Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun'. The two highly collectable first issues of the first edition of Chairman Mao's 'Little Red Book', preceded only by a special issue presented to senior party members. By the time of the Cultural Revolution (August 1966), the red vinyl covers had become the standard edition, used consistently and famously throughout Mao's propaganda, with the more fragile paper wrappers no longer produced. Each volume has a reproduced calligraphic endorsement by Lin Biao, a decorated general, leader of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and, after 1970, Mao's heir apparent...which inevitably meant he did not long after die in a mysterious accident, accused of being involved in an assassination plot against Mao. As a result of this the endorsement leaf was excised in most copies subsequently. The leaf in both volumes here has an error in one of the characters, an issue point that was spotted quickly and changed in August 1965.

2 vols; 16mo (14 x 10.5 cm); comprising the red vinyl bound issued for brigade teams and the printed wrappers bound issued for high-ranking officers, first editions; printed in Chinese, each with half-title in red, title-page in red & green, photographic portrait of Chairman Mao, facsimile of Lin Biao's calligraphic endorsement of Mao's writings in the uncorrected state with the superfluous mark, vinyl issue with ink note in English and Chinese to front free endpaper, wrappers issue with official stamp to title and some contemporary underlining; vinyl issue with title and star incised to upper cover, over white stiff wrappers; wrappers issue upper cover with title printed in black on red rectangle and with imprint to foot, further official stamp and contemporary inscription also to upper cover, with some marking to the lower cover and a little edge wear; each [viii], 250pp.