"You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me."
— C. S. Lewis
Kingsley Amis | First Editions
1922 - 1995
Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE (16 April 1922 – 22 October 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. Amis produced more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, and also dabbled in social and literary criticism.
Amis' biographer,, Zachary Leader, has described the author as "the finest English comic novelist of the second half of the twentieth century." Moreover, Amis lectured in science fiction (a passion since boyhood), and is responsible for coining the term "comic inferno" to describe 'humorous dystopias'. Amis is the focus of international literary acclaim; in 2008, The Times ranked Kingsley Amis ninth on their list of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945.
See below our stock of Kingsley Amis First Editions, fine bindings, and signed copies.
The Evans Country.
Oxford: Fantasy Press, 1962. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.8 [4]. Typographic softcovers lettered in red and black with printed price of 2s 6d to back cover. Loosely inserted are newspaper clippings of reviews and a publisher's advertisement for 'The Fantasy Poets' series. Toning to front and back..... More
The Book Of Bond, Or Every Man His Own 007 (Writing as Bill Tanner).
New York: Viking, 1965. [Bondiana] FIRST EDITION. Small octavo (18 x 14cm). Publisher's white glossy hardcovers, red endpapers. Illustrated throughout. With Raymond Hawkey-designed book-jacket priced at $2.50. A fine copy in clean, bright jacket. An unusual piece of Bondiana. Bill Tanner is a fictional character in the James Bond novel..... More
The Book Of Bond, Or Every Man His Own 007 (Writing as Bill Tanner).
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [James Bond] FIRST EDITION, bibliographer's copy. Small octavo (18 x 14cm), pp.111; [1]. Publisher's black cloth, gilt endpapers. Illustrated throughout. With Raymond Hawkey-designed 'reversible' book-jacket for work in the field; the pictorial dust-wrapper can be rapidly disguised as a bible. Price clipped, else a clean, fine..... More
The Book Of Bond, Or Every Man His Own 007 (Writing as Bill Tanner).
New York: Viking, 1965. [Bondiana] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Small octavo (18 x 14cm), pp.111 [5]. Publisher's white glossy hardcovers, red endpapers. Illustrated throughout. With Raymond Hawkey-designed book-jacket priced at $2.50. A fine copy in clean, bright jacket. An unusual piece of Bondiana. Bill Tanner is a fictional character in the..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [James Bond Reference] FIRST EDITION, ASSOCIATION COPY. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.159 [1]. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, with gilt titles to spine, and the pictorial dust-wrapper, based on the familiar Chopping 'trompe l'oeil' designs from the Ian Fleming first editions. Decorative bookplate, SIGNED by..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [James Bond Reference] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.159 [1]. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, with gilt titles to spine, and the pictorial dust-wrapper, based on the familiar Chopping 'trompe l'oeil' designs from the Ian Fleming first editions, priced 16s. Autographed by Amis..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [James Bond Reference] SIGNED FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.159 [1]. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, with gilt titles to spine, and the pictorial dust-wrapper, based on the familiar Chopping 'trompe l'oeil' designs from the Ian Fleming first editions, priced 16s. Autographed..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
New York, NY: Signet Books, 1966. [Bond reference /critique] FIRST U.S. PAPERBACK. Octavo (18 x 11cm), pp.127 [1], advertisement. Publisher's illustrated softcovers priced at 60c, all edges red. A clean, fine copy. Uncommon thus. Now a rather elusive paperback, published in the same year as the UK Pan paperback. From..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
London: Pan Books, 1966. [Bond reference / critique] FIRST PAPERBACK EDITION. Octavo (18 x 11cm), pp.157 + [3], advertisements. Publisher's illustrated softcovers designed by Raymond Hawkey. Cheap paper stock a little tanned as usual, covers show some trivial wear. Now a rather elusive paperback. This is Kingsley Amis' first venture..... More
The James Bond Dossier. Two variant copies.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [James Bond Reference] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (approx. 24 x 16cm), pp.159 [1]. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, with gilt titles to spine, and the pictorial dust-wrapper, based on the familiar Chopping 'trompe l'oeil' designs from the Ian Fleming first editions. Together with a varian First..... More
Bright November.
London: The Fortune Press, [1947]. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Ex libris W.J. Harvey, Seamus Heaney's teacher. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.32. Publisher's black leatherette, gilt titles to spine. With the typographic dust-jacket priced at 6s to front flap. Harvey's black ink signature to front flyleaf, and notes to rear..... More
I Like It Here.
