Sunday, March 18, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
The Book Bond BIBLIOGRAPHY
James Bond's watch from CARTE BLANCHE
Our friend Dell Deaton has posted on his terrific James Bond Watches blog this look at 007's watch from Jeffery Deaver's Carte Blanche.
Friday, March 16, 2012
THRILLING CITIES and THE DIAMOND SMUGGLERS included in Vintage deal
The Bookseller has offered up a few new details on the big Vintage Bond book deal announced yesterday.First and foremost is the news that Ian Fleming's two non-fiction books, Thrilling Cities and The Diamond Smugglers, are included in the deal. After many years being out of print, these two titles were released by IFP under own their imprint in 2009, but only in hardcover.
The site also reports that their Vintage Classics Bond set will come after the paperbacks and e-books -- which will appear this summer -- but before the new Bond film, Skyfall in October.
As to the continuation novels, they "are subject to other licence agreements and remain at their current publishers. However, [Corinne] Turner said: "We and Random House hope that our relationship will cover new projects." (Whoa!) Digital rights to the Young Bond novels by Charlie Higson remain with IFP.
The site also reports that "a U.S. deal was in the pipeline, again to find a successor to Penguin, which held world English-language print rights."
This would be terrific as Colonel Sun has not been reprinted since the 1990s.
Lots to be excited about here.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
VINTAGE TO PUBLISH ALL 14 ORIGINAL IAN FLEMING JAMES BOND NOVELS THIS SUMMER
Big news today from Ian Fleming Publications! All 14 original Ian Fleming James Bond novels will be republished this summer in two new sets and as eBooks by Vintage Books. Vintage is the sister imprint of Bond's original publisher, Jonathan Cape, so this is a homecoming of sorts. Here is the full press release:
JAMES BOND RETURNS HOME
VINTAGE PUBLISHING ACQUIRES BOND BACKLIST
• Vintage Books has acquired the ten year license to publish Ian Fleming’s fourteen James Bond books
• Vintage to publish backlist in ebook format
The Random House Group and Ian Fleming Publications Ltd today announce that Vintage Publishing, a division of Random House, has acquired through Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown the ten-year licence for Ian Fleming’s entire James Bond backlist in print and ebook format, along with Fleming’s two non-fiction titles.
Vintage Books is the sister imprint of Jonathan Cape, who were the original publishers of Ian Fleming’s Bond fiction and published Casino Royale, the first in the series of fourteen Bond books in 1953. The novels have now gone on to sell over 100 million copies worldwide and have been the inspiration behind the world’s longest-running film franchise. Jonathan Cape was also the publisher of the first ever official Bond novel written following Fleming’s death in 1964. Kingsley Amis took up the mantle in 1968 writing Colonel Sun as Robert Markham. Bond novels have since been written by John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks and Jeffery Deaver
Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd comments: ‘We are delighted to be reuniting James Bond with his original publisher. This new deal, incorporating both print and ebook formats, represents a significant step-change for Ian Fleming and his work.’
Richard Cable, Managing Director, Vintage Publishing, acquired exclusive rights to the Bond novels in the English language worldwide exc USA/Canada. Cable commented: ‘Bond, James Bond. Ian Fleming’s famous Secret Service agent 007 remains one of the most iconic of all literary creations, and continues to thrill new and existing readers alike. We are excited to welcome Ian Fleming’s books to the Vintage list for the first time and to reunite him with Jonathan Cape, the original publisher of his work. We are hugely looking forward to working with IFPL to relaunch the list in 2012, a year which marks the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film, Dr No, and sees a new 007 adventure hit the big screen.’
Vintage Publishing Sales Director Tom Drake-Lee, a lifelong fan of the Bond novels, will head up the publishing team across all publications as Ian Fleming Brand Manager. Two series styles will be created for the fourteen books: one under the Vintage paperback imprint and one in Vintage Classics. This is the first time that an author’s entire fiction backlist has been published under both imprints. The publishing programme will be underpinned by consumer insight to bring a new generation of readers to Ian Fleming’s work and engage people who have recently discovered the Bond brand through the films and computer games.
