James Bond First Editions

The Passion-Flower Hotel.

ERSKINE, Rosalind [pseud. of LONGRIDD, Roger].

London: Jonathan Cape, 1962. ['Sixties literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.189; [3], blank. Publisher's pink cloth, top edge blue, with typographic dust-jacket priced at 15s. A crisp clean, near fine copy in a slightly rubbed jacket. A rather racy novel about the extra curricular activities at an exclusive girls' boarding-school. An early copy of this story was sent to Cape stable-mate Ian Fleming for a possible review, perhaps due to the fact that his current publication was the most sexually explicit of his spy novels, and a shocking departure from his usual 007 capers. This copy was later part of the comprehensive James Bond collection assembled by Jon Gilbert (pencilled notes and signature within). His comprehensive guide to the works of Ian Fleming (2012) won the 16th Breslauer Prize for bibliography. Item #65571

See Gilbert, pp.588, 671.

Price: £85.00