ESCAPE from 2020!

Ian Fleming Publications used this "Christmas-ified" Fay Dalton illustration from the recently released On Her Majesty's Secret Service Folio Edition as their 2020 holiday card. They've also promised "a few big announcements" for the new year, adding: "Details are still For Our Eyes Only, but expect the return of old friends, some fantastic new allies, and an exploration of Bond’s world from some unexpected angles."

Here's to saying goodbye to the troubles of 2020 and a Bond-filled 2021!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 

Young Bond GALAXY large print editions

Below are all five UK Large Print editions of Charlie Higson's Young Bond novels. These were released by Galaxy Plus and make a nice set. I especially like Hurricane Gold as the release UK paperback used a highly reflective gold cover that obscured the artwork. But here the croc can be seen clearly! Also notice SilverFin uses the UK proof cover art and By Royal Command the hardcover art. 

Click to read THE SECRET HISTORY OF YOUNG JAMES BOND

Orion renews FOR SPECIAL SERVICES for 2020

A new paperback edition of John Gardner's second James Bond continuation novel, For Special Services, is released today on Orion Books. Below is the cover and synopsis.

In this heart-stopping thriller, James Bond teams up with CIA agent Cedar Leiter, to investigate a dangerous criminal, suspected of reviving the notorious organisation SPECTRE. The organisation was believed to have been disbanded years earlier following the death of its leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, at the hands of Bond (in You Only Live Twice), but it seems that this is far from true. 

Bond discovers that the revitalised SPECTRE has the most devastating, world-threatening plans: to gain control of America's military space satellite network.

Orion will release a new 40th Anniversary paperback edition of Gardner's first Bond book, License Renewed, in August 2021. So why release his second book now? Well, I expect the plan was to release a book to time with the release of the new Bond film, No Time To Die. But we all know what happened with that! 

So why not go ahead and get your Bond fix this Fall from For Special Services. It is one of the most cinematic of all the Gardner books.

"Read any good books lately?"

Purchase For Special Services (2020 edition) at Amazon.co.uk.

Inscribed LIVE AND LET DIE sells for $250,000

A first UK edition of Live and Let Die inscribed by Ian Fleming to Winston Churchill sold today in Sotheby's "James Bond: A Collection of Books and Manuscripts, The Property of a Gentleman" auction for £189,000 ($249,647). This has got to easily be the highest price every paid for a James Bond book.

Ian Fleming's final revised typescript for Diamonds are Forever took £138,600 ($183,074). 

You can browse all the prices realized HERE.

JAMES BOND turns 100

Today marks the 100th birthday of James Bond. Well, it does if we accept the birthdate of November 11, 1920 given to him by John Pearson in the 1973 continuation novel James Bond the Authorized Biography of 007. While others have gone on to provide different dates, Pearson was the first and I really enjoy his book, so... Happy Birthday old boy!

Thanks to the Neil S. Bulk for the reminder.

Collected JAMES BOND OO7 Vol. 2 released

The collected James Bond OO7 Vol. 2 by Greg Pak and Eric Gapstur has been released by Dynamite.

A friendship is finished. The world is in peril. And Goldfinger wants diamonds?

You think you know Goldfinger. But you don't know THIS Goldfinger.

Go inside the mind of the most ruthless sociopath in the world, courtesy of GREG PAK and ERIC GAPSTUR.

Purchase from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

The collected edition of the latest Dynamite Bond series will be released as James Bond: Big Things in February 2021.

SEAN CONNERY 1930-2020

LICENCE RENEWED 40th Anniversary edition in 2021

A new 40th Anniversary paperback edition of John Gardner's Licence Renewed will be released by Orion Books in August of 2021. The book includes a new introduction by author M. J. Arlidge. Below is the cover art (which is not great).

You can pre-order the Licence Renewed 40th Anniversary paperback at Amazon.co.uk.

Thanks to CommanderBond.net on Twitter for the alert.

The Folio Society reveals O.H.M.S.S.

