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Additional notes on editions
UK editions
1971 The Companion Book Club edition: ISBN 0-60-077139-3; cover illustration by Jack Keay.
1972 Fontana Collins paperback first edition: This cover design of a man with a rifle was also used on the 12th paperback impression of 1974, and the 16th paperback impression of June 1976, both under the ISBN: 0-00-612752-5.
1975 abridged edition of Running Blind: Licensed to Hutchinson & Co. Ltd by HarperCollins for their Bulls-Eye series of paperbacks for young readers. The abridgement was by Michael Thomas. It was published in 1975 and was believed to be available for about five years. The ISBN was 0-09-123331-3 and the cover illustration was by Oliver Elmes [1].
1978 Fontana Collins paperback 18th impression, May 1978: ISBN: 0-00-616265-1.
1978 Fontana Collins paperback 19th impression, December 1978: ISBN: 0-00-615528-6. The cover design shows an image of Stewart Wilson as ‘Alan Stewart’ from the BBC Scotland television adaptation filmed during the summer of 1978 and first broadcast in the UK in January 1979.
1979 Desmond Bagley Collins Collectors Choice Anthology edition: ISBN: 9-78-000243139-2. This edition features a cover design by artist Brian Dennington and included: The Golden Keel; High Citadel; The Vivero Letter; Running Blind; and The Tightrope Men. See original artwork board by Brian Dennington here.
1983 Fontana Collins paperback 20th impression, January 1983: ISBN: 0-00-616534-6, this cover design of a Navy helicopter ‘YM9’ was also used on the 21st paperback impression of January 1984 and another paperback impression published in 1994 both under the same ISBN.
1983 Chancellor Press The Golden Keel / Running Blind 2-in-1 edition: ISBN 0-907486-35-5.
1985 Collins reprint: ISBN: 0-00-221723-6. This 1985 reprint has a plain silver cover with red and black text The dust cover shows a previous Sunday Times review quote from the English crime novelist and composer Edmund Crispin. Edmund Crispin was the pseudonym of Robert Bruce Montgomery, usually credited as Bruce Montgomery. Montgomery, a friend of Bagley and fellow resident of Totnes, Devon had in fact died in 1978. The quote reads ‘In this sort of literate, exciting, knowledgeable adventure story, Mr Bagley is incomparable.’
1988 Fontana Collins paperback 25th impression, May 1988: ISBN: 0-00-616534-6. This cover design of a Land Rover fording a river was also used on the 26th paperback impression published in February 1989 under the same ISBN.
1993 HarperCollins imprint. In this edition, which reflects the change in imprint from Fontana Collins to HarperCollins, the cover design of the Land Rover fording a river was re-used, the typography became vertical and the cover image was, for an unknown reason, reversed.
1994 HarperCollins imprint: ISBN 978-0-00-616534-7 published on 9th May 1994 using the cover design of a Land Rover fording a river from previous editions.
2000 House of Stratus edition: ISBN 978-1-84-232016-7, cover design by Marc Burvill-Riley. This cover design was also used on the 2001 House of Stratus impression: ISBN 1-84232-016-5. Image © L J Jersey Ltd / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
2009 HARPER imprint: The current edition published under HARPER imprint. All 16 Bagley’s were reissued in 2009 in these 2-in-1 paperbacks, and each volume included rare bonus material at the back. In this case, it was a short story Bagley wrote entitled ‘A Matter of Months’ about a murder in a Casino. The ISBN is 978-0-00-730474-5 and the cover was designed in-house using photography from Shutterstock [1].
2017 HarperCollins Crime Club Imprint, published 20th April 2017: ISBN: 9-780008 211219, using artwork from editions published in 1993 & 1994. Images © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd unless otherwise stated.
Afrikaans edition
1970 Afrikaans paperback edition: ISBN: 0-86879-287-X. Published by Olympos, the title Leef en Laat Sterf translates as ‘Live and Let Die’, translation by Ray Knox with a cover design by Chris du Plooy. Image © Olympos / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Czech Republic edition
2000 Czech Republic ‘Knižní klub’ (Book club) hardback first edition: ISBN 80-242-0407-X / 9-788024-204079 published by Českého vydání © Euromedia Group, k.s. The title Běh Naslepo is a literal translation of Running Blind. The novel was translated into Czech by Karel Šmejkal. Image © Českého vydání / Euromedia / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Danish edition
1972 Danish hardback edition published by Lademann, Copenhagen. The title Blind flugt translates as ‘Blind escape’. The novel was translated into Danish by Else Faber and the dust jacket of this edition covers a brown quarter leather binding with gold gilt lettering. This edition was published with a map of Iceland. Image © Lademann / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Estonian edition
1996 Estonian hardback edition: ISBN: 5-87005-045-6. Published by Melor (мелоp) as a Russian language 2-in-1 edition together with a Michael Moorcock science fiction novel, the title of which translates as ‘The Custom of Ancestors’. The front cover shows Moorcock’s name taking precedence over Bagley’s, however Moorcock’s novel title is omitted in favour of Running Blind (Бег вслепую). Image © Melor.
