IFP and Penfold mark GOLDFINGER anniversary

Ian Fleming Publications announced today new tie-in merchandise to mark the 65th anniversary of Ian Fleming's Goldfinger. Details below.

Goldfinger took out his driver and unpeeled a new ball. He said, “Dunlop 65. Number One. Always use the same ball. What's yours?” “Penfold. Hearts.”

Today marks a full 65 years since the first publication of Ian Fleming’s novel Goldfinger. A tale that revolves around of some of the finer things in life beginning with ‘G’ (gold, golf and Galore, Pussy), Fleming’s seventh Bond story features perhaps the most famous game of golf in literature.

In celebration of its anniversary, the team at Ian Fleming Publications have partnered with Penfold, the iconic British golfing brand, to create two products that celebrate Fleming’s love of the sport.

Featuring both a golf journal and a writer’s pouch, both are designed with functionality and style in mind, whether you’re using them out on the green before cocktail hour or at your writing desk in Jamaica.

As you know, James Bond has a handicap of 9. Perhaps these tasteful new products from Penfold will help you do even better.

You can read more about the collection here.

The Folio Society releases GOLDFINGER

The Folio Society has revealed their next illustrated slip-cased Ian Fleming classic, Goldfinger.

Filled with characters, incidents and images iconic to the Bond series, Goldfinger reveals Fleming at the height of his powers. Opening with Bond enjoying what he believes is a simple game of cat and mouse, Fleming gradually heightens the tension until the reader, along with Bond, realises that the agent has fatally underestimated the strange, gold-obsessed millionaire. Terrorized by the implacable, cat-eating Oddjob, the agent scrambles to foil the plans of the horrifying Goldfinger, aided in part by Pussy Galore, the tough and canny leader of a team of female burglars. 

In this book Fleming reveals a more contemplative side to his secret agent – Bond is a man who thrives on danger, yet in his quieter moments is troubled by the bystanders who bear the brunt of violence. While his adventures are often gloriously fantastical and populated with grotesque villains, Fleming maintains a steely reality through the relentless efficiency of his protagonist. For fans familiar only with the films, Goldfinger’s Bond will be a welcome revelation: deadly and unflappable, he is also a character of many layers. 

Fay Dalton continues her excellent work on this Folio series, producing seven exquisite colour illustrations that ooze with the glamour and dynamism of Bond. For the special illustrated slipcase, Dalton has recreated the infamous death of Jill Masterton, enshrined in shimmering gold.

Bound in blocked cloth
Set in Miller Text
288 pages
Frontispiece and 6 colour illustrations
Pictorial slipcase
9˝ x 6¾˝

The Goldfinger Folio Edition is priced at $62.95 and is available now from the Folio Society website.

Also available are illustrated editions of Casino Royale and From Russia With Love, Dr. No and Moonraker.

Thanks to Toys of Bond for the alert.

IAN FLEMING Vintage Classic hardcovers released

Three new "Vintage Classic" hardcover editions of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, Live and Let Die and Goldfinger have been released in the UK.  The books sport beautiful original cover art and endpapers by Levente Szabo, and include never-before-seen material from the Ian Fleming and Jonathan Cape archives, including letters, documents and photographs. Each book also has an introduction by writer, flim-maker and James Bond expert John Cork.

Purchase from Amazon.co.uk: Casino Royale | Live and Let Die | Goldfinger.

IFP reveals new JAMES BOND hardcovers

Ian Fleming Publications has officially revealed the three new James Bond hardcovers to be released by Vintage Classic in the UK in November. The books include new introductions by John Cork.

Introducing, new Ian Fleming hardback special editions of 3 of James Bond's finest adventures. Vintage UK will be releasing these fantastic new editions of CASINO ROYALE, LIVE AND LET DIE and GOLDFINGER in November 2017. 

The editions include brand new introductions from Bond expert and writer John Cork, with scintillating new designs by Brisk Graphics artist Levente Szabo.

Pre-order from Amazon.co.uk: Casino Royale | Live and Let Die | Goldfinger.

TITAN releases James Bond Classic Comic Strip Collection 1960-66

Titan Books has released The Complete James Bond: Goldfinger - The Classic Comic Strip Collection 1960-66. The book is a hardcover and collects the vintage Daily Express comic strips of: Goldfinger, Risico, From A View To A Kill, For Your Eyes Only, The Man With The Golden Gun, and The Living Daylights.

Purchase James Bond: Goldfinger - The Complete Comic Strip Collection 1960-66 on Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk (UK).

From the CZECH REPUBLIC with Love

Here are several unique James Bond covers from the Czech Republic sent over by Bond collector Lukáš Berný from Prague. The first block of covers are from 1968-1992. While the use of Sean Connery is obvious, the eagle-eyed among you might also spot Timothy Dalton in the artwork.

Below is a newer series which, according to Lukáš, are now quite rare in his country. These were released by Delfin between 1997-2002. The publisher released the six Fleming titles picture here: Live And Let Die, Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker, Thunderball, From Russia With Love and For Your Eyes Only.

Thank you Lukáš!

