First Edition 007 Novels Going Up For Auction In London

A massive collection of first edition James Bond 007 novels by Ian Fleming, John Gardner and Raymond Benson, many of the books signed and/or inscribed by the author, will be going up for auction this upcoming Thursday.

The Bond novels are being sold by Bloomsbury Auctions and a little bit of everything is featured; whether it’s an ultra rare first edition/first impression of Fleming’s Casino Royale or some of the later continution novels, such as Gardner’s COLD and Benson’s The World Is Not Enough.

The lot numbers, collected under the appropriate title of ‘The Property of a Lady’, run from #42 to 80. Some of the select lots include:

Ian Fleming

Ian Fleming’s Thunderball

42. Fleming (Ian) Casino Royale, first edition, first impression , full-page inscription from the author on front free endpaper, original boards, slightly cocked, first state dust-jacket without Times review, slightly chipped at head of spine, otherwise an unusually good example, 8vo, 1953.

£18000 – £22000

The inscription reads “To / the power behind / the publishers’ throne! / from / the author / May 1953”, presumably referring to somebody related to the publishers Jonathan Cape.

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43. Fleming (Ian) Live and Let Die, first edition, full-page inscription from the author on front free endpaper, original boards, first state dust-jacket, slightly rubbed at joints, rubbed at corners with minor fraying to spine ends, 2 small closed tears, otherwise a very good example, 8vo, 1954.

£8000 – £12000

Inscription reads “To / Donald Crowther / Who helped with the coin!” / from / the author / 1954″. Donald Crowther seemingly worked at Spink at this time, before becoming Head of Coins at Sotheby’s, and must have advised Fleming on the 17th century gold coins being sold by “Mr Big” in the plot of Live and Let Die.

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44. Fleming (Ian) Moonraker, first edition , issue with ‘shoot’, near full-page signed presentation inscription from the author on front free endpaper , 1955, original boards, dust-jacket, slightly rubbed at corners, spine slightly dulled, otherwise a very good example, 8vo, 1955.

£5000 – £7000

The inscription reads: “To E.B. Strauss / This ‘Tagebuch eines / halbwüchsigen Spiones’! / Ian Fleming / 1955.” [Journal of an adolescent Spy].

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48. Fleming (Ian) Goldfinger, first edition , full-page signed presentation inscription from the author on front free endpaper, original boards, dust-jacket, slightly browned at spine, light marking visible on lower panel, rubbed at corners and spine ends wit small hole on upper fore-edge, 8vo, 1959.

£3000 – £4000

This inscription is to a Donald, possibly Donald Crowther again, who might have advised on the gold coins that feature on Richard Chopping’s design.

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50. Fleming (Ian) Thunderball, first edition , near full-page inscription from the author on front free endpaper, original boards, dust-jacket, slightly rubbed at tips of corners, but overall an unusually fine copy , 8vo, 1961.

£3500 – £4500

The inscription reads “To / Jack. / By appointment, / M.O. to the SIS! / Ian” – possibly to Jack Whittingham, who worked on a treatment of Thunderball with Fleming for a film version; the idea was scrapped and the treatment converted into the novel instead. ‘SIS’ is the Secret Intelligence Service, aka MI6.

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52. Fleming (Ian) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, first edition, number 125 of 250 copies signed by the author , colour portrait of Fleming by Amherst Villiers, bookplate of Colonel H.C.C.Newnham on front pastedown, original vellum-backed buckram, t.e.g., in original plastic jacket, a fine copy, 8vo, 1963.

£3000 – £4000

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54. Fleming (Ian) You Only Live Twice, first edition , signed presentation copy from the author inscribed on front free endpaper, said endpaper backed with card, minor spotting to extreme edges of some ff., original boards, dust-jacket, in excellent condition , 8vo, 1964.

£1500 – £2000

The inscription here is “To / Dear Julie / from / Ian Fleming.” A previous similar inscription from Fleming to a ‘Julie’ was apparently to the lady who hand-rolled his cigarettes…

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79. Gardner (John) Cold, first edition , signed by the author on title, original boards, slightly rubbed at extremities, dust-jacket, in excellent condition, 8vo, 1996.

£150 – £200

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80. Benson (Raymond) The World is Not Enough, first edition, signed by Goldie on front free endpaper, 2 cut signatures of the author loosely inserted, original boards, dust-jacket, a fine copy, 8vo, 1999.

£120 – £180

Drum & Bass legend Goldie, signed here both as Goldie & “The Bull” (the character he played in the movie), with bull monogram.

Literature, Manuscripts and Modern First Editions

For further information on the sale and the complete list of James Bond novels up for sale, visit http://www.bloomsburyauctions.com/auction/634.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest on James Bond-related events happening around the world.