Tuesday 12 November 2019

Mr Big is the eighth villain to be released by Folio Society


Sadly I might just be the last blog on earth to report that The Folio Society has released their eighth James Bond Novel and this time it was LIVE AND LET DIE that was chosen.

I was supposed to report this as soon as I was allowed but suddenly life caught up with me and I just haven't had the time to write anything.

But this release was a bit different compare to the previous ones. The book itself was actually available to be ordered on Folio's website before embargo to write something was released. I have friends who had the book before the embargo ended and about one week before I could get hold of the book. So others beat me to it this time.

I can only guess that some sort of error made the book open for sale before the embargo closed.

But I do like that The Folio Society completely fooled me regarding what title they would release. I have always thought that LIVE AND LET DIE were to be released last since Folio have released that book earlier in 2007. It is always interesting to see what book will be released next.

As always, this book also contains superb drawings by Fay dalton. Eight of them. One of them actually look alot like the cover for US paperback released by Perma Books in June 1956 (See below).

The book is available for purchase at The Folio Society for £36.95

Illustration ©2019 Fay Dalton from The Folio Society edition of Ian Fleming’s Live and Let Die       

Illustration ©2019 Fay Dalton from The Folio Society edition of Ian Fleming’s Live and Let Die

Illustration ©2019 Fay Dalton from The Folio Society edition of Ian Fleming’s Live and Let Die
Illustration ©2019 Fay Dalton from The Folio Society edition of Ian Fleming’s Live and Let Die

Illustration ©2019 Fay Dalton from The Folio Society edition of Ian Fleming’s Live and Let Die

Illustration ©2019 Fay Dalton from The Folio Society edition of Ian Fleming’s Live and Let Die
US paperback released by Perma Books in June 1956 

Wednesday 6 March 2019

The new James Bond Folio Society release is...


It is that time of the year again one The Folio Society releases a new James Bond novel by Ian Fleming. It's a bit like christmas. Your parents are going to give you that present you wanted.

This time it is Thunderball that are being released. The one Fleming book with all the controversy about who actually wrote the story. Was it Fleming or was it Jack Whittingham or Kevin Mcclory. Or was it all of them together.

It was supposed to be the first film in the series but due to the ongoing lawsuit regarding the above the filming of Thunderball had to be delayed. In the end Fleming got the rights to the novel and Kevin Mcclory got the rights to film the story. I believe Jack Whittingham sold his parts of the rights.

Also in the settlement between the three parties it was agreed that in ALL forthcoming prints of Thunderball it had to say "The story is based on the screen treatment by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, and Ian Fleming."

This must have been sorted out in some way or some publishers just did not care because in Thunderball novels released as early as 1966 the acknowledgments disappeared from some publishers. Others keep it as it should be. It would be VERY interesting to know why the acknowledgments are not in all later printings. Might it have to do with the film version of Thunderball being released in 1965? I would have loved for The Folio Society to keep it in. It is a big part of the history of Thunderball as a novel.

If you were to look in the PAN paperbacks from 1964 it clearly says: "The story is based on the screen treatment by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, and Ian Fleming." To my knowledge. The latest release to carry this acknowledgment is the Blofeld trilogy from USA in 2010. 

Now let's forget about that!

The new Thunderball novel release is as beautiful as the rest of the books and the binding is the same. Fay Dalton has done seven drawings for the book containing Bond, Largo and Domino.

The book is on sale March 6, 2019. Price £36,95



Illustration ©2019 Fay Dalton from The Folio Society edition of Ian Fleming’s Thunderball

Illustration ©2019 Fay Dalton from The Folio Society edition of Ian Fleming’s Thunderball
The Folio Society edition of Ian Fleming’s Thunderball, illustrated by Fay Dalton, is available exclusively from www.FolioSociety.com

Tuesday 19 February 2019

The man with the golden brush!


As Ian Fleming's books were being released in Sweden for of them was released with a cover drawn by a famous Swedish artist called Hans Arnold.

Hans was not born in Sweden but in Switzerland and moved to Sweden in his early 20's. He is famous for his strange and sexy drawings with huge amount of details.

Albert Bonniers Publications released all the James Bond books by Ian Fleming and turned to Hans when they needed a suspenseful and classic new cover for the books THUNDERBALL, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN and OCTOPUSSY.

Hans Arnold died in 2010 and there is soon a documentary to be released about his famous drawings. I was able to catch an early screening of this film and during the end credits I could read and take notes of the names of his family.
Then I was able to contact them to ask if the original paintings were for sale or if the publishers owed them and had the rights.

I received a prompt answer saying that sadly a lot of Hans fine work has been sold during the years and the four paintings I was after was among these. I will continue to keep my eyes out and hope that some day they will be offered to me.

Below you will find his four James Bond covers.

Click here to see other iconic drawings by Hans Arnold.

THUNDERBALL - Notice how the black balloon actually is a bomb. 

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE - notice how the flowers actually sculls.
THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
OCTOPUSSY - Notice that the golden fish also is a cello. This book is very hard to come by even in Sweden.


Hans Arnold at his study.

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