The True First Impression & Pre-Publication Second Impression Variant Set -” A Unique Architectural Snapshot of 1980s Political Turmoil
Description: Two volumes. Quarto (275mm x 205mm). Original glossy, illustrated laminated hardboards. Issued without dust jackets. original UK retail price (£3.95 net) printed on rear boards. Both volumes are in Near Fine condition.
Volume 1 (First Edition, First Impression):
A spectacular, crisp copy. Minimal rubbing to the fragile high-gloss laminate, corners sharp, spine completely unbruised, and text block bright and clean. Free from ownership inscriptions or foxing.
Volume 2 (First Edition, Second Impression): Internally matching the quality of the first volume. Boards are exceptionally clean and rigid with strong, unfaded colours.
Historical Significance & Curated Context
This carefully curated pair offers a rare, physical archive of one of modern British publishing's most dramatic moments. When Raymond Briggs-”already a household name for The Snowman and Fungus the Bogeyman-”turned his sights to the escalating Cold War, the result was a biting, devastating deconstruction of the UK Government's Protect and Survive civil defence leaflets.
The narrative follows a gentle, patriotic retired couple, Jim and Hilda Bloggs, as they politely and fatally succumb to radiation sickness following a nuclear strike, blindly trusting useless official instructions. The public and political reaction to the book's impending release was unprecedented. The media sensation reached such a fever pitch that it sparked an official motion and debate within the House of Commons before the book even reached the shelves. Bookseller pre-orders completely overwhelmed Hamish Hamilton's initial print run. To satisfy the emergency demand, the publisher rushed a second impression through the presses before the official publication date, ensuring both impressions actually hit bookshops simultaneously. This pair captures the immediate "before and after" of that political explosion:
The First Impression features the clean, unblemished, minimalist graphic layout originally intended by Briggs.
The Second Impression was hastily modified by the publisher to weaponise the raging national debate, transforming the front cover into a billboard of urgent endorsements from major national political figures, anti-nuclear advocates, and media commentators.
To find both variants in uniform, Near Fine condition presents a unique opportunity for collectors of graphic literature, modern first editions, and 20th-century political history.
