James Bond First Editions

From Russia, With Love.

FLEMING, Ian Lancaster (1908-1964).

London: Jonathan Cape, [Printed 1957 but released 1958]. [Spy thriller] FIRST PRINTING (sheets subsequently sold to FOYLE'S BOOK CLUB). Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.253 [3]. Publisher's pale blue cloth lettered in black to the spine, dust-wrapper illustrated by Richard Chopping. Contents and page edges are clean, cloth covers are bright, jacket fresh with very little wear, one fingernail scratch to foot of spine. Near fine. Jonathan Cape's 1957 first edition sheets were bound up as part of Foyle's Book Club edition in Summer 1958. These were the earliest sheets printed, but were rejected by Cape who sold them to Foyles at a reduced rate. Far rarer than the Book Club sheets, Gilbert notes that these Cape sheets account for around 10% of the entire Foyles edition. Item #72713

Gilbert A5a (13.1).

Price: £785.00