London: Victor Gollancz, 1958. [Modern Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.208. Publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt to spine, typographic dust-jacket with printed price of 13/6 to front flap. Contents clean, no inscriptions, edges slightly toned, a few light marks to cloth and wrapper, spine dusty. Very good..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [Reference critique] UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY. Octavo (18 x 13cm), pp.159; [1], blank. Publisher's green card lettered in black. Contents clean, covers have some scuffs to upper, tear/loss to lower panel with old tape makes to inside rear. Very good. Amis' first venture into the world of..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [Reference critique] UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY IN PROOF-ONLY JACKET. Octavo (18 x 13cm), pp.159; [1], blank. Publisher's paper covers, with pictorial proof dust-wrapper (entirely unclipped and with original setting of the text) with design based on the familiar 'trompe l'oeil' art which decorated the Ian Fleming first..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
New York, NY: New American Library, 1965. [Reference critique] FIRST US EDITION, bibliographer's copy. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.147; [1], blank. Publisher's quarter cloth with titles to spine, blue endpapers, top edge blue, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at $3.95. Contents clean, no inscriptions, bright jacket with short tear at crown, red..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
New York, NY: New American Library, 1965. [Reference critique] FIRST US EDITION, bibliographer's copy, review copy. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.147; [1], blank. Publisher's quarter cloth with titles to spine, blue endpapers, top edge blue, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at $3.95, NAL printed review slip on cream paper tucked in. A...... More
![Item #69478 Le Dossier James Bond [The James Bond Dossier]. Kingsley AMIS, Sir](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/69478.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1725355413)
Le Dossier James Bond [The James Bond Dossier].
France: Plon, 1965. [Reference critique] FIRST FRENCH EDITION, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, bibliographer's copy. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.215; [5], endmatter. Publisher's hardback cloth with gilt titles to spine, illustrated dust-wrapper showing Sean Connery as James Bond, publisher's scarce flyer tucked in. SIGNED in black ink to free endpaper. Lightly..... More
One Fat Englishman. A Novel.
London: Victor Gollancz, 1963. [Modern Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.192. Publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt to spine, typographic dust-jacket with printed price of 18s. to front flap. Contents clean and fresh, no inscriptions, label removed from cloth, jacket a little worn at extremities (two strips of..... More
That Uncertain Feeling.
London: Victor Gollancz, 1955. [Modern Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.254; [2]. Publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt to spine, typographic dust-jacket with printed price of 12/6 to front flap. Toning to edges of dust-jacket, rolling to spine, sunning to top edge of front board and crown of..... More
Colonel Sun. A James Bond Adventure.
Jonathan Cape, 1968. Octavo. Original green wrappers, lettered in black, decorated with white publisher's motif. With dust jacket. Housed in custom blue quarter morocco solander case. A very good copy, spine creased and lightly stained, otherwise in good condition for a proof copy, in like dust jacket, edges rubbed and..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
Jonathan Cape, 1965. Octavo. Original green wrappers, lettered in black and decorated with white publisher's motif. A near-fine copy, spine creased otherwise in excellent condition for a proof copy. Uncorrected proof copy, Kingsley Amis's first venture into the world of James Bond. He also wrote a light-hearted work The Book..... More
Archive of correspondence relating to James Bond typescripts and continuation books.
1963-67. Collection of 19 letters comprising original typescript and carbon copies. Housed in pink foolscap folder. A fine set. Archive of correspondence between Jonathan Cape, the publisher of Fleming's Bond series, and the author's favoured typist Jean Frampton. The papers mainly consist of friendly professional letters, telegrams, notes and postcards..... More
Colonel Sun. A James Bond Adventure.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1968. [James Bond] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.255 [1]. Cartographical endpapers at rear. Elegantly hand-bound in half green calf over matching cloth sides, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands, publisher's original titled cloth spine bound in at rear, top edge gilt. Near fine..... More
Colonel Sun.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1968. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.255; [1], blank. Illustrated map endpapers. The rarer variant with a dropped quad mark to the date on the copyright page (rather in the same manner as 'The Spy Who Loved Me' variant- see Gilbert). Publisher's hardcovers in..... More
Colonel Sun. A James Bond Adventure by Robert Markham.
London: Pan Books Ltd., 1970. [Spy novel] The FIRST Pan paperback edition. 'M' Series. Octavo (18 x 11cm), pp.221 [3]. Publisher's illustrated softcovers priced at 5 shillings (25 pence). Some gentle age-toning to paper stock, trivial wear to covers, slight lean; a near fine copy of the striking softcover version..... More