James Bond First Editions

SS-GB. Nazi Occupied Britain 1941.

DEIGHTON, Len (born 1929).

London: Jonathan Cape, 1978. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.350; [2], blank. Hardback in dust-wrapper designed by Raymond Hawkey, who designed the classic 1960s James Bond paperbacks for Pan Books. With accompanying booklet of promotional 1941 postage stamps, issued for the book trade; objections from the Royal Mail meant many were recalled/confiscated or destroyed. Scarce thus. Book is near fine, with jacket spine slightly sunned, faint dampmark at foot. Ephemeral item is fine. With comparisons to Graham Greene and Ian Fleming, Deighton first arrived on the shady scene in 1962 and was described by Julian Symons as 'the poet of the spy story'. This copy is from the comprehensive Ian Fleming Bibliographical Archive assembled by Jon Gilbert, with his pencilled ownership. Item #65176

Milward-Oliver; Len Deighton Annotated Bibliography p.41.

Price: £595.00