Special "Trigger Mortis edition" of GOLDFINGER

Vintage Books is will release a special paperback edition of Ian Fleming's Goldfinger with an excerpt from the upcoming Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz. As we know, Trigger Mortis is set in 1957 two weeks after the events in Goldfinger and features the return of Pussy Galore.

Goldfinger: Trigger Mortis Edition will be released on August 20, 2015 and can be pre-ordered at Amazon.co.uk.

Thanks for CommanderBond.net.

LINK: Literary Bond Superior to Movie Version

Here's a good article on The Daily Beast championing the book Bond over the movie Bond. Click the headline to have read.

Compare Ian Fleming’s fictional creation in his novels to what we see on the screen and the differences start piling up. It's the books, not the films, that should be the standard Bond, writes Allen Barra.

Dear James, Love Pussy

Here's one that seems to have slipped under everyone's radar. The eBook Dear James, Love Pussy - The Secret Correspondence Between JB and Pussy Galore is a sequel of sorts to the book, Goldfinger, revealing correspondence between Pussy Galore and James Bond (called only JB) following their adventure. Here's the description:

The following letters are part of a hitherto unknown correspondence, between a certain Secret Agent and Priscilla May Galore, written while she was serving her debt to society in Sing Sing, Ossining, NY, and for many years after she was free.

At the end of Goldfinger, after a passionate romp in a boat (in the movie it’s a desert island), Pussy Galore is incarcerated in the notorious high-security prison at Sing Sing for her part in Operation Grand Slam. JB continues his peripatetic life as a secret agent.

Pussy Galore is never mentioned in the JB oeuvre again. But it is clear from the book that of all Bond’s girls, this violet-eyed lesbian occupied a special place in the secret agent’s affections and the author’s. (It has been suggested that PG is based on a woman with whom the author had an affair). In a spirit of literary high jinks, we have continued the love-affair between these two high-octane characters and a fictional correspondence between Pussy Galore and the notorious secret agent.

For those familiar with the next five stories JB refers to them in chronology in his letters to Sing Sing. For instance, a letter written from the Gritti Palace in Venice draws on the plot of the story, “ Risico” and a postcard from the Kozee Motor Court near Montreal in Vermont, is referred to in For Your Eyes Only. Several of JB’s letters are written from The Special Forces Club, in Knightsbridge, where one of the author’s is a member.

The following are letters found in Ms. Galore’s old pilot’s bag in the attic of her house on Martinique and in accordance with her last will and testament are being published anonymously to reveal the most intimate details of JB's affection for the infamous lavender-eyed lesbian.

Normally $1.99, Dear James, Love Pussy - The Secret Correspondence Between JB and Pussy Galore is being offered FREE at the moment on Amazon.com.

Bantam's BOND

Well, the last series I featured here, the Jove paperbacks, received a drubbing in the comments, with several of my UK friends complaining (justifiably) that they were far too "American" in their look and design. So to redeem the USA, here is another U.S. series -- which I'd say is just as "American" in look and vibe -- but one that I find pretty darn terrific! In fact, as far as cover paintings go, this might actually be one of the very best paperback series of them all, and it's a shame Bantam only did a handful of the books in this style.

Bantam first entered the Bond game in May 1969 when it published the paperback edition of Colonel Sun by Kingsley Amis. The book featured original cover art by the great Frank C. McCarthy, who in conjunction with Robert McGinnis painted the classic Bond movie posters for Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Then, starting in May 1971, Bantam released more Bond titles with McCarthy artwork, including Casino Royale, From Russia With Love, and Doctor No. The new series featured a bold JAMES BOND down the side and a tag-line touting the books a "All-Time" Bestsellers. Bantam would also reissue Colonel Sun with the new series look (this is a rare one), and finished off the year with a tie-in edition of Diamonds are Forever featuring movie poster art.

Bantam came back in June 1972 with a new edition of Goldfinger featuring McCarthy artwork that offered a rare glimpse of nudity. While they kept the "All-Time" tag, they didn't continue the series look, but instead established a new visual link -- first established on their Diamonds Are Forever tie-in -- of featuring the 007 movie logo on the backs of the books. In March 1973 they released Moonraker with the 007 logo backing and the same font as their DAF tie-in, but with very different "mod" cover art by an uncredited artist (which I still love as representative of its time). Perhaps had they continued the series we would have gotten more mod Bond covers like this?

Bantam concluded their run with a Live and Let Die tie-in released in July 1973. Ironically, this one would not feature the 007 movie logo on the back.

Speaking of movie art, elements of McCarthy's Colonel Sun artwork would later find their way onto the Thai poster for Never Say Never Again (1983).

Bantam's two movie tie-in editions.

Bantam U.S. paperback publication order:

Colonel Sun - May 1969

Casino Royale - May 1971

From Russia With Love - May 1971

Doctor No - July 1971

Colonel Sun (series art reissue) - ?

Diamond Are Forever (movie tie-in) - December 1971

Goldfinger - June 1972

Moonraker - March 1973

Live And Let Die (movie tie-in) - July 1973