The Folio Society has revealed their next illustrated slip-cased Ian Fleming classic, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a thrilling tour of beautiful and exotic locations, with the setting playing an essential role in Bond’s adventures. Fleming sweeps the reader up into the thin and dangerous atmosphere of the Alps, then lets them hurtle downwards on Bond’s heels as he skis for his life ahead of an oncoming avalanche, or tears the skin from his elbows on an out-of-control bob-sled pursuit. Series illustrator Fay Dalton uses these extraordinary vistas to convey the high stakes of Bond’s latest adventure, as well as taking her usual care with the book’s iconic characters. Tracy, the woman who wins Bond’s heart by recklessly outdriving him, sizzles on the page, while the sinister Blofeld oozes menace.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Folio Edition is priced at $64.95 and is available from the Folio Society website.

Also available are Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia With Love, Dr. No, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and The Spy Who Loved Me.

007 beach towel FUSES the book and film Bond

Here's a curiosity that I've had for years. This James Bond beach towel, which dates to the 1980s, is an interesting fusion of the movie and literary James Bond. You'll note the image of Bond is clearly Roger Moore from For Your Eyes Only. Yet the "James Bond" typeface is from the Berkley paperbacks and John Gardner books. The sail boats and young lady in the background are, well, from the '80s.

Two Moneypenny short stories now FREE on Kindle

IFP is offering Samantha Weinberg's two Moneypenny short stories in a FREE Kindle collection called The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Chapters. 

Kate Westbrook, niece of the intrepid Miss Moneypenny and editor of her famous diaries, has uncovered two more of her aunt's formerly-classified adventures. 

 Short stories First Date and For Your Eyes Only, James offer a tantalising (and candid) glimpse into the life of James Bond's confidante and co-conspiritor: the ever-resourceful Miss Moneypenny...

 

"First Date" was originally published November 11, 2006 issue of The Spectator and "For Your Eyes Only, James" first appeared in the November 2006 issue of Tatler. 

The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Chapters is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Dynamite releases REFLECTIONS OF DEATH

While Amazon still shows a September 29th release, Dynamite has tweeted that their latest original Bond graphic novel, Reflections of Death, is released today. Some alternate cover art has also appeared online, so it's a bit unclear what the final cover looks like. But I guess we'll find out soon!  

An ALL-NEW, ALL-ORIGINAL James Bond graphic novel, by a cavalcade of superstars!

GREG PAK!
ANDY DIGGLE! 
BENJAMIN PERCY! 
GAIL SIMONE! 
MARK RUSSELL! 
VITA AYALA & DANNY LORE! 

Six stunning stories, featuring the world’s greatest spy! Moneypenny has been kidnapped, and the mystery of who has her, and what they want, will only be revealed when (if?) 007 is able to complete his incredible missions.

Purchase James Bond: Reflections of Death at Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk.

FOR SPECIAL SERVICES reprint in November

My old friends at CommanderBond.net have scored a sweet scoop. It appears Orion will release a new reprint of John Gardner's second James Bond novel For Special Services in November, and CBn offered a first look at the cover art on their Twitter.

Later this year, @orionbooks will republish John Gardner’s second James Bond novel, For Special Services. The book features the reappearance of SPECTRE. Here’s an early look at cover art. @TheBookBond @johngardnercom https://t.co/U7lnro17A2 pic.twitter.com/q2VSa46GfA

— Commander James Bond (@CBn007) July 23, 2020

James Bond ORIGIN Vol. 2 released (maybe)

The second volume of James Bond Origin may or may not be released today. Even in normal times Dynamite's release dates have been all over the place, and the Covid shutdowns have scramble those dates even more. But according to Amazon, the book has a July 14 release, so...

RUSSIAN RUSE: A Norwegian supply ship carrying gold mysteriously sinks. A Russian crew claims the Nazis are responsible. Royal Navy Lieutenant James Bond suspects foul play.

Purchase James Bond Origin Vol. 2 from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

The Young Bond PROOFS

I was surprised at how popular the Raymond Benson James Bond proofs were that I just sold on eBay and shared here. So I thought I'd share my set of Young Bond proofs. I don't have plan to sell these, but still thought people would enjoy a look.

For the final two Higson books the publisher released what might be more accurately called Galleys. But as far as I know, these were the only advance copies. Hurricane Gold came in two variants.

The only proof I have for the Steve Cole books is Shoot To Kill. I don't know if proofs exist for his other three books.

