used for the dustwrapper however (cheap, soft pa- per printed in orange and yellow, which fades, on a white background, which browns) means that to find it in fine condition is notably rare.
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