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
From Russia, With Love.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1957. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.253; [3], blank. Elegantly hand-bound in half black oasis morocco over matching cloth sides, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands. Contents clean (a few light, soft creases to second gathering), exterior unmarked. A near fine copy in..... More
From Russia, With Love.
London: Foyle [The Book Club], no date [1958]. [Spy thriller] FOYLES BOOK CLUB EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.253; [3] blank. Publisher's pale blue cloth lettered in black to the spine, in pictorial dust-wrapper illustrated by Richard Chopping. Some minor discolour to rear cover, sectional toning to text block, neat..... More
From Russia, With Love.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1957. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION, Binding 'A'. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.253; [3], blank. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, blocked in silver and red metallic foil, pictorial dust-jacket by Richard Chopping. Discreet ownership beneath flap, jacket slightly toned to extremities with a few small nicks and rubs..... More
Goldfinger.
London: Pan Books, 1959. The FIRST Pan paperback edition. 'Great Pan' series G455. Octavo (16 x 10cm), pp.223; [1], advertisement. Publisher's illustrated softcovers priced at 2s 6d. Pages tanned as usual, covers with a few marks and soft creases, rubbed to joints with small surface chip to corner, front cover..... More
Goldfinger.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1959. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION, First impression, second issue. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.318. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with 'skull' design stamped to upper, pictorial dust-wrapper designed by Richard Chopping, priced at 15s. A near fine copy of the book with a neat ink name..... More
Goldfinger.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1959. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION, First impression, second issue. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.318. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with 'skull' design stamped to upper, pictorial dust-wrapper designed by Richard Chopping, priced at 15s. Very good in price-clipped jacket, with some minor nicks and edgewear, spine..... More
Goldfinger.
London: Queen Anne Press, in association with Adrian Harrington, [2022]. [Spy thriller] CLASSIC READERS EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.336. Publisher's graphite hardcovers stamped in gilt, decorated with author's initials in gilt to cover, plain black endpapers. New book. Strictly limited to one copy per customer. One of a selection..... More
Goldfinger.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1959. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.318. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with 'skull' design stamped to upper, in original pictorial dust-wrapper designed by Richard Chopping, priced at 15s. Discreet ink stamp to flyleaf 'C.D.C. BAIN' (this title was bound by..... More
'The Guns of James Bond' contained within 'Sports Illustrated' Magazine Vol 16, No.11, 19th March 1962.
Chicago, Illinois: Time Inc., 1962. [James Bond Reference] FIRST US APPEARANCE. pp.84. Original price 25 cents. Magazine format, illustrated. Housed in a bespoke gilt-titled buckram chemise case. Contains the first American appearance of this original Ian Fleming feature entitled 'The Guns of James Bond', which not published in book-form until..... More
Live and Let Die (a James Bond novel).
London: Jonathan Cape, 1954. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.240. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, embossed in gilt, with purple dust-wrapper showing the original price of 10/6 to both flaps. With 'author's skill' text correctly spaced to rear panel, as described in the bibliography, page 61..... More
Live and Let Die (a James Bond novel).
London: Jonathan Cape, 1954. [James Bond] FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.240. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, embossed in gilt, with purple dust-wrapper showing the original price of 10/6 to both flaps. With 'author'sskill' text incorrectly spaced to the rear panel, as described in the bibliography..... More
Live and Let Die (a James Bond novel).
London: Queen Anne Press, in association with Adrian Harrington, [2022]. [Spy thriller] CLASSIC READERS EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.280. Publisher's indigo blue hardcovers stamped in gilt, decorated with author's initials in gilt to cover, plain black endpapers. New book. Strictly limited to one copy per customer. One of a...... More
Live and Let Die (a James Bond novel).
London: Jonathan Cape, 1954. [James Bond] FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.240. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, embossed in gilt, with earliest purple dust-wrapper lacking the designer's credit and showing the original price of 10/6 to both flaps. Some toning to edges,,gilt dulled, jacket with some..... More
Live and Let Die.
