Tuesday, 12 October 2021

Up next from THE FOLIO SOCIETY


Illustration ©Fay Dalton 2021 from The Folio Society edition of The Man with the Golden Gun

The Folio Society have a new James Bond novel coming out to day (October 12 - 2021). It is Ian Flemings last novel THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN that is up for release. A book Ian Fleming sadly never got to finish due to his early death on August 12 1964 during filming of Goldfinger

The novel was first released on April 1 1965 and it is said that since Fleming himself could not finish more then the first draft, Author Kingsley Amis stepped in and completed the book for publisher Jonathan Cape. This is also the reason why Kingsley Amis got the job as a ghost-writer in 1968 writing the novel Colonel Sun under the name Robert Markham. 
©The Folio Society


But back to the The Folio Society and their
press release for todays release of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN:

The twelfth volume in The Folio Society’s spectacular and best-selling James Bond series, The Man with the Golden Gun sees the world’s greatest super spy tackle his most dangerous assignment.
 
For The Man with the Golden Gun, series artist Fay Dalton returns with her incomparable vision of Bond and his glamorous, deadly and action-packed world. This gorgeous edition features seven full-colour illustrations, a pictorial slipcase and a binding inspired by Bond’s own impeccable suits. The final full-length novel in the James Bond collection is an unmissable volume for fans and collectors alike.
 
Written while Fleming was very ill and published eight months after his death, The Man with the Golden Gun sees Bond once again faced with his own mortality. However, being Bond, he faces the possibility head on, taking risks and repeatedly snatching victory from the jaws of certain death. Perhaps fittingly for the last Bond adventure, Fleming sets this in his beloved Jamaica. His lavish descriptions of exotic locations have always been one of the highlights of the series, and Fleming’s portrayal of Jamaica is especially evocative. The beachside bars, the dusty inland towns and the dangerous mangrove swamps are all alive with the hum of insects and the scent of rum.
 
Captured by the KGB and brainwashed into making an assassination attempt on his own commander, James Bond is a shadow of his former self. When his mind is set free of insidious Russian influences, Bond is sent after Francisco ‘Pistols’ Scaramanga, a lethal assassin with a penchant for flashy hardware: the former circus performer’s signature weapon is a gold-plated Colt.45. Bond must infiltrate Scaramanga’s closest confidants, or risk being on the end of a lethal golden bullet...

Bound in blocked cloth
Set in Miller Text with Folio Bold Condensed as display
176 pages
Frontispiece and 6 colour illustrations
Pictorial slipcase
9" x 6 1/4"
Price £39,95
©The Folio Society

©The Folio Society

©The Folio Society

©The Folio Society

Illustration ©Fay Dalton 2021 from The Folio Society edition of 
The Man with the Golden Gun

Illustration ©Fay Dalton 2021 from The Folio Society edition of 
The Man with the Golden Gun

Wednesday, 10 March 2021

Next from The Folio Society - You only live twice

 

Illustration ©Fay Dalton 2021 form The Folio Society edition of You Only Live Twice.
Text added by James Bond - The Secret Agent blog. 

The eleventh volume in The Folio Society’s spectacular James Bond series sees the agent fighting not only for his life, but for his very livelihood. The last book to be published before Ian Fleming died, You Only Live Twice contains everything that makes a Bond novel so thrilling: exotic locations, glamorous women, grotesque villains – while also revealing a little more of what makes the agent tick.

 

Fay Dalton continues her dazzling work on this series, with seven gorgeous colour illustrations and a show-stopping pictorial slipcase. The elegantly understated binding design nods to both the location of Bond’s latest adventure, and the agent’s love of smart suits.

 

The story starts with Bond at his lowest ebb. Since Blofeld murdered his wife all passion for his work has disappeared, but M is willing to give him once last chance to save his career.

 

In a seemingly impossible mission, Bond must infiltrate the so-called Castle of Death, the home of the mysterious Dr Shatterhand. Looming on the shores of the Japanese island of Kyushu, this is no ordinary criminal hideout. Featuring a garden populated with deadly plants and venomous snakes, the compound is a veritable murder machine, with hundreds having already lost their lives to it. To get to the heart of the castle and put a stop to the madness, Bond must first master the ancient ways of the ninjutsu. And he must master them quickly, for there is much more to the sinister Dr Shatterhand than first appears.

I have not been able to take a closer look myself on the book since I will receive it tomorrow but looking at the pictures below and knowing the high quality drawings that Fay Dalton has created earlier in the series I am sure that this release will be as good as the ten previous books. 

I am obligated to mention that this novel will be sent to me for free since I run this this blog. But as a Swedish chef once said when he got spice samples for free "It doesn't matter that I got them for free since I would have bought them anyway"

PS. Just a funny thing I found today when scrolling through the Folio website. They have released Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel Killing Floor. Now we all now Ian Fleming Publications want James Bonds face to be used as little as possible. It it actually not seen many times in the Folio series at all. (not once in FRWL) and now that I found Lee Child's book I could see that they work just the same. No visible face. I both like it and dislike it. What are your thoughts on this? Comment below!  


You Only Live Twice

By Ian Fleming

Illustrated by Fay Dalton

 

Available exclusively from The Folio Society – www.FolioSociety.com

 

Price:  £39.95

 

Production details:  Bound in blocked cloth. Set in Miller Text with Folio Bold Condensed as display. 232 pages. 7 colour illustrations. Pictorial slipcase. 9˝x 6¼˝




Illustration ©Fay Dalton 2021 form The Folio Society edition of You Only Live Twice

Illustration ©Fay Dalton 2021 form The Folio Society edition of You Only Live Twice

Illustration ©Fay Dalton 2021 form The Folio Society edition of You Only Live Twice

Sunday, 3 January 2021

Did Brosnan buy Flemings golden typewriter?

 



When Ian Fleming was writing his first James Bond novel CASINO ROYALE back in 1953 he was so satisfied with being done with the first draft that he ordered a golden typewriter from Royal typewriter company in New York at the price of $174. He then asked his friend Ivar Bryce to deliver it to him the next time he was visiting Jamaica. 

I believe that it is said that Fleming wrote all his novels on his golden typewriter but looking at pictures both from Jamaica and England it is obvious that Fleming uses different typewriters during the years. Maybe he did write the Bond novels on his Golden typewriter and maybe not. 

Flemings golden typewriter has long after his death been famous for two things. 

1. That it held the world record for being the most expensive typewriter ever sold at an auction when it sold for £56,250 on May 5 1995.

2. That it was said that the buyer at the action was Pierce Brosnan, the actor just about to play James Bond for the first time in GoldenEye

I had the fortune to meet Pierce Brosnan for the first time back in the fall of 1995 when he was in Sweden to promote GoldenEye and my first question to him was if he actually had bought the typewriter. He sounded very serious when he replied "No, it's not me". 

Regarding the most expensive typewriter it is no longer Flemings either. Writer Cormac McCarthy (who wrote NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and THE ROAD) had his typewriter sold at an auction for $254 500). 

But who actually bought Fleming's typewriter back in 1995? Well no one knows. It went to a secret buyer. Even EON productions have had an article on their website asking if anyone wish to com forward regarding the true owner. 

   
A picture of what I believe is Ian Fleming and his golden typewriter in London.  

A picture of what I believe is Ian Fleming and his golden typewriter in London.  


My first meeting with Pierce Brosnan at the Grand Hotel. I presented a Goldfinger poster to him since it is his favourite James Bond film.  


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