Books

London: Cape, 1965. First Edition. Hard Cover. Dust Jacket. First UK Edition, THIRD ISSUE. Very good indeed (a hint of foxing to the page block edges) in like slightly-creased price-clipped D/W with a touch of minor edge wear. A previously unrecorded issue, with the reset half-title as noted in the publisher's ledger: "This rather elusive issue was produced extensively for export to Canada...invariably found with price-clipped jackets". What makes this an unusual variant is that the half-title is on TWO lines rather than one i.e. THE MAN/ with the GOLDEN GUN. The THIRD ISSUE accounts for just 3,000 copies of the 82,000-strong first edition. Rare.

The Man with the Golden Gun is the twelfth novel (and thirteenth book) of Ian Fleming's James Bond series. It was first published by Jonathan Cape in the UK on 1 April 1965, eight months after the author's death. The novel was not as detailed or polished as the others in the series, leading to poor but polite reviews. Despite that, the book was a best-seller. The story centers on the fictional British Secret Service agent Commander James Bond, who had been thought dead, only to return to the Secret Service alive and well. In the novel, Bond is sent to assassinate Francisco 'Pistols' Scaramanga, a notorious hitman, who is believed to be responsible for the disappearance of several British intelligence operatives.

A first edition of 'The Man with the Golden Gun' can often be identified by the gold gun embossed on the front cover of the hardback, the lack of a 'New York Times' review on the front flap, and with the original dust jacket designed by Richard Chopping. Prices for first editions can vary widely based on condition and presence of these elements.