Casino Royale -
Ian Lancaster Fleming
1953 - Jonathan Cape, London - First Edition, First Impression. In first issue dust jacket, without the overprinted reviews to the front flap.
‘Le Chiffre had been waiting for this and like a rattlesnake the cane instrument leapt from the floor. It struck again and again so that Bond screamed and his body jangled in the chair like a marionette.’
A fine first edition of the first James Bond novel in very good first issue dust jacket with front panel and spine bright and sharp, without restoration or colour touch-up, becoming extremely scarce thus.
Suitably housed in custom made scarlet felt-lined clamshell case, lettered and decorated with the 9 of hearts in gilt to the spine. “Of the conception of this most famous of debuts Fleming repeatedly said that it was written to take his mind off his forthcoming marriage yet as early as the end of the war, following his decommission from a successful career in Naval Intelligence, Fleming had told Ivar Bryce that he would settle down to write 'the spy novel to end all spy novels'..." – Jon Gilbert.
One of only 4,728 copies first edition first impression (with copyright showing ’First Published 1953’, the second impression added the words ‘Second Impression 1953’), of which a maximum of 3,000 were in this first issue dust jacket, the remaining dust jackets (the second issue) were overprinted with the Sunday Times review to the front flap, and the rear panel added the wording ‘THE AUTHOR’ aligned right between the illustration and the three-line text.
References: Gilbert, Ian Fleming - The Bibliography, A1a (1.1). Penzler, Ian Fleming's James Bond (1999). Biondi/Pickard, Firsts Vol 8 No4 (1998). Campbell, Ian Fleming- A Catalogue of a Collection (1978), Steinbrunner & Penzler, Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection (1976). Eric Quayle; Detective Fiction (1972).
Octavo (book size 19.7x13.3cm), pp. 218 [2]. In publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, spine lettered and decorated in red, 'Heart' design blocked in red to upper board. Jacket priced at ‘10s. 6d. net’ to lower corner of front flap, three corners with publisher’s decorative trim as issued, lower corner of rear flap is without trim and also with price printed ‘10s. 6d. net’ as issued. Condition: Near fine, faint spotting to endpapers and top edge, cloth fine, in near fine dust jacket, minor wear to corners and spine ends, rear panel gently toned and with a small area of light soiling around Fleming drawing. Ref: 112434 Price: HK$ 495,000
A fine first edition of the first James Bond novel in very good first issue dust jacket with front panel and spine bright and sharp, without restoration or colour touch-up, becoming extremely scarce thus.
Suitably housed in custom made scarlet felt-lined clamshell case, lettered and decorated with the 9 of hearts in gilt to the spine. “Of the conception of this most famous of debuts Fleming repeatedly said that it was written to take his mind off his forthcoming marriage yet as early as the end of the war, following his decommission from a successful career in Naval Intelligence, Fleming had told Ivar Bryce that he would settle down to write 'the spy novel to end all spy novels'..." – Jon Gilbert.
One of only 4,728 copies first edition first impression (with copyright showing ’First Published 1953’, the second impression added the words ‘Second Impression 1953’), of which a maximum of 3,000 were in this first issue dust jacket, the remaining dust jackets (the second issue) were overprinted with the Sunday Times review to the front flap, and the rear panel added the wording ‘THE AUTHOR’ aligned right between the illustration and the three-line text.
References: Gilbert, Ian Fleming - The Bibliography, A1a (1.1). Penzler, Ian Fleming's James Bond (1999). Biondi/Pickard, Firsts Vol 8 No4 (1998). Campbell, Ian Fleming- A Catalogue of a Collection (1978), Steinbrunner & Penzler, Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection (1976). Eric Quayle; Detective Fiction (1972).
Octavo (book size 19.7x13.3cm), pp. 218 [2]. In publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, spine lettered and decorated in red, 'Heart' design blocked in red to upper board. Jacket priced at ‘10s. 6d. net’ to lower corner of front flap, three corners with publisher’s decorative trim as issued, lower corner of rear flap is without trim and also with price printed ‘10s. 6d. net’ as issued. Condition: Near fine, faint spotting to endpapers and top edge, cloth fine, in near fine dust jacket, minor wear to corners and spine ends, rear panel gently toned and with a small area of light soiling around Fleming drawing. Ref: 112434 Price: HK$ 495,000