The Spy Who Loved Me first edition is best known for its jacket, a dagger beside a carnation. The copy behind this page, inscribed by Ian Fleming to Robert Kennedy, was sold as a presentation copy and is catalogued under that name.
In the books
Published by Jonathan Cape on 16 April 1962, the novel runs to 221 pages. Richard Chopping painted the jacket, as he had for earlier Bond titles; his fee rose to 250 guineas from the 200 he charged for Thunderball. Fleming had written to him that the title suggested a dagger or a gun set against an emblem of love. The knife in the painting was borrowed from Fleming’s editor, Michael Howard.
Owning it now
The inscribed copy is a unique object and is not for sale on this page. A plain first edition is within reach: one sixth-printing copy was listed on eBay at US$99.95, and a first printing will cost more. Our link searches eBay. More under Books & Media; the screen version is in the films.
Specifications
| Title | The Spy Who Loved Me |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape, London, 16 April 1962 |
| Pages | 221 |
| Jacket | Richard Chopping: dagger and carnation |
| The copy | First edition, inscribed to Robert Kennedy; unique |
| Availability | Out of production; second-hand only |
Full details are on Literary 007’s account of the dust jacket.