New York, NY: The Macmillan Company, 1955. [Thriller] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (18 x 13cm), pp.216. Bound in original blue cloth lettered in yellow to the backstrip, upper cover blocked with 'Cock Robin Thriller' device, in the pictorial dust-wrapper designed by Leo Manso, priced at $3.00 with other prices clipped..... More
Live and Let Die.
London: The Reprint Society, World Books, 1956. [Spy novel] FIRST UK BOOK CLUB EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.247; [1] blank. Publisher's black cloth lettered in gilt to red leather title label, pictorial dust-wrapper. A very good, lightly used copy in similar jacket, toned to the spine panel. Shows well..... More
Live and Let Die.
London: The Reprint Society, World Books, 1956. [Spy novel] FIRST UK BOOK CLUB EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.247; [1] blank. Publisher's black cloth lettered in gilt to red leather title label, pictorial dust-wrapper. Edges a little spotted, jacket toned to the spine, minor edge wear; very good. The first..... More
Live and Let Die.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1954. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION, Second Impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.240; [2], blank. Original black cloth-effect paper over boards with gilt-embossed coin motif to upper cover, lettered in gilt to the spine. Text block white and fresh. Gilt slightly dulled, one small bump at crown. A near..... More
![Live and Let Die] Contained within 'Bluebook' magazine, Vol. 99, No.1. Ian Lancaster FLEMING](/pictures/thumb/45263.jpg?v=1493310966)
[Live and Let Die] Contained within 'Bluebook' magazine, Vol. 99, No.1.
McCall Corporation, May 1954. FIRST US APPEARANCE. Scarce American abridged publication of the second James Bond novel, appearing here nearly a whole year before the American book-form edition, and just one month after the UK Cape edition. This story can be found on pp88-128, printed in double columns. There are..... More
The Man With the Golden Gun.
New York, NY: The New American Library, 1966. [Spy novel] Dollar Mystery Guild Uniform Edition. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[8] 183 [1]. Publisher's black leatherette with gilt titles to spine and blue leatherette strips to fore-edges. Top edge blue; fore-edge untrimmed. With the dust-jacket in blue-grey, titled in yellow. A...... More
The Man With The Golden Gun.
London: Foyles [The Book Club], no date [1966]. [Spy thriller] FIRST BOOK CLUB EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.152. Publisher's mid-blue cloth lettered in black to the spine, in pictorial dust-wrapper illustrated by C H Richard. A fine copy in a near fine jacket, toned to the spine. 70,000 copies..... More
The Man With the Golden Gun.
New York, NY: The New American Library, 1966. [Spy novel] Dollar Mystery Guild Uniform Edition. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[8] 183 [1]. Publisher's black leatherette with gilt titles to spine and blue leatherette strips to fore-edges. Top edge blue; fore-edge untrimmed. With the dust-jacket in grey, titled in dark blue..... More
The Man With the Golden Gun.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [Thriller] FIRST ISSUE, Second state, Binding 'A'. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.221. Publisher's dark grey cloth-effect paper over boards with gilt lettering to the spine, plain covers, patterned green endpapers. In the original pictorial dust-jacket illustrated by Richard Chopping. A very good copy with a little..... More
The Man With the Golden Gun.
London: Queen Anne Press, in association with Adrian Harrington, [2022]. [Spy novel] CLASSIC READERS EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.200. Publisher's saddle brown hardcovers stamped in gilt, decorated with the author's initials in gilt to cover, plain black endpapers. New book. Strictly limited to one copy per customer. One of..... More
The Man With the Golden Gun.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [Spy novel] FIRST EDITION, scarce second issue with WHITE ENDPAPERS instead of the usual green. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.221. Publisher's cloth-effect paper over boards with bronze lettering to spine, plain covers, white endpapers, original illustrated jacket by Richard Chopping priced at 18s. Faint mark to..... More
The Man With the Golden Gun.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [Thriller] FIRST ISSUE, Second state, Binding 'A'. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.221. Publisher's dark grey cloth-effect paper over boards with gilt lettering to the spine, plain covers, patterned green endpapers. In the original pictorial dust-jacket illustrated by Richard Chopping priced at 18s. No inscriptions. Some tape..... More