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“THESE SCENES OF WILD LIFE”: FIRST EDITION OF LIVE AND LET DIE, WARMLY INSCRIBED BY IAN FLEMING IN THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION, IN VERY RARE FIRST-STATE DUST JACKET

FLEMING, Ian. Live and Let Die. London: Jonathan Cape, (1954). Octavo, original black cloth, original dust jacket. Housed in custom half black morocco clamshell box.

First edition of Fleming’s scarce second James Bond novel, in the rare first-state dust jacket, inscribed in the year of publication by the author, “To Gilbert, these scenes of wild life, from Ian, 1954.”

“Before Casino Royale was published [in 1953], Fleming had already researched and written what was originally to be called The Undertaker’s Wind? Far from repeating the formula of his first success, this [book] was a world away from the sinister style of a luxurious European gambling resort” (Black, 10-11). “Ian Fleming accomplished an extraordinary amount in the history of the thriller. Almost single-handedly, he revived popular interest in the spy novel, spawning legions of imitations, parodies, and critical and fictional reactions? Through the immense success of the filmed versions of his books, his character James Bond became the best known fictional personality of his time and Fleming the most famous writer of thrillers since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” (Reilly, 571). The 1973 film adaptation of this novel marked Roger Moore’s first turn as Bond. The recipient is Gilbert Miller, son of Henry Miller and prominent Broadway producer, who was part of Fleming’s New York set which included Noël Coward. Both Coward and Miller were guests at Fleming’s Jamaican hideaway, “Goldeneye.” First issue dust jacket, without any credit for jacket design and art. Biondi & Pickard, 41. Book very nearly fine with occasional light marginal soiling, faint discoloration to front endpapers, not affecting Fleming’s inscription. Extremely good dust jacket with light wear to spine head, moderate soiling to rear panel. A most desirable copy of an early and rare Bond title, especially so inscribed by Fleming.