Ian Fleming - Moonraker: First edition, first impression - 1955

Hello

Up for auction- this RARE (one of only 9,900 printed), first edition, first impression of Ian Fleming’s third book: Moonraker. (1955)

I would describe this book as being in fair condition - general comments would be a touch of sun-related toning to the page block edges, some white marks to the front and back boards, and some small splits to the cloth folding joints - but generally speaking I still think this book is a good example of a fabulously rare book now.

The book comes in facsimile jacket to complete the in-the-shelf look (the facsimile is from a later edition, mentioning For Your Eyes Only on the back flap - so a facsimile of a 1960 Moonraker jacket).

As the pics show, the book is in decent overall condition. There are sporadic marks to some of the inner pages, but I would say a good 95% of the pages are clean.

The front endpaper is missing, and there is a scrubbed out section on the inside of the front board, but the main thing is that the all-important 'First Published 1955' page is there - signifying this is a first edition, first impression.

This is NOT an ex-library book - there are NO stamps or any indications that this would be a library book. All the pages are annotation/stamp-free - no inscriptions etc - just clean pages (albeit a little yellowed through age).

This first impression is the corrected ‘shoot’ variant on p10.

As examples of this rare book go, I still think this is very much better than what is normally found.

The silver foil in the spine and face of the boards is bright; the boards are still sharp and bump-free.

Overall this is a great example of a very rare, and increasingly difficult to find first impression.