"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
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 about Trigger Mortis
Colonel Sun.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1968. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.255; [1]. Publisher's hardback cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper priced at 21s. Wraparound art by Tom Adams. Book is very clean, jacket with two short tears and a tiny amount of rubbing to crown. A particularly bright copy. The first post-... More about Colonel Sun
Colonel Sun.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1968. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.255; [1], blank. Illustrated map endpapers. The rarer variant with a dropped quad mark to the date on the copyright page (rather in the same manner as 'The Spy Who Loved Me' variant- see Gilbert). Publisher's hardcovers in... More about Colonel Sun
The Life of Ian Fleming. Creator of James Bond.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1966. [Literary Biography] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 16cm), pp.352, with sixteen pages of photographic plates. Attractively bound in half black calf over matching cloth sides, top edge red, original endpapers (with Fleming family crest) and dust-jacket panel preserved at rear. Internally clean, minor discolour to top... More about The Life of Ian Fleming. Creator of James Bond
The Life of Ian Fleming. Creator of James Bond.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1966. [Literary Biography] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 16cm), pp.352, with sixteen pages of photographic plates, red top-stain, pictorial dust-wrapper. A near fine copy of the book in a lightly edgeworn, price-clipped jacket with a couple of scratches to rear panel. Shows well. This is one of... More about The Life of Ian Fleming. Creator of James Bond
The Life of Ian Fleming. Creator of James Bond.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1966. [Literary Biography] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 16cm), pp.352, with sixteen pages of photographic plates. Attractively bound in half black calf over matching cloth sides, top edge red, original endpapers (with Fleming family crest) and upper cover (with 'Golden Eye' motif) preserved at rear. A fine... More about The Life of Ian Fleming. Creator of James Bond
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 about The Life of Ian Fleming. Creator of James Bond
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 softcovers. SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. As new/very fine. A checklist of a Ian Fleming's Bond novels. A useful guide now superceded by... More about Ian Fleming's James Bond. A Descriptive Bibliography and Price Guide
Ian Fleming 28th May 1908 - 12th August 1964. An Address Given at the Memorial Service.
Westerham Press, Privately Printed 1964. Slim octavo. Black card wraps, with black dust-wrapper, printed title label to upper. An immaculate copy of the book in fine original semi-transparent paper jacket, a touch frayed to rear. The book-form printing of the address given at Fleming's memorial, 15th September 1964, was also... More about Ian Fleming 28th May 1908 - 12th August 1964. An Address Given at the Memorial Service
Ian Fleming's Commandos. The Story of 30 Assault Unit in WWII.
London: Faber and Faber. 2011. SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.397. With illustrations. Publisher's hardback cloth in a pictorial dust-wrapper. No inscriptions or price-clipping; an absolutely fine/as new copy, signed by the author to the title page. "The true story of Fleming's wartime Commando unit, the real-life inspiration for James Bond"... More about Ian Fleming's Commandos. The Story of 30 Assault Unit in WWII
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 about Zur Chirurgie des Herzens und des Herzbeutels, in 'Archiv fur Klinische Chirurgie'
Ian Fleming: The Book Collector.
London: 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 in black flock-paper covers... More about Ian Fleming: The Book Collector
'My Name's Bond' - an anthology from the Fiction of Ian Fleming.
London: Allen Lane, The Penguin Press, 2000. FIRST EDITION, SIGNED by the editor. Illustrated quarto (23 x 17cm), pp.150. With black and white photographs. Publisher's hardback with dust-jacket. A fine copy. With autograph in blue ink to the title page. A most uncommon signature. Editor Simon Winder was the senior... More about 'My Name's Bond' - an anthology from the Fiction of Ian Fleming
James Bond and Moonraker.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1979. [Espionage novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.222; [2], bank. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with gilt titles to spine in original jacket designed by Bill Botten priced at £5.95. Unread text block with crisp white edges. Simply a magnificent copy in a beautiful... More about James Bond and Moonraker
James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1977. [Espionage novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.222; [2], bank. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with gilt titles to spine, original jacket designed by Bill Botten priced at £3.50. Discreet bookplate of the prominent crime collector and Bond authority Iwan Hedman beneath front flap... More about James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me
The James Bond Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [Reference critique] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.159; [1]. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with gilt titles to spine in pictorial dust-wrapper, based on the familiar 'trompe l'oeil' designs which decorated the Ian Fleming first editions. Priced at 16s. to flap. Edges of text... More about The James Bond Dossier
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 about The James Bond Dossier. Pre-publication Publicity File
![You Only Live Twice. Press Book [Exhibitor's Campaign Book]. Ian FLEMING](/pictures/thumb/51074.jpg?v=1525270840)
You Only Live Twice. Press Book [Exhibitor's Campaign Book].
United Artists. Printed In USA, 1967. [Promotional material] ONLY PRINTING. Large-format/small poster sized 12-page stapled booklet providing cast and credits, editorial comment, plus advertising and promotional lists for soundtracks, book sales, toiletries, etc. One cut-out to p.4, folded once, minor wear to spine fold. Very good. More about You Only Live Twice. Press Book [Exhibitor's Campaign Book
Post. The Saturday Evening Post.
Philadelphia: C.L.MacNelly, 1963. Includes 'The Spectacular Cult of Ian Fleming' by Geoffrey Bocca. Issue of 22nd June 1963. Magazine format illustrated throughout, in colour covers. Some soiling, covers rubbed with a few tears, subscription label to upper cover, some sunning. Very good. An interesting profile of the author published during... More about Post. The Saturday Evening Post
James Bond, The Man and His World. The Official Companion to Ian Fleming's Creation.
London: John Murray, 2005. [Bondiana] FIRST EDITION. Illustrated quarto (25 x 20cm), pp.250. Publisher's red cloth hardcovers, pictorial dust-wrapper priced at £20. As issued, without the rear flyleaf. Trivial handling; a fine copy. Cited by Gilbert as a primary reference book on Ian Fleming/James Bond, this is a 'detailed and... More about James Bond, The Man and His World. The Official Companion to Ian Fleming's Creation
Double O Seven. James Bond. A Report.
London: Neville Spearman, Holland Press, 1964. [Reference/ Literary criticism] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.160. Publisher's black cloth hardcovers in Richard Chopping-style dust-wrapper, priced at 18s. Discreet Foyle's label beneath flap, jacket lightly rubbed only with one small nick to spine. Near fine. The very first book-length critique on... More about Double O Seven. James Bond. A Report