U.S. publisher Miramax produced proofs for the first two Charlie Higson books. As far as I know, these are the only U.S. proofs for any of the Young Bond titles.

The Benson PROOFS

Here are the U.S. uncorrected proofs for Raymond Benson's six James Bond novels, which have just listed for sale on eBay. (I'm thinning out my Bond collection.) But I realized I never did a post to document them, so here they are!

IAN FLEMING - THE NOTES by John Pearson

Queen Ann Press has released an intriguing new book for the Ian Fleming connoisseur.

Ian Fleming - The Notes by John Pearson

Here are the notes that John Pearson made in 1965 while researching The Life of Ian Fleming. They chart not only Fleming’s life – with details that never made it into the finished biography - but John’s own journey while investigating his subject. As such they form less a series of aides memoires than a book about writing a book. Compelling, insightful, irreverent and written in John’s inimitable style, they make an outstanding read. Never before published, they are available in two limitations:

A Regular Edition numbered 001-150 – £125
A Deluxe Edition lettered A-Z, signed by the author – £275 (fully subscribed)

376pp. Royal. Typography by Libanus Press. Covers by Prof. Phil Cleaver, Etal Design. Introduction by Fergus Fleming.

The Regular Edition is available now from Queen Ann Press. The Deluxe Edition will be ready by the second week of June.

The curious YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE tie-ins

For those who collect James Bond tie-in editions (copies of the Fleming originals reprinted with artwork or an acknowledgment of the corresponding film), here's one you may not be aware of. In 1967 the UK publisher PAN released a tie-in paperback edition for Sean Connery's You Only Live Twice with only a movie-themed dust-jacket wrapped around their regular first edition paperback. What's odd is they also released a version with this same movie cover art as their "second edition". I'm not sure which came first, but I would suspect the dust-jacketed version is the harder to find. Happily I stumped upon one at some point.

You Only Live Twice also received untypical treatment in the U.S. Up to this point, Signet had produced nice tie-in editions with original cover art. But for You Only Live Twice they simply applied a sticker to the cover of their current in-print edition. I'm wondering if this was purely an economic decision as they made have had a large stock of the paperback on hand. But one wonders how Eon would have felt about this, especially as Signet has produced unique tie-in editions for Charle's K. Feldman's competing Casino Royale.

You can see all the tie-in paperback editions in the two posts below:

UK JAMES BOND movie tie-in editions

U.S. JAMES BOND movie tie-in editions

Potter & Potter major Bond book auction April 18

Chicago based auctioneers Potter & Potter are offering a wide selection of first edition Bond books from all authors in their upcoming auction on April 18. Potter & Potter are the leading magic auction specialists so I've had a lot of interaction with them on various Houdini items. They are an excellent auction house and I'm very excited to see them moving into Bond.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND BID ONLINE

You can order a catalog or download a free PDF from the Potter & Potter website.

UPDATE: The first edition Casino Royale sold for $19,000. A first edition Live and Let Die took $3,600, Moonraker $2,200, and Diamonds Are Forever $2,800.

The Folio Society releases The Spy Who Loved Me

The Folio Society has released their next illustrated slip-cased Ian Fleming classic, The Spy Who Loved Me.

The latest volume in Folio’s celebrated Bond collection features a unique twist: for the first and only time in the series, we witness the agent’s adventures through the eyes of another character. Observed by a woman who finds him both frightening and alluring, Bond is exposed in a way that the reader has never seen before – making The Spy Who Loved Me an essential read for anyone wishing to get under the skin of the famous secret agent. This edition features a smart binding inspired by the agent’s suits, and a series of exquisitely glamorous – and daring – illustrations by series artist Fay Dalton. For this edition we have also reintroduced Fleming’s original prologue, which had been removed from all modern editions of the text. In an unusual move by the author, this short introduction suggests that the manuscript had been left on his desk by Vivienne Michel, the character who narrates the book.

The Spy Who Loved Me Folio Edition is priced at $62.95 and is available now from the Folio Society website.

Also available are illustrated editions of Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia With Love, Dr. No, Goldfinger and Thunderball.

The Man With The Golden Gun on BBC Radio 4

A new radio drama adaptation of Ian Fleming's The Man With The Golden Gun will air on March 14, 2020 on BBC Radio 4. Below are details.

