"You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me."
— C. S. Lewis
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
![Thrilling Cities [Part 1 and Part 2]. Ian Lancaster FLEMING](/pictures/thumb/52256.jpg?v=1541683495)
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. Reading crease to part one, some expected toning to cheap paperstock, covers remain bright. Near fine. First printings in nice condition are increasingly scarce... More about Thrilling Cities [Part 1 and Part 2
Contribute 'A Golfing Nightmare' and 'The Terrible Dr. No' to Encore; The Sunday Times Book, Second Year. Edited by Leonard Russell.
London: Micheal Joseph. 1963. FIRST EDITION. Large 8vo. Pp.406. Publisher's red cloth with original pictorial dust-jacket. Lightly worn, spine of jacket frayed at head and tail; near fine. A particularly nice copy A collection of outstanding articles contributed to the Sunday Times, this is the FIRST EDITION in book-form. Ian... More about Contribute 'A Golfing Nightmare' and 'The Terrible Dr. No' to Encore; The Sunday Times Book,...
The Complete James Bond Omnibus Series. Volume 001-006.
London: Titan Books, 2006-2014. Ian Fleming's James Bond; the original comic strips as adapted and serialised in the Daily Express by Anthony Hern, Henry Gammidge, Peter O'Donnell and Jim Lawrence, illustrated by John McLusky, Yaroslav Horak and Harry North. ALL FIRST EDITIONS. Six volumes, quarto (24 x 19cm). Bound in... More about The Complete James Bond Omnibus Series. Volume 001-006
'Goldfinger' (Greatest James Bond Thriller) contained within 'Saga' magazine for men. Volume 28, Number 4, July 1964.
New York: McFadden-Bartell Corp. 1964. Magazine format in pictorial paper wraps. Original price: 25 cents. Minor wear to foot of spine, some ink notation to margin of first advert. Near fine. Minor wear to foot of spine, some ink notation to margin of first advert. Near fine. A condensation of... More about 'Goldfinger' (Greatest James Bond Thriller) contained within 'Saga' magazine for men. Volume 28,...
The Man With the Golden Gun.
London: Jonathan Cape. 1965, FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, SECOND STATE, BINDING D. Pp.221. Publisher's cloth-effect paper over boards with bronze lettering to the spine, plain covers, patterned green endpapers. In the original pictorial dust-jacket illustrated by Richard Chopping. Price clipped else a beautiful fine copy; remarkably fresh. A previously unrecorded... More about The Man With the Golden Gun
'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 about 'Operation Thunderball' contained within 'Now and Then' Magazine. No. 107, Spring, 1961
Showcase presents Doctor No.
March-April 1963. DC Comics, National Periodical Publications, Inc., Sparta Illinois. 1963. Published as issue 43 of the Showcase anthology series by DC Comics, with artwork by Norman Nodel. The front inside cover shows five stills from the United Artists film adaptation, and the rear inside cover prints a biography of... More about Showcase presents Doctor No
'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. Minor wear to spine and postal label to upper else fine. The novel 'Thunderball' is advertised on the front cover as an 'extra book bonus' and appears on pages 128–44, with a.... More about 'Thunderball' (A James Bond Spy Thriller) contained within 'Argosy' magazine for men. Volume 353,...
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 about The Life of Ian Fleming Creator of James Bond
Zero Minus Ten (a James Bond novel).
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1997. FIRST EDITION. Original hardback cloth in a pictorial dust-wrapper. With publisher's bookplate SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. loosely inserted no inscripotions or price-clipping. A fine copy. Hubin; Crime Fiction IV. Gilbert, Jon; Ian Fleming: The Bibliography, page 613. More about Zero Minus Ten (a James Bond novel
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, jacket a little creased and handled. The author's first James Bond novel... More about Zero Minus Ten (a James Bond novel
"Live and Let Die" (Released through United Artists)
England 1973. ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH FINE ASSOCIATION. A complete production-used script by Tom Mankiewicz and directed by Guy Hamilton, Eon Productions Ltd, October 2nd 1972. 120pp mimeographed typescript, orig embossed green covers, copy of Victor Joseph Heutschy (died 2011) film and TV publicist with his name in ballpoint at... More about "Live and Let Die" (Released through United Artists
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 about The Man With The Golden Typewriter. Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters
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, pictorial dust-jacket priced at £25. With black and white photographs. Autographed by Fergus Fleming in ink to the title page. Signature obtained in person for Adrian Harrington Ltd... More about The Man With The Golden Typewriter. Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters
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 about Cold
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 about IceBreaker (a James Bond novel
Icebreaker. A James Bond novel.
London: Jonathan Cape and Hodder and Stoughton 1983. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. Publisher's black cloth. Gilt titles to spine. Fine in fine dust wrapper. SIGNED on flap by the dustwrapper artist Bill Botten, who produced the jacket art for both of Christopher Wood's James Bond novels and the early Gardner Bonds... More about Icebreaker. A James Bond novel
Icebreaker. A James Bond novel.
London: Jonathan Cape and Hodder and Stoughton 1983. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.250. Original black cloth with gilt titles to spine; pictorial dust-wrapper. A clean, near fine copy in jacket. ADVANCE COPY FOR REVIEW, with publisher's printed slip inserted and publication date label to spine. The slip is fine, but for... More about Icebreaker. A James Bond novel
James Bond: Licence to Kill. From the motion picture written by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum.
The Armchair Detective Library, 1989. 'Collector' issue, in the publisher's de luxe binding of blue cloth with silver trim and pictorial illustration. 'Licence to Kill' is bibliographically complex; the UK-printed trade edition was published in April 1989 (with cancelled title). A 'Collector' edition (blue cloth) and 'Signed Limited' edition (burgundy... More about James Bond: Licence to Kill. From the motion picture written by Michael G. Wilson and Richard...
![James Bond: License [Licence] to Kill. Signed Limited Edition. From the motion picture written by...](/pictures/thumb/36772.jpg?v=1493310852)
James Bond: License [Licence] to Kill. Signed Limited Edition. From the motion picture written by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum.
The Armchair Detective Library, 1989. Limited issue No. 85, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. Bound in the publisher's de luxe binding of plum-coloured cloth with gilt trim and pictorial illustration, in cloth slip-case. 'Licence to Kill' is bibliographically complex; the UK-printed trade edition was published in April 1989 (with cancelled title)... More about James Bond: License [Licence] to Kill. Signed Limited Edition. From the motion picture written by...
Licence Renewed. James Bond 007.
London: Jonathan Cape and Hodder and Stoughton, 1981. FIRST EDITION, SIGNED by the author. Publisher's black cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper with original printed price (£6.50) to the front flap. Light wear only, bumped to top corners else a fine copy. The first James Bond continuation novel from John Gardner. Bond... More about Licence Renewed. James Bond 007
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 about Licence Renewed. James Bond 007
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 about Scorpius
SeaFire.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1994. An original novel starring Ian Fleming's James Bond. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (16 x 24cm), pp.247. Publisher's black cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper. A lightly handled copy in near fine condition. BMC No.1 [1984] p.4-13 'James Bond Revivals'. Hubin; Crime Fiction IV. More about SeaFire
Trigger Mortis.
London: Orion, 2015. [Spy novel] SIGNED FIRST EDITION, Waterstones version. The latest James Bond novel, incorporating an original story/idea 'Murder On Wheels' by Ian Fleming. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.329; [1], advertisement. Publisher's black cloth hardcovers with large skull motif blocked to upper in silver, with black and orange-coloured dust-jacket... More about Trigger Mortis