Casino Royale

Published in 1953, this novel sends the British secret-service agent James Bond to the French casino town of Royale-les-Eaux to ruin Le Chiffre, a Soviet-backed paymaster, at the baccarat table. Bond is backed by the French and American services and paired with Vesper Lynd, who is attached to the mission as a liaison. The plot moves from the gaming room to a torture and a recovery at a seaside villa. It is a short espionage thriller: gambling as warfare, a love affair conducted under orders, and a portrait of Bond's habits, doubts, and professional code.

Bound in dark grey leather blocked in silver, metallic red and black foils with a design by Jamie Clarke. All page edges stained silver. Grey endpapers blocked with 007 image. Clamshell box covered with a grey metallic cloth screen-printed and blocked with an 007 design by Jamie Clarke and lined with cloth printed with a colour illustration.