"There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favourite book."
— Marcel Proust
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 Education Of a Poker Player.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1959. [Gambling] FIRST UK EDITION (the American edition did not feature the contribution by Fleming). Octavo (24 x 16cm) pp.143; 1], blank. Publisher's paper covered boards with bright blue cloth spine, pictorial dust-jacket. Some spotting, price-clipped jacket with some chips and tears, larger triangular loss to front..... More
![Thrilling Cities [Part 1 and Part 2]. Ian Lancaster FLEMING](/pictures/thumb/56474.jpg?v=1610129823)
Thrilling Cities [Part 1 and Part 2].
London: Pan Books, 1964-5. [Travel / Adventure] FIRST UK EDITION in paperback. Two volumes, each with photographic plates. Slim octavo (18 x 11cm). Pictorial card wrappers. Some expected toning to cheap paperstock, spines a little darkened, minor wear. Very good indeed. First printings in nice condition are increasingly scarce. Gilbert..... More
To Catch A Spy. An Anthology of Favourite Spy Stories Edited and Introduced by Eric Ambler.
London: The Bodley Head, 1964. [Anthology] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.224. Publisher's brown cloth, gilt titles to spine, dust-jacket designed by Michael Harvey. Internally fine, some spotting to edges. Cloth lightly handled. Price clipped wrapper a little rubbed and worn with some marking to edges and a few..... More
'James Bond and the Book Collector' within The Book Collector. Spring 2014.
London: The Collector Limited, 2014. [Literary Journal] Vol. 63, No.1, Spring 2014. Octavo, pp.168. Illustrated, in green card wrappers, with accompanying loose index for previous volume. Includes the article 'Bond and the Book Collector' by Nicolas Barker OBE, being a lengthy review of Jon Gilbert's Ian Fleming Bibliography, SIGNED by..... More
'Automania'. A Special Edition of the 'Sunday Times' Magazine, 24th October 1965.
London: Thomson Newspapers, 1965. Newspaper magazine supplement format, colour illustrated. Pp.102. The 'Automania' issue, containing nothing but motoring content. Includes articles on race-tuner John Cooper, car-lover Peter Sellers, Grand Prix drivers Graham Hill, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart, and road tests of Rolls Royce, Triumph, Humber, etc. Also includes 'The..... More
'Operation Thunderball' contained within 'Now and Then' Magazine. No. 107, Spring, 1961.
London: Jonathan Cape Ltd., 1961. Pp.24. Price 9d. Magazine format, stapled. A couple of ink splashes to fore-edge else fine. 'Operation Thunderball' appears on page 7, being a pre-book-form printing of the letter which sets in motion SPECTRE's operation. This is an excerpt from the 'Fasten Your Lap-Strap' chapter of..... More
'Thunderball' (A James Bond Spy Thriller) contained within 'Argosy' magazine for men. Volume 353, Number 6, December 1961.
Ohio and New York: Popular Publications, Incorporated. 1961. Magazine format in pictorial paper wraps. Original price: 50 cents. The novel 'Thunderball' is advertised on the front cover as an 'extra book bonus' and appears on pages 128–44, with a sepia-toned frontispiece illustration by Gil Cohen. Minor wear to spine and..... More
James Bond In Focus.
UK: Mervyn Brodie and Associates Ltd. 1964. Magazine format in pictorial photographic covers, perfect bound, pp.64. Original price 3s/6d. A commemorative photo book published to co-incide with the release of the 1964 James Bond film 'Goldfinger'. With numerous photographs from the first three Bond films (some in colour) and accompanying..... More
The Life of Ian Fleming Creator of James Bond
London: Pan Books Ltd 1967. Paperback. First edition thus. Octavo, pp.416, with illustrated softcovers and photographic plates within. Cheap paper stock toned as expected, some dustiness otherwise a lovely near fine copy of 'an essential biographical volume' (Gilbert). BMC No.1 p.4-13 'Fleming and Bond; Related Titles'. More
Zero Minus Ten. Tomorrow Never Dies. The Facts of Death. High Time to Kill. The World Is Not Enough. Doubleshot. Never Dream of Dying. The Man With The Red Tattoo. Die Another Day (Complete James Bond novels).
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1997-2002. FIRST EDITIONS. A SIGNED SET of the entire series of Raymond Benson's James Bond novels, housed in an elegant bespoke fleece-lined cloth slipcase with ribbon pull measuring 24 x 24 x 16cm. Nine volumes, Octavo. Publisher's hardcover cloth in illustrated dust-jackets. A fine set. James..... More
Zero Minus Ten (a James Bond novel).
London: Hodder and Stoughton. 1997. FIRST EDITION, SIGNED by the author. Royal octavo, pp.x; 257; [3], blank. Publisher's hardcover in original dust-wrapper. A used example with some shelfwear and a reading lean, text block toned, endpapers neatly replaced, neat erasure to title, jacket a little creased and handled. The author's..... More
Zero Minus Ten (a James Bond novel).
