"Books are a hardbound drug with no danger of overdose. I am the happy victim of books."
— Karl Lagerfeld
Ian Fleming | First Editions
1908 - 1964
See below for our world-leading stock of Ian Fleming first editions, signed first editions, fine bindings, sets, association copies, letters, and other collectible material relating to Fleming and his famous creation, James Bond.
Ian Lancaster Fleming was born in Mayfair, London on 28th May 1908, the second of four brothers. He was schooled at Eton College and continued his education in Europe, studying languages in Kitzbuhel, Munich and Geneva. In the 1930's Fleming worked as both a merchant banker and a stockbroker, but it was at journalism (initially reporting for Reuters, then freelance) that he excelled. During World War II, with the rank of Commander, he worked as assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence at the Admiralty in London, privy to many secrets. It was his experience in this role and his earlier escapades in Russia that were to inspire many of the plots and characters that would appear within his later novels. After the war Fleming dabbled in travel journalism and began writing instructional articles for his network of 'Mercury [news] Service' agents. In the late '40s he bought a property in Jamaica, where in early 1952 he settled down to write a novel. Casino Royale, the first James Bond adventure, was produced in just two months. The same successful routine was followed every year for the rest of his life, leading to a total of fourteen Bond books.
Ian Fleming
Queen Anne Press
Ian Fleming the Bibliography by Jon Gilbert
The Lilly Library
James Bond First Editions
The Ian Fleming Foundation
The James Bond Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [James Bond Reference] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.159 [1]. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, with gilt titles to spine, and the pictorial dust-wrapper, based on the familiar Chopping 'trompe l'oeil' designs from the Ian Fleming first editions. Priced at 16s. to flap. Foyles..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [James Bond Reference] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.159 [1]. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, with gilt titles to spine, and the pictorial dust-wrapper, based on the familiar Chopping 'trompe l'oeil' designs from the Ian Fleming first editions. Priced at 16s. to flap. A...... More
The James Bond Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [James Bond Reference] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.159 [1]. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, with gilt titles to spine, and the pictorial dust-wrapper, based on the familiar Chopping 'trompe l'oeil' designs from the Ian Fleming first editions. Priced at 16s. to flap. Some..... More
Airline Detective. The Fight Against International Air Crime. Introduced by Ian Fleming.
London: Collins, 1962. [True crime] FIRST EDITION. Two volumes (first and second impressions) Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.xx; 7-197; [1], blank. Publisher's smooth cloth-effect paper over boards, with red titles to the spine, top edge tinted orange, in pictorial dust-wrapper. First printing with slightly chipped jacket, price clipped; second printing..... More
Airline Detective. The Fight Against International Air Crime. Introduced by Ian Fleming.
London: Collins, 1962. [True crime] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.xx; 7-197; [1], blank. Publisher's smooth cloth-effect paper over boards, with red titles to the spine, top edge tinted orange, in pictorial dust-wrapper priced at 21s. Some bumping, bright pictorial wrapper with vertical tape mark to rear flap, edges..... More
Casino Royale.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1953. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.218; [2], blank. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with red titles and 'Heart' design to upper, tail edge untrimmed, in pictorial second issue (overprinted) dust-jacket, designed by the author, showing the correct price of 10/6..... More
The Diamond Smugglers.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1957. [True Crime] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.160. Illustrated with photographs. Publisher's black cloth with titles to the spine in bronze, original dust-jacket illustrated by Denis Piper, priced at 12/6. A near fine copy with usual tarnish to cheap foil used for lettering, jacket near..... More
The Diamond Smugglers.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1957. [True Crime] FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.160. Illustrated with photographs. Publisher's black cloth with white titles to the spine in original dust-jacket illustrated by Denis Piper, priced at 12/6. A near fine copy in a slightly sunned jacket with a little wear..... More
The Diamond Smugglers.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1957. [True Crime] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.160. Illustrated with photographs. Elegantly hand-bound in half black calf over matching cloth sides, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands. A near fine copy in an attractive recent leather binding. Ian Fleming's first non-Bond book, and..... More
The Hand of Mary Constable.
William Heinemann, 1964. Octavo. Original black cloth, spine lettered in gilt with titles in orange compartment, publisher's motif blocked in blind to rear board. With dust jacket. Housed in custom blue quarter morocco solander case. A very good copy, extremities rubbed, edges foxed, light offsetting to endpapers, in like dust..... More
The Book of Bond. Or Every Man His Own 007.
