Typesetting was carried out by Palimpsest, book jackets were printed at CPI White Quill, and the 736pp hardback itself was produced at St Ives Clays.

Random House divisional production director Neil Bradford was fulsome in his praise of the publisher's print partners. "Every element in the chain performed superbly, with all the security elements in place. It all worked very successfully," he said.

"This launch has really brought books back to the fore, and it's a terrific example of book manufacturing working as well as it really can do."

St Ives Clays made use of its £6m automated secure warehouse to keep copies safeguarded prior to publication. "We made and stored the books under very secure conditions; they went straight into our high bay warehouse prior to entering the Random House distribution system," explained Clays managing director Kate McFarlan.

While Random House has kept details of the print run confidential, the books has soared to the top of Amazon's book bestseller list, and Waterstones has described sales as "phenomenal".

A spokesman for the retailer said: "Based on first day sales, it's the fastest-selling autobiography we've ever seen – including celebrities and sports stars – we've never seen one move so quickly."

Bradford confirmed the title had already been reprinted and described the order book as "very healthy".