Jonny Geller, Managing Director, Curtis Brown comments: ‘2012 is the year of Bond - a new movie and a new home for Ian Fleming’s backlist. James Bond never sleeps and we promise an exciting programme of innovative publishing ventures aimed at the next generation of readers for Ian Fleming’s greatest creation.’
Random House will take over from Penguin as publishers of the James Bond novels in April and will publish the Bond backlist in ebook and print format in summer 2012.
I can't wait to see the cover art for these!
Thanks to IFP and Coleman-Getty for giving me the jump on this excellent news.
UPDATE: THRILLING CITIES and THE DIAMOND SMUGGLERS included in Vintage deal
THE JAMES BOND OMNIBUS 003 now shipping in the UK
This time the collection moves into the post Fleming era with the Daily Express adaptation of the first continuation novel, Colonel Sun (the description calls this "Kingley Amis' controversial post-Fleming story"), and several original strip stories by Jim Lawrence: The Harpies, River of Death, The Golden Ghost, Fear Face, Double Jeopardy, and Starfire.
Amazon.com
shows a U.S. release date of April 3.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
BROKENCLAW gets cover art and a new release date
Simon Gardner has posted on the official John Gardner Facebook page cover art for Gardner's Brokenclaw, which was not included in the batch of covers unveiled last week by Orion. We also have news that the book will now be released on July 5 along with No Deals Mr. Bond. (These release dates have been fluid, so watch my Gardner Renewed page for the lastest updates.) Cover art is by Dan Mogford.
Released in 1990, Brokenclaw was John Gardner's 10th James Bond novel. Written while he was ill, Gardner later said he wasn't happy with the book. But Brokenclaw is actually one of my favorite John Gardner 007 novels. I think Brokenclaw Lee is one of his most Flemingesque villains, and the ending, in which Bond has to endure the Native American O-kee-pa ritual, is fantastic. This is one I can see Daniel Craig in. (Yes, I know, Bond mistakenly drinks tea in it.)
Pre-order Brokenclaw at Amazon.co.uk.
Thanks to Simon Gardner and Louisa Gibbs at Orion.
Released in 1990, Brokenclaw was John Gardner's 10th James Bond novel. Written while he was ill, Gardner later said he wasn't happy with the book. But Brokenclaw is actually one of my favorite John Gardner 007 novels. I think Brokenclaw Lee is one of his most Flemingesque villains, and the ending, in which Bond has to endure the Native American O-kee-pa ritual, is fantastic. This is one I can see Daniel Craig in. (Yes, I know, Bond mistakenly drinks tea in it.)
Pre-order Brokenclaw at Amazon.co.uk.
Thanks to Simon Gardner and Louisa Gibbs at Orion.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The collectible CASINO ROYALE hardcovers
Author’s note: Values here are estimates based on experience and are only meant to be a guide. No matter what any "expert" says (myself included), a book is only worth what someone is willing to pay and no one can say for sure what a book will or will not sell for. And condition is everything. All prices here are in U.S. dollars.
The UK Edition
When Ian Fleming's Casino Royale was first published by Jonathan Cape on April 13, 1953, it was a sensation. In England the first printing of 4,750 copies sold out in the first month of publication. Fleming himself designed the dust jacket art, which contained nine bleeding hearts on a gunmetal gray background with "a whisper of love, a whisper of hate" inscribed around the center heart. This first edition of Casino Royale is one of the most sought-after James Bond books. Heck, it's one of the most sought after first edition books, period! Because the first print run was very small — with many going to libraries — in auction, first editions of Casino Royale can sell for $10,000 to $30,000 depending on condition (I realize that is quite a spread, but that is how much condition matters with this book). An inscribed copy of Casino Royale sold for just over $40,000 in 2007.
Know that the dust jacket is everything with this title. With a jacket, a first Casino can indeed fetch these large prices. But without a jacket, a seller would be lucky to get even a few hundred dollars. Also, beware of color copies of the dust jackets, which have begun to appear on the market in recent years.
