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First edition, first impression, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Dora & Hugh, who toasted this brainchild, from Ian". The recipient, Hugh Gaitskell, had an intense love affair with Fleming's wife Ann, which lasted for seven years until his death in 1963. The pair first met in April 1956. Gaitskell, who had been elected leader of the Labour Party five months before, was then enjoying a political honeymoon and had caught the attention of the chattering classes. Ann, a vivacious society hostess with an interest in politics, soon invited him and his wife to dinner. They struck up an immediate rapport: Ann wrote fondly of the "jolly dinner", and the two began socializing on a regular basis. "By early July, Gaitskell and Ann had discovered a mutual delight in dancing. A Fred Astaire on his toes, he used to love twirling her around the Café Royal dance floor" (Lycett, p. 295). Gaitskell offered Ann a refuge from her philandering husband, and she introduced him to an aristocratic world of sophistication and frivolity. After a lunch in November, she wrote to Evelyn Waugh that Gaitskell "had never seen cocktails with mint in them or seen a magnum of pink champagne... I lied and told him all the upper classes were beautiful and intelligent and he must not allow his venom to destroy them" (quoted in Brivati, p. 246). Ann was often self-effacing about their relationship in her letters, writing memorably to Lord Beaverbrook, "I suppose I shall have to go dancing next Friday with Hugh Gaitskell to explode his pathetic belief in equality" (quoted in Lycett, p. 295), but their flirtation quickly developed into a romance. Following Gaitskell's unexpected death in 1963, she wrote to Diana Cooper: "I am profoundly unhappy. But thank God he knew I loved him" (quoted in Shakespeare, p. 538). Though their affair sometimes provoked Ian's jealousy - Ann wrote to Waugh that her husband was seeking "revenge" after she took Gaitskell to tea at his golf club in 1959 - the author affected not to take it too seriously. "Ann was much lowered by Hugh's death. I was too. I like all my wife's lovers and, indeed, husbands... He was quite a chap in the eccentric tradition" (quoted in Shakespeare, p. 538). The relationship between the two men was convivial. Gaitskell, a Bond devotee, wrote to Fleming to thank him for the present copy. "Thank you very, very much for sending me your latest. As you know, I am a confirmed Fleming fan - or should it be addict? The combination of sex, violence, alcohol and - at intervals - good food and nice clothes is, to one who leads such a circumscribed life as I do, irresistible" (quoted in Pearson, p. 304). READ MORE Octavo. Original black boards, spine lettered in silver and red, revolver and rose motif to front cover in silver and red. With supplied dust jacket. Lightly marked and bumped; jacket spine toned, tiny nicks and light creases to extremities, else bright and unclipped: a very good copy in very good dust jacket. Gilbert A5a (1.1). Brian Brivati, Hugh Gaitskell: A Biography, 1995; Andrew Lycett, Ian Fleming: The Man Who Created James Bond, 1995; John Pearson, The Life of Ian Fleming, 1966; Nicholas Shakespeare, Ian Fleming: The Complete Man, 2023.

"From Russia, with Love" by Ian Fleming is a spy thriller featuring James Bond, the iconic British Secret Service agent. In this novel, Bond is assigned a perilous mission by MI6 to acquire a Soviet encoding machine, the Spektor, and to discern the true intentions behind the offering of this seemingly valuable device. The story begins with a depiction of the intricate planning by the clandestine Soviet agency SMERSH, which devises an elaborate plot to discredit and assassinate James Bond. Their strategy involves using a beautiful Russian cipher clerk, Tatiana Romanova, to lure Bond into a web of deceit. Bond is dispatched to Istanbul, where he is tasked with making contact with Tatiana and retrieving the Spektor. As Bond arrives in Istanbul, he becomes embroiled in a dangerous game of espionage and deceit. Tatiana, seemingly defecting from the Soviets, offers to provide the Spektor to the British, seeking asylum in return. However, Bond soon realizes that this apparent defection is part of a meticulously crafted scheme. His mission turns perilous as he discovers that Tatiana's involvement is orchestrated by SMERSH, aiming to eliminate Bond as part of their intricate plan to damage British intelligence. The novel follows Bond's encounters with various adversaries, including Red Grant, a skilled and ruthless assassin tasked with eliminating him. Bond faces life-threatening situations and engages in daring maneuvers to outwit his enemies, relying on his resourcefulness and skills to survive. Fleming's narrative is filled with suspenseful twists and turns, intricate plotting, and Bond's characteristic blend of charm, intelligence, and bravery. The story builds to an intense climax aboard the Orient Express, where Bond confronts Grant in a thrilling and deadly showdown. "From Russia, with Love" is a classic espionage novel that showcases the danger, intrigue, and high-stakes world of Cold War espionage. It remains a beloved entry in the James Bond series, celebrated for its gripping storyline, intricate plotting, and the depiction of Bond's cunning and resilience in the face of formidable adversaries.