Finnish edition
1972 Finnish hardbackback edition: ISBN: 951-0-00441-3 (nid.) 951-0-00442-1 (sid.).The title Islannin peli translates as ‘Iceland game’, with translation by Matti Kannosto, a cover design by Tapani Aartomas and cover photo by Leo Nieminen. Image © WSOY / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
French edition
1971 French paperback edition published 8th October 1971: The title La mort à l’aveuglette translates as ‘Death blindly’, with translation by Marie Medioni. Image © Presse de la citè / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
German editions
1976 German Roman edition: ISBN 3-7042-2062-0. Featuring a cover design by Volkmar Reiter unter Verwendung and cover photo by Thomas Reiter. Image © Roman / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1978 German Bastei-Lübbe / Taschenbuch paperback edition: ISBN 3-404-00987-8. Translation by: Vivienne Wagner. Image © Bastei-Lübbe / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1985 German Bastei-Lübbe paperback edition: ISBN 3-404-00987-8. Translation by: Vivienne Wagner. Image © Bastei-Lübbe / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1993 German Roman / Wilhelm Heyne Verlag edition: ISBN 3-453-04574-2. Featuring a cover design by Atelier Ingrid Schütz, München and cover photo by Bavaria-Bildagentur / Wolfgang Meier, Gauting. Image © Roman / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1995 German Roman / Wilhelm Heyne Verlag edition: ISBN 3-453-08414-4. Featuring a cover design by Atelier Ingrid Schütz, München and cover illustration by Tony Stone Bilderwelten / Bruce Aynes, München. Image © Roman / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
German Roman / MvS edition: Undated. Image © Roman / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Icelandic editions
1971 Icelandic Suðri first edition: The title Út í óvissuna translates as ‘Out into the unknown’, translation by Gísla Ólafsson and cover design by Hilmar Helgason. Image © Suðri / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1994 Icelandic Suðri second edition: ISBN 9-97-990953-6 / 978-9-97-990953-8. Image © Suðri / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. & Kristjánsson, B. (2015) fibut.is.
Italian editions
1972 Italian Mondadori ‘Hush Hush’ paperback edition published 14th December 1972: The title Lassù qualcuno mi odia translates as ‘Somebody up there hates me’. Translation by Maria Grazia, Napoli and cover design by Carlo Jacono. Image © Mondadori / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1982 Italian Mondadori ‘Classic espionage’ paperback edition published January 1982: The title Lassù qualcuno mi odia translates as ‘Somebody up there hates me’. Translation by Maria Grazia, Napoli, cover design by Paolo Ciarchi, with an introduction by Marco Tropea. Image © Mondadori / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
2003 Italian TEADUE edition published 29th August 2003: The title Fuga tra i ghiacci translates as ‘Escape in the Ice’. Translation by Maya Guiderei, cover design Paolo Barbieri with graphics by Studio Baroni. Image © TEADUE / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Japanese edition
1972 Japanese Hayakawa paperback edition: The title translates as ‘Glacier of betrayal’, translation by Tetsu Yano. Image © Hayakawa / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1979 Japanese Hayakawa paperback edition: ISBN 4-15-040197-7, the title translates as ‘Glacier of betrayal’, translation by Tetsu Yano. Image © Hayakawa / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Netherlands edition
1979 Netherlands Elsevier Nederland B.V. paperback edition: ISBN 90-10-01254-9, the title Op dood spoor translates as ‘A Dead End’, translation by F.C. Pereboom with cover design by Rob Eckhardt. Image © Elsevier Nederland B.V. / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Norwegian edition
1982 J.W. Cappelens Forlag a.s. hardback edition: ISBN 82-02-09563-8 / 82-02-09565-4, the title Flukt i blinde translates as ‘Escaping blind’. With translation by Per A. Hartun this edition was published with the original UK first edition cover, designed by Norman Weaver. This edition is bound in red leather with gold gilt lettering complete with Bagley’s signature impressed in gold gilt on the front cover.
Polish edition
1991 Polish Wydawnictwo GiG paperback edition: ISBN 83-85085-25-4. The title Na oślep translates as ‘Blindly’, translation by Grzegorz Gortat, cover illustration by Jerzy Kurczak with graphic design by Studio Q. Image © Wydawnictwo GiG / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Swedish editions
Bagley’s novel was published in Sweden by Wahlström & Widstrand, Stockholm under the title Blindgångare. Blindgångare has a number of meanings in the Swedish language, in this case translating as ‘dud, lemon or fiasco’, though can also mean ‘unexploded ordnance’.
1970 Wahlström & Widstrand softcover edition: I 09-33754005-70. Translation by Lisbeth Renner with cover photograph by Sven-Eric Delér.
1972 Wahlström & Widstrand paperback edition: ISBN 91-46-11550-1. Translation by Lisbeth Renner, cover design by Vidar Forsberg, cover photograph by Sven-Eric Delér.
1986 Wahlström & Widstrand paperback edition: ISBN 91-46-15214-8, translation by Lisbeth Renner. Images © Wahlström & Widstrand / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1989 Wahlström & Widstrand hardback edition: ISBN 91-46-15752-2, translation by Lisbeth Renner. Images © Wahlström & Widstrand / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
USA edition
1971 Doubleday & Company Inc., first hardback edition with cover design by prominent American graphic designer Lawrence Ratzkin. The rear flap uses an image of Bagley pictured at Cleopatra’s Needle on the Thames embankment, London, circa 1969-70. This publicity image was taken by American photographer Jerry Bauer and was also used on the rear of the Fawcett Crest paperback edition of The Freedom Trap.
1972 Fawcett Crest paperback edition: ISBN: 449-01684-095; Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 71-135711. Reprinted in April 1972 by arrangement with Doubleday & Company Inc. Image © Fawcett Publications Inc / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. The rear cover uses the image of Bagley pictured at Cleopatra’s Needle taken by American photographer Jerry Bauer.
1984 American Harper & Row, Perennial Library first paperback edition: ISBN 0-06-080693-1, reprinted by arrangement with Doubleday & Company Inc. This edition featured an illustrated map of Iceland showing the locations mentioned in the novel, drawn by illustrator David Yeadon. The cover was designed by One Plus One Studio with an illustration by Steven Stroud. Image © Doubleday & Company Inc / HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Notes
1. Brawn, D. (2015) pers. Comm. 5th Jan 2015
The Bagley Brief 