FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST JAMES BOND BOOK
Casino Royale
Cape, 1953.
First edition. Original black cloth with red heart vignette on upper cover and titles on the spine, in gun metal grey dustwrapper designed by the author. A fine copy in a fine dustwrapper, which just shows the most trivial wear to the head of the spine and one corners, but has a freshness and consistency of colour which is now seldom found in this title.
The author's first book and the first appearance of James Bond, who has probably had a greater impact on popular culture than any other fictitious character since Sherlock Holmes. 4,728 copies of the first impression were printed, although no more than 3,000 were issued in the first state dustwrapper, the remainder having a favourable Sunday Times review overprinted on the front flap. A significant proportion of the first printing would have been sold to libraries and the remainder were well read, meaning that only a very small number of copies will remain in such fine condition as this one.
"Ian Fleming has discovered the secret of narrative art... the reader has to go on reading" - John Betjeman (review in The Daily Telegraph).
Gilbert A1a(1.1)
Stock ID: 46766
£60,000.00
