199, [3] pp. 8vo. Bound in the special Johns-Manville Quinterra white asbestos, lettered in red. No. 130 of 200 hand-numbered copies. First Edition.

Extremely rare asbestos binding issue! Inscribed and signed by Ray Bradbury on the front free endpaper in dark blue ink: "For Roger - Looking for bigger and better phoenixes to rise from the ashes for the coming years - from Ray Bradbury, Jan. 27, 1959." Also, signed by Bradbury on the limitation page. Only one other copy of this specially bound book has been offered at any of the major auction houses in the past ten years! The asbestos material used for this binding has a high level of resistance to heat and fire, which, obviously, is a play off the plot of the book. In it, Bradbury portrays a frightening vision of the future where firemen start fires and burn books to protect society from too much wisdom and knowledge. Bradbury’s best-known science fiction tale, concerning censorship and anti-intellectualism that is carried on in an alternate society that conducts huge book burnings as part of the social agenda. This is considered binding state "E" (with no priority given), which "was issued without dust jacket [and] no statement of printing on the copyright page. In addition to the title novel, collects 'The Playground' and 'And the Rock Cried Out'" - Currey. Includes 5 pages of typed reviews and blurbs from various critics titled "Fahrenheit 451: Critics on Bradbury," laid in. Some of the reviewers include: Angus Wilson, Meyer Levin, Christopher Isherwood, Anthony Boucher, William E. Nolan, Orville Prescott in the New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, etc. Currey "Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors," pp. 55-56.