Ian Fleming's 'You Only Live Twice' Sells For $84,000 At Auction

A special copy of Ian Fleming’s penultimate James Bond novel, 1964’s You Only Live Twice has sold for $84,000 (£56,000) at an auction.

As first reported on the CommanderBond.net main page last month, this copy of the book is inscribed by Ian Fleming to the ornithologist who’s name was used for the literary spy.

The novel was sold along with many other notable pieces of 007 memorabilia at the 33rd Profiles in History Hollywood Memorabilia auction, which took place this past Thursday.

This copy of You Only Live Twice was expected to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000 at the sale.

Roald Dahl’s original handwritten second draft screenplay for the Bond film of the same name sold for $96,000 (£64,000). It was estimated at $30,000 to $50,000.

Ian Fleming’s inscribed copy of You Only Live Twice to the ‘real’ James Bond

Ian Fleming’s You Only Live Twice (Jonathan Cape, 1964). First British edition. Orig. black cloth boards lettered in silver (spine a bit cocked, light offsetting to endpapers), pictorial dust jacket after a design by Richard Chopping (very fine). Inscribed by Fleming on the front free endpaper, “To the real James Bond from the thief of his identity. Ian Fleming, Feb. 5, 1964, (a great day!)”. When writing Casino Royale in the early 50s, Fleming needed a name for his soon-to-be famous fictional secret agent. He looked no further than the coffee table of his home in Jamaica, where he found inspiration in a copy of Birds of the West Indies by American Ornithologist James Bond. It was not until 1964 that the two authors met in person, when Fleming received the real James Bond at the Jamaican home where 007 was born. Fleming gave Bond a prepublication copy of You Only Live Twice as a memento of his visit, signing it as above. It was the only book ever inscribed for the real-life Bond by Fleming, who died several months after the meeting. Includes a copy of How 007 Got His Name (Collins, 1966, 1st ed.) by Mrs. James Bond and a dust jacket for the book Birds of the West Indies by James Bond. You Only Live Twice housed in a custom half morocco clamshell slipcase. The ultimate James Bond association! Fleming acknowledges the source of secret agent 007’s name!

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