In order to meet demand, Cape quickly published a second edition of Casino Royale in May 1953. This second edition is identical to the first except for the indicator "Second Edition" on the copyright page and the inclusion of "The Author" under Fleming’s picture on the back of the dust jacket. Also, a favorable review of the book was added to the front dust jacket overleaf. This second edition can sell for several hundred dollars. You'll sometimes see these listed as a "First Edition, Second Impression", but don't be fooled into paying a "first edition" price.
Pat Marriott designed an all new dust jacket (featuring a playing card against a green background) for Cape's fourth printing in November 1957. The book also picked up a printers error on page 34 ("neard" for "heard"). The Marriott art (along with the printing error) became standard on all subsequent hardcover editions, ending with the 13th edition in the 1980s. A Marriott first (meaning the 4th) can sell for $50 to $100, depending on condition. Cape would reprint the Casino Royale hardcover with the Marriott artwork all the way into the 1980s.
The U.S. Edition
In America the reaction to Casino Royale was rather cool. (Fleming was not to gain a loyal following in the states until President Kennedy named From Russia with Love one of his favorite books.) Nevertheless, the first edition of Casino Royale, published by Macmillan on March 23, 1954, remains the most valuable (but not the rarest) of the American books and can sell for between $1,500 and $2,500.
When shopping for an American Casino, be aware that two states of the dust jacket exist. Most first editions have the corner of the dust jacket overleaf clipped, and the price reads vertically below the clipped area. But there is another state of the first edition with a complete flap, and the price reads horizontally on the bottom. (The prices are the same on both editions: $2.75.) Most collectors and book dealers don’t know about this variation; so at the moment, there’s little difference in value. But personal experience has been that the complete flap is much harder to find than the clipped flap and should add a few hundred dollars to the price.
Macmillan started what would be a long series of US hardcover book club editions with Casino Royale (the UK would wait for the next book). The first Macmillan Casino book club edition — featuring a knife and cards against an orange background in its cover — is quite desirable and can reach as high as $80 in price, unusual for a book club. In fact, there’s a question as to whether or not this is a book club edition or a retail reprint. The later Macmillan book club — featuring a PPK against a uniform blue-grey or a pink background — are plentiful and have almost no value. These frequently show up on eBay as "hardcover 1st editions." Buyer beware.
In the 1990s, MJF reprinted Casino Royale as a low-priced "bargain bin" hardcover, part of "The James Bond Classic Library" series. While the jacket art is a bit lackluster, what is nice is that the book uses the original British edition plates (right down to the page 34 printing error). Also in the '90s, "The First Edition Library" reprinted pricey facsimile editions of all of Fleming's novels, and their copy of Casino Royale is a beauty. This is an excellent way to enjoy the artistry of the true first edition if you don’t have $20,000 on hand, although it still doesn't come cheap with copies on eBay fetching $100 and up.
In 2002, Viking/Penguin published a hardcover edition of Casino Royale as part of their "anniversary" reprints with jacket art that matched their paperback reprints. In 2008 Penguin Books in the UK released all 14 original James Bond/Ian Fleming novels as special Centenary editions hardcovers, including Casino Royale. The attractive new cover art was by artist Michael Gillette. These are now surprisingly scarce.
In the 2006 film adaptation of Casino Royale, James Bond plays Texas hold'em poker instead of the traditional baccarat (Chemin De Fer) of the novel. But baccarat is still the classic Bonidan game, and it's definitely the game of the Book Bond. Check out this article about James Bond and Baccarat if you would like to learn more.
The UK Edition
 |
| UK first edition by Jonathan Cape |
Know that the dust jacket is everything with this title. With a jacket, a first Casino can indeed fetch these large prices. But without a jacket, a seller would be lucky to get even a few hundred dollars. Also, beware of color copies of the dust jackets, which have begun to appear on the market in recent years.
