London: Harper Collins, 1992

8vo, pp. 251. Original black boards, lettered in silver to spine. Illustrated dustwrapper. A fine copy in a fine dustwrapper.

First edition of the second volume in the House of Cards trilogy, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO IAN RICHARDSON, STAR OF BBC TV’S AWARD-WINNING ADAPTATION: ‘To Ian, With my thanks for bringing Francis back to love -- and much affection, Michael’.

Michael Dobbs’ first novel of the trilogy, House of Cards, was filmed as a four-part series by the BBC in 1990, with a screenplay by Andrew Davies and starring Ian Richardson, giving a BAFTA-winning performance as the scheming Conservative Chief Whip Francis Urquhart. To Play the King was filmed in 1993, and The Final Cut in 1995, with the same star and screenwriter for both series.