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1997. [Spy novel] FIRST EDITION, SIGNED by the author. Royal octavo, pp.x; 257; [3], blank. Publisher's hardcover in original dust-wrapper. Absolutely fine throughout, being carefully dark stored by ourselves since publication. The first of author Raymond Benson's successful series of adventures featuring Ian Fleming's superspy James..... More
The Man With The Golden Typewriter. Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters.
London: Bloomsbury, 2015. [Letters] Edited by Fergus Fleming. SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 16cm), pp.391; [1]. Black hardcovers blocked in gilt, red endpapers, pictorial dust-jacket priced at £25. With black and white photographs. Autographed by Fergus Fleming in ink to the title page. A fine, unused copy (as new)..... More
The Man With The Golden Typewriter. Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters.
London: Bloomsbury, 2015. [Letters] Edited by Fergus Fleming. SIGNED. Octavo (25 x 16cm), pp.391; [1]. Black hardcovers blocked in gilt, pictorial dust-jacket priced at £25. With black and white photographs. Third impression, autographed by Fergus Fleming in ink to the title page. Signature obtained in person for Adrian Harrington Ltd..... More
The Man With The Golden Typewriter. Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters.
London: Bloomsbury, 2015. [Letters] Edited by Fergus Fleming. SIGNED. Octavo (25 x 16cm), pp.391; [1]. Black hardcovers blocked in gilt, pictorial dust-jacket priced at £25. With black and white photographs. Second impression, autographed by Fergus Fleming in ink to the title page. Signature obtained in person for Adrian Harrington Ltd..... More
Brokenclaw. A James Bond novel.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1990. FIRST EDITION. An original novel starring Ian Fleming's James Bond. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp. 218. Publisher's red cloth in pictorial dustwrapper; flap is priced at £12.95 for the UK market (non-priced export copies were also produced). Near fine, with a discreet production crease to..... More
Cold.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1996. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm) Pp.213. Publisher's hardback cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper priced at £16.99 (many were unpriced for export). A fine, unread copy. Seemingly printed in small numbers, this is a particularly scarce James Bond title. Published as 'Cold Fall' in America, this..... More
IceBreaker (a James Bond novel).
London: Jonathan Cape and Hodder and Stoughton 1983. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. Publisher's black cloth. Gilt titles to spine. Near fine in a similar price-clipped dustwrapper showing some rubbing to the rear panel. No inscriptions. John Gardner's third 007 novel as official successor to Ian Fleming; 'Icebreaker' sees James Bond posted..... More
Licence Renewed. James Bond 007.
London: Jonathan Cape and Hodder and Stoughton, 1981. [Spy novel] FIRST EDITION, SIGNED and INSCRIBED by the author. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.270; [2], blank. Publisher's black cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper with original printed price (£6.50) to the front flap. With author's presentation note to title page; "To Eugene Spiers..... More
Licence Renewed. James Bond 007.
London: Jonathan Cape and Hodder and Stoughton, 1981. [Spy novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.270; [2], blank. Publisher's black cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper with original printed price (£6.50) to the front flap. Spine a shade sunned else fine. The first James Bond continuation novel from John Gardner. Bond..... More
Scorpius.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1988. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION. Royal octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.190; [2], blank. Publisher's cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper priced £10.95 to flap. Fine in like wrapper, but for some faint age-toning to paperstock. Becoming a difficult title. An original novel starring Ian Fleming's James Bond. Hubin;..... More
SeaFire.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1994. [James Bond Continuation] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (16 x 24cm), pp.247. Publisher's hardback cloth binding in pictorial dust-jacket priced at £14.99 for the UK market (non-priced export copies were also produced). Edges slightly toned. A fine copy. An original novel starring Ian Fleming's James Bond. BMC..... More
SeaFire.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1994. [James Bond Continuation] FIRST EDITION, EXPORT COPY. Octavo (16 x 24cm), pp.247. Publisher's hardback cloth binding in pictorial dust-jacket with no price to front flap- copies without a printed price were intended for export. Top edge faintly spotted/dusty else a fine copy. An original novel..... More
Trigger Mortis.
London: Orion, 2015. [Spy novel] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. The latest James Bond novel, incorporating an original story/idea 'Murder On Wheels' by Ian Fleming. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.310; [1], advertisement; [3], blank. Publisher's black cloth with large skull motif blocked to upper in silver, blueprint-style endpapers, metallic-effect dust-jacket. A lovely..... More
Colonel Sun.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1968. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.255; [1], blank. Illustrated map endpapers, this copy, as most, with the 'North' arrow on the pastedown pointing directly up (True North), rather than at a slight angle (Magnetic North). The variant with a dropped quad mark to..... More