Moonraker.

One of the finest things that Ian Fleming ever did'. First edition of the third James Bond novel, and the only one to take place entirely in Britain. One of two variant states, this printed on slightly thicker paper stock and with the word 'shoot' on page 10, l. 31 correctly printed. The entire first impression (containing both 'shoot' and 'shoo' states) was issued on 7 April 1955. Gilbert has revised his assignation of the primacy of the 'shoo' issue, stating that the misprint developed later in the initial run.

Moonraker was perhaps the most personal of the Bond novels. The early chapters are based largely on Fleming's life in London — the famous scene in which Bond bests Hugo Drax at bridge was based on Fleming's membership at the private club Boodles — and it explores themes of Englishness, the Second World War, rocketry, and the threat to western states of Communism as well as renewed Nazi activity. The author Michael Dibdin described the bridge scene as, 'surely one of the finest things that Ian Fleming ever did' (introduction to the Penguin books edition, 2006).

First edition, first impression, 'shoot' issue (no priority established); 8vo; light offsetting to endpapers, else unmarked internally; publisher's black cloth, titles to spine and upper board in silver, corners slightly bumped, with the unclipped printed dustjacket, extremities rubbed with associated creasing, general toning, more so to spine, else a very good copy in the unrestored dustjacket.

Gilbert A3a (1.1).