"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
The Diamond Smugglers.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1957. [True Crime] FIRST EDITION, FIRST STATE. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.160. Illustrated with photographs. Publisher's black cloth with white titles to the spine in original dust-jacket illustrated by Denis Piper, priced at 12/6. No inscriptions, edges toned, jacket with a few small nicks/tears, sunned to spine..... More
The Diamond Smugglers.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1957. [True Crime] FIRST EDITION, FIRST STATE. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.160. Illustrated with photographs. Publisher's black cloth with white titles to the spine. In original illustrated by Denis Piper, priced at 12/6. No inscriptions, contents clean, binding fresh. A smart copy without dust-jacket. Fleming's first non-Bond..... More
The Diamond Smugglers. With an Introduction by Fergus Fleming.
Las Vegas: Thomas & Mercer, March 2013. [True Crime] FIRST PRINTING of this edition, SIGNED by Fergus Fleming. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.104; [2]. Publisher's softcovers designed by Archie Ferguson, priced at $14.95. A fine/as new copy. Autographed and inscribed 'For Jon' in blue ink to foreword. Signature obtained by..... More
Introduces Jamaica. Edited by Morris Cargill.
London: Andre Deutsch, 1965. [Travel book] FIRST EDITION, Second Impression. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.240, illustrated throughout with colour plates, map endpapers printed in colour. Publisher's russet cloth hardcover, gilt titles, top edge ochre, in photographic dust-jacket priced at 42s. Trivial wear to jacket, corner bumped; remains a fresh, bright..... More
Introduces Jamaica. Edited by Morris Cargill.
Jamaica: Sangster's Book Stores / Andre Deutsch, 1965. [Travel book] FIRST EDITION, Second Impression, JAMAICAN ISSUE. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.240, illustrated throughout with colour plates, map endpapers printed in colour. Publisher's russet cloth hardcover, gilt titles, top edge ochre, in photographic dust-jacket. Neat ink inscription, jacket with some edgewear..... More
Introduces Jamaica. Edited by Morris Cargill.
London: Andre Deutsch, 1965. [Travel book] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.240, illustrated throughout with colour plates, map endpapers printed in colour. Handsomely rebound in half midnight black calf with contrasting twin red morocco title labels, spine ruled in six compartments with traditional raised bands, matching cloth sides, top..... More
Introduces Jamaica. Edited by Morris Cargill.
London: Andre Deutsch, 1965. [Travel book] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.240, illustrated throughout with colour plates, map endpapers printed in colour. Publisher's russet cloth hardcover, gilt titles, top edge ochre, in photographic dust-jacket. With contributor's presentation note to title; With our best wishes / from / John..... More
Introduces Jamaica. Edited by Morris Cargill.
New York: Hawthorn Books 1965 [actually published early 1966]. [Travel book] FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, printed at the same time as the British sheets and sharing the same pagination. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.240, illustrated throughout with colour plates, cartographic endpapers printed in colour. Publisher's russet cloth hardcover, gilt titles, top..... More
The Hand of Mary Constable.
William Heinemann, 1964. Octavo. Original black cloth, spine lettered in gilt with titles in orange compartment, publisher's motif blocked in blind to rear board. With dust jacket. Housed in custom blue quarter morocco solander case. A very good copy, extremities rubbed, edges foxed, light offsetting to endpapers, in like dust..... More
Colonel Sun. A James Bond Adventure.
Jonathan Cape, 1968. Octavo. Original green wrappers, lettered in black, decorated with white publisher's motif. With dust jacket. Housed in custom blue quarter morocco solander case. A very good copy, spine creased and lightly stained, otherwise in good condition for a proof copy, in like dust jacket, edges rubbed and..... More
The James Bond Dossier.
Jonathan Cape, 1965. Octavo. Original green wrappers, lettered in black and decorated with white publisher's motif. A near-fine copy, spine creased otherwise in excellent condition for a proof copy. Uncorrected proof copy, Kingsley Amis's first venture into the world of James Bond. He also wrote a light-hearted work The Book..... More
Die Another Day.
Hodder & Stoughton, 2002. Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in silver. With dust jacket. A fine copy. First edition, first impression, signed by the author and cast members who starred in the film. This copy is signed by Samantha Bond, Judi Dench, Rosamund Pike and Rick Yune on the..... More
DoubleShot.
