Live and Let Die.

The second James Bond title. Well received by critics at the time of publication, with the initial print run of 7500 copies selling out quickly, Live and Let Die was written by Fleming at his Goldeneye estate in Jamaica, prior to the publication of his first Bond Book, Casino Royale. Bond travels from New York to Florida and on to Jamaica in his pursuit of Mr Big who uses voodoo to scare away people interested in his smuggling ring, which supports SMERSH (the Soviet counterintelligence agency). Whilst Bond is largely unscathed as always, his US counterpart Felix Leitar loses an arm and a leg to the sharks thanks to Mr Big, and is found by Bond with a note pinned to him that reads 'He disagreed with something that ate him'.

In 1973 it became the fifth of the James Bond novels to be filmed, and the first in which Roger Moore took on the role of Mr Bond, with Jane Seymour playing the fortune-teller Solitaire.

First edition, first impression, second state dust-jacket; 8vo (19.5 x 13.5 cm); some light spotting to some pages, small nick to upper edges of pp133-139, not affecting text, some soiling marks to pp166-167, not affecting legibility of text, else good; publisher's black boards with gilt Edward IV gold rose noble coin to upper cover, some light foxing to endpapers, neatly price-clipped dust-jacket designed by Kenneth Lewis and with credit to him on inside front flap (denoting second state), considerable historic professional restoration to spine ends and panel edges, more notable to top edge of upper panel, general fading and occasional minor mark, some light soiling to rear panel, due to light colour, overall a very good, bright example of the second book in the Bond series with some 'work'; 240pp.