Jonathan Cape, 1965. Small octavo. Original black boards, spine lettered in gold and metallic blue and red, gilt endpapers. With dust jacket. A near-fine copy in like dust jacket. First edition, first impression. Kingsley Amis wrote The Book of Bond as a tongue-in-cheek manual for prospective secret agents, illustrated with..... More
Colonel Sun. A James Bond Adventure.
Jonathan Cape, 1968. Octavo. Original green wrappers, lettered in black, decorated with white publisher's motif. With dust jacket. Housed in custom blue quarter morocco solander case. A very good copy, spine creased and lightly stained, otherwise in good condition for a proof copy, in like dust jacket, edges rubbed and..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
Jonathan Cape, 1965. Octavo. Original green wrappers, lettered in black and decorated with white publisher's motif. A near-fine copy, spine creased otherwise in excellent condition for a proof copy. Uncorrected proof copy, Kingsley Amis's first venture into the world of James Bond. He also wrote a light-hearted work The Book..... More
Die Another Day.
Hodder & Stoughton, 2002. Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in silver. With dust jacket. A fine copy. First edition, first impression, signed by the author and cast members who starred in the film. This copy is signed by Samantha Bond, Judi Dench, Rosamund Pike and Rick Yune on the..... More
DoubleShot.
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2000. Octavo. Original green wrappers, lettered in black. A near-fine copy, with minor creasing and marking to wrappers, fading to spine. Uncorrected proof copy of the first US edition, published simultaneously in the UK. No proof copies were issued in the UK for any of Benson's..... More
High Time to Kill.
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1999. Octavo. Original blue wrappers, printed in black. A fine copy. Uncorrected proof copy of the first US edition, published simultaneously in the UK. This is one of the more elusive Benson items: no proof copies were issued in the UK for any of Benson's James..... More
The James Bond Bedside Companion.
Galahad Books, 1986. Large octavo. Original orange boards, spine lettered and blocked in black. With dust jacket. A very good copy indeed in like dust jacket, with minor tape repair to head of spine. First edition thus, first printing, an uncommon reissue hardback, being the only edition in this format..... More
"Live at Five", in TV Guide.
United Video Satellite Group, 1999. Small octavo-sized magazine. Original illustrated wrappers, lettered in black, red, and white to front, monochrome photograph of Piece Brosnan to front cover. A near fine copy. First edition of the 13-19 November 1999 issue of TV Guide, signed by the author. This issue contains the..... More
Birds of the West Indies.
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1936. Octavo, pp. 456. Publisher's gilt-stamped green buckram. With a sepia map of the islands, colour frontispiece, and many illustrations throughout. A used copy with ownership stamps to the preliminary leaves, re-backed in grey cloth with new endpapers. Ownership stamps to the preliminary..... More
How 007 Got His Name.
Collins, 1966. Octavo. Original green boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. Half-tone frontispiece from a photograph of James Bond, similar plate illustrating Bond's meeting with Ian Fleming; illustrations of birds at the beginning of each chapter. Boards bright, spotting to endpapers, couple of pages with faint damp stains..... More
Solo.
Jonathan Cape, 2013. Octavo. Original black goatskin with debossed bullet holes, marbled endpapers, edges red, silk bookmarker. Housed in original matching screen-printed black cloth slipcase. In original paper wrapping with limitation label applied. A fine copy. First edition, signed limited issue, number 70 of 100 copies signed by the author..... More
Solo.
Jonathan Cape, 2013. Octavo. Original red boards, spine lettered in black, front cover blocked in white, black and yellow, red edges, red endpapers. With dust jacket. Waterstones bookmarker loosely inserted. A fine copy. First edition, first impression, special issue for Waterstones, distinguished from the regular first edition by its red..... More
James Bond in the Cinema.
The Tantivy Press; A. S. Barnes & Company, 1972. 2 volumes, octavo. Publisher's pink and grey cloth. With dust jackets. Illustrated throughout with film stills, mostly provided by United Artists Pictures. Very good copies, in like dust jackets. First UK edition and first US edition, the latter issued in a...... More
The History of 30 Assault Unit. Ian Fleming's Red Indians.
Pen and Sword Military, 2009. Octavo. Original black boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. A fine copy in near-fine dust jacket. First edition, first impression, the true story of the formation of this elite fighting outfit formed by Ian Fleming was filmed as Age of Heroes (2011) starring..... More
Ian Fleming: A Catalogue of a Collection.
Privately Printed by the author, 1978. Octavo. Original black and yellow wrappers, lettered in yellow. A near-fine copy. First and only edition, first impression. A checklist of an Ian Fleming collection "preliminary to a bibliography". A useful guide now superseded by Ian Fleming: The Bibliography (Queen Anne Press, 2012). Nevertheless..... More