You Only Live Twice

Ian FLEMING

Item#: 100939 We're sorry, this item has been sold

You Only Live Twice

“IF ANYONE CAN BRING IT OFF, YOU CAN. CARE TO HAVE A TRY, JAMES?”: FIRST EDITION OF YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

FLEMING, Ian. You Only Live Twice. (London): Jonathan Cape, (1964). Octavo, original black paper boards, patterned endpapers, original dust jacket. Housed in a custom clamshell box.

First edition, first state, of the 12th James Bond novel—the last published in Fleming’s lifetime—set in Japan and featuring the further plots of Bond villain Ernst Blofeld.

The third Bond adventure featuring Ernst Blofeld as villain "was set in Japan, a novelty for Bond, but one that reflected Fleming's visits in 1959 and 1962… Fleming worked hard to discover details of Japanese culture and society… [The novel] reflected Fleming's increasing melancholia, with Bond mirroring the author's moods" (Black, 60-61). The Japanese characters on the book's cover and dust jacket translate the book's title. You Only Live Twice was considered by both reviewers and readers as one of the best Bond novels. Made into the 1967 film of the same title with a screenplay by Roald Dahl, starring Sean Connery as Bond and Donald Pleasence as Blofeld. First state, with "First published 1964" on copyright page; issued concurrently with the second state. Gilbert A12a (1.1). Biondi & Pickard, 49.

Book fine, light toning to spine of near-fine dust jacket. A near-fine copy.

add to my wishlist ask an Expert

Author's full list of books

FLEMING, Ian >