James Bond First Editions

You Only Live Twice. [Variant wrapper with wide flaps].

FLEMING, Ian Lancaster (1908-1964).

London: Jonathan Cape. 1964. [James Bond] FIRST EDITION, First State, Binding A. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.256. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper ('Excelin') over boards with silver titles to spine and Japanese characters in gilt to upper, bamboo patterned endpapers. With the dust-jacket illustrated by Richard Chopping, priced at 16s. Some titles on verso of half-title discreetly checked off in blue ink, otherwise a lovely fine copy. Housed in a bespoke black cloth clamshell to a uniform design by Gilbert. This copy features one of the earliest jackets, entirely untrimmed and with extra-wide jacket flaps, printed on the heavier card stock. Such jackets are considered FINAL PROOF STATE, used to check the look and spacing of text etc. before printing began in earnest. The regular jackets had slimmer flaps with an angled corner cut, and were printed on ordinary (thinner) dust-jacket paper stock. Item #61737

Price: £1,450.00