"A book should serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us."
— Franz Kafka
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
Shaken. Drinking with James Bond and Ian Fleming.
London: Octopus Books/Mitchell Beazley, 2018. [Mixology] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 16cm), pp.224. Black hardcovers blocked in gilt. No jacket as issued. With photographs throughout. Introduction by Fergus Fleming who has added his autograph in ink to the title page. Signature obtained in person for Adrian Harrington Ltd. A...... 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
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). Page edges age toned, otherwise a fine copy..... 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
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. Edges toned and dusty, jacket price clipped. Near fine. John Gardner' first 007 novel as official successor to Ian Fleming. Haining; Crime Fiction p.208. Benson..... 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. A fine, fresh copy. Becoming a difficult title. An original novel starring Ian Fleming's James Bond. Hubin; Crime Fiction IV. Gilbert, Jon; Ian Fleming..... 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
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, not for export. Some toning and edges and margins. Price-clipped and repriced by the publisher to £15.99 with a sticker. Near fine. An original novel starring Ian Fleming's..... More
Dressed to Kill. James Bond The Suited Hero. With an Introduction by Albert R 'Cubby' Broccoli.
New York, NY and Paris: Flammarion, 1996. [Film costume design] FIRST EDITION. Quarto (26 x 21cm), pp.200. Colour photographs throughout. Publisher's black cloth lettered in grey, black endpapers photographic dust-wrapper. A clean, fine copy of the book in a near fine wrapper, toned to the spine. A captivating and detailed..... More
The Life of Ian Fleming. Creator of James Bond.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1966. [Literary Biography] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 16cm), pp.352, with pp.16 of photographic plates. Publisher's black cloth with 'golden eye' motif to the upper cover, red top-stain, pictorial dust-wrapper. Edges toned/thumbed, Christmas gift label to flyleaf, jacket worn at spine ends and corners. A very good..... More
Ian Fleming's James Bond. A Descriptive Bibliography and Price Guide.
New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA: The Mysterious Bookshop, 1999. [Bibliography] FIRST REGULAR EDITION, following the limited printing (250 copies). Slim octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.34. Publisher's grey wraps, stapled twice. Signed by the bibliographer, editor and publisher Otto Penzler to the title page. As new/fine. A checklist of..... More
'Ian Fleming Remembered' appearing in 'Encounter' magazine, January 1965.
London: 25 Haymarket, 1965. [literary journal] Octavo (25 x 18cm), pp.96. Original issue magazine format, perfect bound with pictorial covers, priced at 4 shillings / 75cents. Contents fine, covers very good, with some expected handling/wear. Includes a tribute to Ian Fleming, written by his friend and literary advisor William Plomer..... More
Ian Fleming's Commandos. The Story of 30 Assault Unit in WWII.
London: Faber and Faber, 2011. [Military History] LEATHER BOUND FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.397. With illustrations. Elegantly bound in half blue oasis morocco over cloth sides, lettered and trimmed in gilt, black leather title labels, original illustrated dust-wrapper preserved at rear. A fine copy. "The true story of Fleming's wartime Commando..... More
Zur Chirurgie des Herzens und des Herzbeutels, in 'Archiv fur Klinische Chirurgie'.
Berlin: Verlag von August Hirshwald 1907. Pp.904. Original printed wrappers. Prof. Dr. Rehn's treatise appears on pp.723-778. A fine copy, in a folding protective case with gilt-titled orange leather label to spine and gilt crest to upper (some wear to box). This is an account of the first successful suture..... More
![James Bond] 007 Magazine. February 2011. Ian FLEMING, Graham RYE, Jon, GILBERT, Edward,...](/pictures/thumb/59461.jpg?v=1617124056)
[James Bond] 007 Magazine. February 2011.
UK: 007 Magazine and Archive Ltd., 2011. Magazine format in pictorial glossy card wraps, stapled at spine. Pp.34. 'A Deluxe Limited Edition Publication' with colour photographs throughout. Fine / as new. Includes a tribute to the James Bond cover artist Raymond Hawkey by Edward Milward-Oliver, SIGNED by contributor Jon Gilbert..... More
![James Bond] Goldfinger Portfolio ['Steelbook']. Ian FLEMING, Graham RYE](/pictures/thumb/59843.jpg?v=1621269118)
[James Bond] Goldfinger Portfolio ['Steelbook'].
UK: 007 Magazine and Archive Ltd, [1964] 2014. [Film reference] LIMITED EDITION, No 131 of 350 numbered copies. Octavo, pp.350. Includes over a thousand images (many never seen before), call sheets, sketches, press releases and much more. Comb bound in colour-printed sheet-metal covers, wrapped in gold tissue paper and housed..... More
![James Bond] Ian Fleming. Sixty Years of 007 [within Fine Books and Collections]. Ian FLEMING,...](/pictures/thumb/56808.JPG?v=1589300954)
[James Bond] Ian Fleming. Sixty Years of 007 [within Fine Books and Collections].
Chapel Hill, NC: Journalistic, Inc. / Webb C. Howell, Spring 2013. Magazine format in pictorial glossy photographic covers, perfect bound. pp.64. Illustrated with colour photographs throughout. Original price $5.95. Fine / as new. Includes a three-page article 'The Birth of Bond', celebrating the 60th anniversary of the novel Casino Royale..... More
Ian Fleming: The Book Collector.
London: The Book Collector / Queen Anne Press, 2017. Ten monographs, SIGNED LETTERPRESS EDITIONS, being the FIRST SEPARATE PRINTING. 10 vols., slim octavo (26 x 18cm), limited variously to 60 or 120 copies, each hand-numbered and signed by James and Fergus Fleming. Finely printed on 150gsm Bockingford paper and bound..... More
The James Bond Dossier. Pre-publication Publicity File
London: To be Published by Jonathan Cape at 16s. on May 27th, no date [1965]. [James Bond] The complete pack, comprising a colour promotional poster for the book designed by Jan Pienkowski (52cm x 76cm), an 'Obituary of Commander James Bond' (35cm x 52cm), a cross-section and information regarding the..... More
Trigger Mortis.
London: Orion Books, 2015. [James Bond Continuationl] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.[6] 310 [4]. SIGNED by the author in black marker to title page. Publisher's black cloth with silver titles to spine and large skull motif blocked to upper in silver. Blueprint-style endpapers. With the silver blueprint-style..... More
Matzohball. An Israel Bond Thriller.
New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1966. [James Bond pastiche] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.126; [1], order form; [1], blank. Publisher's colour softcovers with original price $1.00. Lightly handled; fine. 'A new adventure of Hebrew secret agent Oy-Oy-7'. More
Matzohball. An Israel Bond Thriller.
New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1966. [James Bond pastiche] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.126; [1], order form; [1], blank. Publisher's colour softcovers with original price $1.00. A fine copy. 'A new adventure of Hebrew secret agent Oy-Oy-7'. More
On the Secret Service of His Majesty, The Queen. An Israel Bond Thriller.
New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1966. [James Bond pastiche] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.128. Publisher's colour softcovers with original price $1.00. A near fine copy. 'Hebrew Secret agent Oy-Oy-7 strikes again'. More
contribute to...'ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE'
Holyoake, MA: Davis Publications, September 1969. [James Bond] Original issue magazine format (20 x 14cm), pp.162, with colour covers. Some expected toning to cheap paper but altogether a crisp, near fine copy. This issue contains the James Bond short story 'The Property of a Lady' plus mysteries by Anthony Gilbert..... More