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2000. Octavo. Original green wrappers, lettered in black. A near-fine copy, with minor creasing and marking to wrappers, fading to spine. Uncorrected proof copy of the first US edition, published simultaneously in the UK. No proof copies were issued in the UK for any of Benson's..... More
High Time to Kill.
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1999. Octavo. Original blue wrappers, printed in black. A fine copy. Uncorrected proof copy of the first US edition, published simultaneously in the UK. This is one of the more elusive Benson items: no proof copies were issued in the UK for any of Benson's James..... More
Solo.
Jonathan Cape, 2013. Octavo. Original black goatskin with debossed bullet holes, marbled endpapers, edges red, silk bookmarker. Housed in original matching screen-printed black cloth slipcase. In original paper wrapping with limitation label applied. A fine copy. First edition, signed limited issue, number 70 of 100 copies signed by the author..... More
Solo.
Jonathan Cape, 2013. First edition, first impression, special issue for Waterstones, distinguished from the regular first edition by its red edges. Octavo. Original red boards, spine lettered in black, front cover blocked in white, black and yellow, red edges, red endpapers. With dust jacket. Waterstones bookmarker loosely inserted. A fine..... More
Goldfinger artwork. An original full-colour proof of the front cover illustration for the 1959 novel.
Jonathan Cape, 1959]. Artwork measuring 406 x 508 mm. Matted within mountboard measuring 571 x 660 mm. In fine condition. Richard Chopping's personal, signed copy of the final proof sheet artwork, being the glorious full-sized image taken from the original painting, before the spine lettering and publisher's imprint were added..... More
Bond Strikes Camp. An Extravaganza by Cyril Connolly.
The London Magazine; Shenval Press; Hamish Hamilton, 3 volumes; magazine, softcover and hardback formats. Original green and white wrappers, lettered in black and white; original green wrappers, paper label to front panel; original blue boards, spine lettered in gilt, top edge blue, with dust jacket. A near-fine set. Magazine in..... More
Carte Blanche.
Bentley 007, 2011. Octavo. Original red leather boards, spine and front board lettered and stamped in blind, red edges, red leather doublures and red endpapers, red bookmarker. Original barcode sticker to rear board. A fine copy. First edition, limited "Red" Bentley edition, number 253 of 500 copies only. A "White"..... More
All Night at Mr Stanyhurst's.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1963. [Historical Fiction] Octavo. Publisher's red wrappers, with printed blurb on a white label affixed to the front panel. Frontispiece illustration. A very good copy indeed, rubbed, spine faded and creased, otherwise a well-preserved proof copy. Uncorrected proof copy, one of 35 copies only, with an introduction..... More
Devil May Care. The Bentley Special Series Edition.
Penguin 007 in association with Bentley Motors, 2008. Large octavo. Original brown leather covers with red stitching, spine and front board lettered and blocked in silver, edges red, red leather doublures, black endpapers, black silk bookmarker. With pewter car model housed within contents. Housed in clear Perspex slipcase. A fine..... More
Kemsley Newspapers Reference Book.
Kemsley House [Privately Published], [1947-8]. Small booklet (binding 133 x 95 mm; leaves 126 x 76 mm) comprising 64 ring-bound leaves and black card free endpapers, all in a pigskin binder, front cover lettered in gilt "Ian Fleming". Housed in a custom black cloth box. Coloured map ("Kemsley Newspapers Publishing..... More
Archive of correspondence relating to James Bond typescripts and continuation books.
1963-67. Collection of 19 letters comprising original typescript and carbon copies. Housed in pink foolscap folder. A fine set. Archive of correspondence between Jonathan Cape, the publisher of Fleming's Bond series, and the author's favoured typist Jean Frampton. The papers mainly consist of friendly professional letters, telegrams, notes and postcards..... More
Forever and a Day.
Jonathan Cape, 2018. Octavo. Original black boards, spine lettered in gilt, bullet motif travelling across binding in gilt and gloss black, blue endpapers, edges yellow. With dust jacket. With two Waterstones stickers to front panel of dust jacket. A fine copy. First edition, first impression, special issue for Waterstones, identifiable..... More
The Adventures of James Bond Junior 003½.
Jonathan Cape, 1967. Octavo. Original green wrappers decorated with white publisher's motif, lettered in black. A very good copy, spine creased and toned, foxing to edges, otherwise wrappers still sharp and contents clean. A scarce, uncorrected proof copy of the first edition. The most significant difference between the proof and..... More