James Bond First Editions

Yesterday's Spy.

DEIGHTON, Len (born 1929).

London: Jonathan Cape, 1975. [Spy thriller] UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY of the FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE DESIGNER. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.224. Bound in salmon-coloured printed wraps, with oversize proof-only dust-wrapper, which curiously lists the provisional publication date as June 12th 1973. The actual release date was January 1975 (this date being printed on the binding). The jacket artwork is by Raymond Hawkey, who designed the classic 1960s James Bond paperbacks for Pan Books, with his SIGNED ink inscription to rear flap, above his printed credit. Cheap paper toned, light spotting to edges, oversized jacket a little crumpled to unsupported areas. Very good indeed, together with a very good copy of the published hardback first edition (bump to foot of text block, spine sunned). 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'. From the espionage collection of bibliographer Jon Gilbert (pencil ownership within). Item #74423

Milward-Oliver; Len Deighton Annotated Bibliography p.39.

Price: £195.00