Books

London: Jonathan Cape. 1954. First edition, first printing, [first state] of the second James Bond novel. First edition, first printing, [first state] of the second James Bond novel. Publisher's original black cloth with bronze titles to the upper board and spine, in the Kenneth Lewis illustrated dustwrapper. A very near fine copy, the binding firm, the cloth bright and fresh. The contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. The closed top edge of the text block just a little dusty. Complete with the lightly rubbed correct first state dustwrapper, that has some mild toning to the rear panel and flap edges and is otherwise without fading, loss or tears. Not price-clipped (10s 6d net to both the front and rear flap). A very attractive example in entirely original condition and in its most desirable primary state. The first issue dustwrapper omits the credit to the dustwrapper artist Kenneth Lewis. This was noticed roughly two thirds of the way through the…

Live and Let Die is the second novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series of stories, and is set in London, the US and Jamaica. It was first published in the UK by Jonathan Cape on 5 April 1954. In the novel, Bond must defeat a dangerous drug lord with plans to finance Soviet espionage in America. The story was developed during Fleming's second stay in Jamaica, where he had extensive knowledge of the local scenery, wildlife, and underworld.

Identifying a first edition of 'Live and Let Die' by Ian Fleming can include looking for the publisher name 'Jonathan Cape' on the book's dust jacket or spine, no other printings mentioned, and checking the publication date.