Live and Let Die - Ian Lancaster Fleming 1954 - Jonathan Cape, London - First Edition, in First Issue Dust Jacket A bright sharp and superior example of the second Bond novel, the scarce ‘First, First, First’ edition, the dust jacket without any restoration, gilt lettering bright and sharp to the book spine (usually dulled), appropriately housed in a custom made black morocco leather, felt-lined clamshell case, with gilt lettering to the spine.

Beautiful, fortune-telling Solitaire is the prisoner (and tool) of Mr. Big - master of fear, artist in crime, and Voodoo Baron of Death. James Bond has no time for superstition - he knows that Big is also a top SMERSH operative and a real threat. More than that, after tracking him through the jazz joints of Harlem to the Everglades and on the Caribbean, 007 has realised that Mr. Big is one of the most dangerous men he has ever faced, and nobody, not even the enigmatic Solitaire, can be sure how their battle of wills is going to end.
  Of the 7,800 first printing first issue jackets, 2,500 where later overprinted with the artist’s credits to the inner flap (making them the First Impression, First Issue, Second State), and leaving only 5,300 of this first state jacket. Following this was a second printing (issue) of 2,122 jackets with the text reset incorporating the printed artist credit to the front flap (First Impression, Second Issue). The rear panel text contains either ‘author’sskill’ or ‘author’s skill’ within the final line of the Irish Times review, with no priority established (this copy has ‘author’s skill’). A further printing error occasionally surfaces (i.e. at random), where a small section of purple from the front panel has crept onto the front flap, to the lower edge at the fold (not on this copy). Our thanks go to Jon Gilbert for his excellent Bond Bibliography.

References: Gilbert,
Ian Fleming - The Bibliography, A2a (1.1). Penzler, Fleming’s James Bond. Biondi/Pickard, Firsts, Vol 8 No 4. Campbell, Fleming- Catalogue of a Collection. Steinbrunner & Penzler, Encyclopaedia of Mystery & Detection. Quayle, Detective Fiction. BBA sale 634.

Octavo (book size 19.5x13.1cm). pp. 240. Publisher's black Fabroleen cloth (Gilbert Type A), front panel with gilt stamped Edward IV gold rose noble coin, spine lettered in gilt. Dust jacket priced ‘10s. 6d. net’ to lower corner of front flap, and ‘LIVE AND LET DIE FLEMING CAPE 10s. 6d. net’ to lower corner of rear flap, all corners apart from lower rear flap with Jonathan Cape’s decorative clip.
  Condition: Near fine, light foxing to edges, endpapers and prelims, but without the dulling of the gilt which is usually encountered, in near fine dust jacket, toning and gentle foxing to rear panel and flap folds, minor rubbing to upper corners , more so to head of spine.   Ref: 111248   Price: HK$ 180,000