London: Heinemann, 1988

8vo, pp. 246. Original grey boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Illustrated dust jacket, photographic portrait of the author to rear flap. Text block age-toned as usual, but a near fine copy in a very good dust jacket with some wear to top edge.

First edition, INSCRIBED BY DOUGLAS ADAMS TO HIS PUBLISHER SUE FREESTONE: 'For Sue, with huge love and almost incomprehensible amounts of thanks for everything Douglas'.

'Douglas's writing routine was painful in the extreme. Sue Freestone, his publisher at Heinemann, would come round and beg, often almost with tears welling in her eyes, for pages from his printer.' (Stephen Fry, the fry chronicles, Michael Joseph/Penguin, 2010)

Freestone worked tirelessly through her career to ensure Adams' books eventually saw the light of day, and was known on occasion to move in to Adams's house in order to keep him as close as possible to a deadline. She guided the early careers of many authors who became best sellers, among them Robert Harris, Stephen Fry and Sebastian Faulks, and also saw the writings of political figures such as Tony Benn, Alastair Campbell and Bill Clinton into print.

An excellent, heartfelt association