Ian Fleming’s psycho-political Cold War thriller, written in 1964 and dramatised by Archie Scottney. James Bond’s obit appears in the Times. But suddenly he’s back in London with murder on his mind. Brainwashed by the Russians? 

M gives him one more chance - terminate international assassin, Francisco Scaramanga.
Bond infiltrates the killer’s Jamaican HQ. But 007 has a conscience. Can he eliminate the butcher in cold blood? Will his cover be blown? 

A stellar cast includes Toby Stephen's return as 007. Cuban/American star Guillermo Diaz excels as psychopath Scaramanga and Janie Dee returns as Moneypenny, with John Standing as M and Moira Quirk as a feisty Mary Goodnight. 

Martin Jarvis directs and is the voice of Ian Fleming in a dazzling Caribbean soundscape with specially composed music by A-Mnemonic. 

Cast:
James Bond ….. Toby Stephens
Scaramanga ….. Guillermo Diaz
M ….. John Standing
Chief-of-Staff ….. Lloyd Owen
Moneypenny ….. Janie Dee
Townsend ….. Simon Templeman
Professor Gillian ….. Lisa Dillon
Tiffy ….. Monica McSwain
Mary Goodnight ….. Moira Quirk
Paradise ….. Seamus Dever
Gengerella ….. Tim Dekay
Hendricks ….. Matthew Wolf
Binion ….. André Sogliuzzo
Garfinkel ….. Darren Richardson
Ruby ….. Anna Mathias
Leiter ….. Josh Stamberg
Nicholson ….. JD Cullum
Doctor ….. Gilbert Glenn Brown
Matron ….. Inger Tudor
Cargill ….. John Cothran
Telephonists ….. Anna-Louise Plowman, Paula Jane Newman, Anna Lyse Erikson
Newsreader ….. Brian Perkins
Fleming ….. Martin Jarvis
Other parts by members of the cast 

Specially composed music: A-Mnemonic.
Sound Design: Mark Holden
Dramatised by Archie Scottney
Director: Martin Jarvis 

Producer: Rosalind Ayres
A Jarvis and Ayres production for BBC Radio 4.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

DR. NO in 1961

I haven't posted in a while, so I thought I'd pluck down a paperback from my shelf to share. This is a 4th printing 1961 UK paperback of Ian Fleming's Dr. No. It's fun to think of this book in stores just a year before the movie version was released. After that, James Bond could no longer look like that chap with the gun below.

2020 Anniversary BONDS

HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome to another year of The Book Bond. 2020 marks a few anniversaries, any one of which is sure to make someone feel old!

60th Anniversary

Ian Fleming's For You Eyes Only 

Published April 11, 1960

A departure from the full-length James Bond novels, For Your Eyes Only is a stunning collection of five stories that sends 007 to Bermuda, Berlin, and beyond, and places him in the dangerous company of adversaries of all varieties.

30th Anniversary

John Gardner's Brokenclaw

Published August 2, 1990

During a vacation trip to San Francisco, James Bond confronts a complex espionage plot and his deadliest enemy yet--Fu-Chu Lee, an evil super-criminal known to both the underworld and intelligence agencies as Brokenclaw.

25th Anniversary

John Gardner's GoldenEye

Published November 1995

Once Xenia worked for the KGB. But her new master is Janus, a powerful and ambitious Russian gang that no longer cares about ideology. Janus's ambitions are money and power; its normal business methods are theft and murder. And it has just acquired GoldenEye, a piece of high-tech space technology with the power to destroy or corrupt the West's financial markets. But Janus has underestimated its most determined enemy. . . James Bond

20th Anniversary

Raymond Benson's Doubleshot

Published May 4, 2000

The criminal conspiracy called the Union has vowed its revenge on the man who thwarted its last coup - James Bond. As the Union's mysterious leader sets out to destroy Bond's reputation and sanity, 007 edges closer to the truth about their elaborate plan to destroy both SIS and its best agent.

Other anniversaries include Moonraker (65th), The Man With The Golden Gun (55th), The Quasimodo Gambit (25th), SilverFin (15th) and Trigger Mortis (5th).