In order to meet demand, Cape quickly published a second edition of Casino Royale in May 1953. This second edition is identical to the first except for the indicator "Second Edition" on the copyright page and the inclusion of "The Author" under Fleming’s picture on the back of the dust jacket. Also, a favorable review of the book was added to the front dust jacket overleaf. This second edition can sell for several hundred dollars. You'll sometimes see these listed as a "First Edition, Second Impression", but don't be fooled into paying a "first edition" price.
Pat Marriott designed an all new dust jacket (featuring a playing card against a green background) for Cape's fourth printing in November 1957. The book also picked up a printers error on page 34 ("neard" for "heard"). The Marriott art (along with the printing error) became standard on all subsequent hardcover editions, ending with the 13th edition in the 1980s. A Marriott first (meaning the 4th) can sell for $50 to $100, depending on condition. Cape would reprint the Casino Royale hardcover with the Marriott artwork all the way into the 1980s.
The U.S. Edition
 |
| U.S. first edition from Macmillan |
When shopping for an American Casino, be aware that two states of the dust jacket exist. Most first editions have the corner of the dust jacket overleaf clipped, and the price reads vertically below the clipped area. But there is another state of the first edition with a complete flap, and the price reads horizontally on the bottom. (The prices are the same on both editions: $2.75.) Most collectors and book dealers don’t know about this variation; so at the moment, there’s little difference in value. But personal experience has been that the complete flap is much harder to find than the clipped flap and should add a few hundred dollars to the price.
Macmillan started what would be a long series of US hardcover book club editions with Casino Royale (the UK would wait for the next book). The first Macmillan Casino book club edition — featuring a knife and cards against an orange background in its cover — is quite desirable and can reach as high as $80 in price, unusual for a book club. In fact, there’s a question as to whether or not this is a book club edition or a retail reprint. The later Macmillan book club — featuring a PPK against a uniform blue-grey or a pink background — are plentiful and have almost no value. These frequently show up on eBay as "hardcover 1st editions." Buyer beware.
In the 1990s, MJF reprinted Casino Royale as a low-priced "bargain bin" hardcover, part of "The James Bond Classic Library" series. While the jacket art is a bit lackluster, what is nice is that the book uses the original British edition plates (right down to the page 34 printing error). Also in the '90s, "The First Edition Library" reprinted pricey facsimile editions of all of Fleming's novels, and their copy of Casino Royale is a beauty. This is an excellent way to enjoy the artistry of the true first edition if you don’t have $20,000 on hand, although it still doesn't come cheap with copies on eBay fetching $100 and up.
In 2002, Viking/Penguin published a hardcover edition of Casino Royale as part of their "anniversary" reprints with jacket art that matched their paperback reprints. In 2008 Penguin Books in the UK released all 14 original James Bond/Ian Fleming novels as special Centenary editions hardcovers, including Casino Royale. The attractive new cover art was by artist Michael Gillette. These are now surprisingly scarce.
 |
| Later Casinos: Cape (1957), MJF (1990), Viking (2002) and Penguin (2008) |
In the 2006 film adaptation of Casino Royale, James Bond plays Texas hold'em poker instead of the traditional baccarat (Chemin De Fer) of the novel. But baccarat is still the classic Bonidan game, and it's definitely the game of the Book Bond. Check out this article about James Bond and Baccarat if you would like to learn more.
CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG FLIES AGAIN in the U.S.
"I went back to the [original] book for the first time since I was a boy and was delighted to discover that, first of all, it's really good and, secondly, it's crying out for a sequel," says Boyce. "I've had a lot of fun writing these books, but somewhere amongst all the fun I found it strangely emotional to revisit myself as a boy and ask if he could help me restore an old-fashioned contraption and make it fly again."
Purchase Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again on Amazon.com.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Charlie Higson tweets pic of new YOUNG BOND books
While we first revealed the 2012 Young Bond refresh cover art back in October, author Charlie Higson appears to have his hands on the books themselves and tweeted this pic along with the comment; "Very much like the new young bond covers." Me too!
These new editions of SilverFin, Blood Fever, Double or Die, Hurricane Gold, and By Royal Command will be released in the UK on April 5, 2012.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Receive updates by Email