AMAZING Signed "Golden gun" up for auction

 You could understand both complete joy and happiness when finally a signed first edition of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN from Jonathan Cape surface on the auction market. 

Not that I want one. I most certainly don't. But only for the chear joy that an auction house could make such a big mistake. 

Most James Bond fans knows a lot about Agent 007 but less amount of people know about Ian Fleming and his books. 

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN was Ian Fleming's last novel. Sadly he was not able to finish the novel. Some claim that Fleming wrote the first draft and that Kingsley Amis did the touch up of the novel before release. The reason Fleming did not do the touch up himself is sadly because he became ill and died before the novel was released. 

Maybe by know you understand what this blogpost is aiming for. It is impossible for Ian Fleming to have signed any copy of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN because he had past away before the release. This books signature is fake and selling it should be counted as fraud. 

It is GWS Auctions Inc. in in USA who are the auction house. They estimate that the book will bring in $18-19 000. I myself is pretty sure it will be removed if people with knowledge claim that the signature is fake.   

The auction house also says that the James Bond movie with the same title was released in 1964. We all know it was released in 1974. The auction house don't even notice that in the same sentence they write that the book was released 1965. If so, the film could not be based on the novel. 

.... Well since english is my second language I just noticed that I have tripped and fell on my knowledge for the language. I did not notice the word "tipped-in". It means that a peace of paper has been glued to the book. And this is the same as for the Roger Moore autograph that the book contains. 

Two pieces of  paper has been inserted within the book with what is said to be authentic autographs of Ian Fleming and Roger Moore. I would still not bid and I would not call the book signed. 

Most Ian Fleming autographs seems to be fake. If this one is real or fake I leave to others to decide. I believe Fleming did most of his signings in books or on stationery. 

The hunt for someone claiming to have a signed copy of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN goes on. 

If you wish to order the latest version of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN you can do so here.

The final words of Sir Roger Moore

As we all know Sir Roger Moore sadly passed away earlier this year just a few moths before he would turn 90 years old.

During his last years he wrote a lot of books about his career and friends. Now his new book has just been released in the UK and will soon be released in the US.

The first book was called MY WORD IS MY BOND and was an autobiography about Roger Moore written by himself. You can order MY WORD IS MY BOND here from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

The second book was BOND ON BOND. A book about James Bond and the different films he has appeared in. This book was not very well received and to my knowledge the publishers even planed a re-release of the book were they corrected all the mistakes. In my view the book was mostly for young and inexperienced Bond fans. You can order BOND ON BOND here from Amazon US or Amazon UK.  

The third book to be released from the pen of Roger Moore was LAST MAN STANDING. This book highlights Roger Moore's film career and all the people he has worked with or stories he have heard about other actors like Tony Curtis, Sean Connery, Michael Caine, David Niven, Frank Sinatra, Gregory Peck, John Mills, Peter Sellers, Michael Winner, Cubby Broccoli and many more.
You can order LAST MAN STANDING here from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

The forth and final book from Roger Moore has just been released in the UK and will be released in the US on November first. The book is called À Bientôt and is in short a book about getting older and all the things and thoughts that comes with it. À Bientôt seems to be a very strong book with many gripping moments of Roger Moore's career. This will be a must have for me.  

You can order À Bientôt here from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

UK Daily Mirror landed an interview with Roger Moore's daughter Deborah Moore that is very very good. You can find it here.   

Ian Fleming's favourite actor for James Bond

When Ian Fleming wrote about James Bond's looks it was very well drawn. James Bond's hight was little over six feet (183 cm) and his weight was around 167 pounds (76 kg). His body was in other words what you today would call slim. Also, Bond is described as dark, cruel and handsome and that woman find him irresistible.

So in 1961 when Producers Albert Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were searching for there actor to play Bond they almost had a blueprint of what the man should look like.

Both Cubby and Harry agreed to let Ian Fleming attend the meetings were James Bond and who he was was discussed and after one of these meetings Fleming send Cubby a fascinating memorandum on the matter.

James Bond is a blunt instrument wielded by a Government Department. He is quiet, hard, ruthless, sardonic, fatalistic. In his relationships with women he shows the same qualities as he does in his job, but he has a certain gentleness with them and if they get in trouble he is sometimes prepared to sacrifice his life to rescue them. But not always, and certainly not if it interferes with his job. He likes gambling, golf and motorcars. 

 In other words. Ian Flemings blueprint for James Bond was more or less a blueprint of himself.

Cary Grant was the first actor to be asked to play James Bond but he turned it down. There second choice was James Mason but he was no fan of the Bond books.

But Ian Fleming had his first choice for the role of James Bond and his name was strangely enough... Roger Moore.

Roger Moore was 34 years old at the time and had actually not received world wide celebrity playing Simon Templer in The Saint.
Cubby Broccoli did not want Roger Moore at that time. He thought Moore was to much of a gentlemen and not the kind of tough guy that they later found in Sean Connery.

But 12 years later in 1973 Ian Fleming would get his wishes come true when Roger Moore played his first role as agent 007. Sadly he never got to see it since he himself passed away in 1964.

The facts for this blog post can be found in THE JAMES BOND ARCHIVES that you need to order here if you have not already done so.

This is James Bonds true age

Over the years there have been a lot of talk about the age of James Bond. How old is Agent 007? When was he born? You can almost get the feeling that no one actually knows.

But the thing is that Ian Fleming told us how old James Bond is in one of the novels.
You can find it for yourself in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE page 241.

"By the time he left [Fettes College], at the early age of seventeen, he had twice fought for the school as a light-weight and had, in addition, founded the first serious judo class at an English public school. By Now it was 1941 and, by claiming an age of nineteen and with the help of an old Vickers colleague of his father, he entered a branch of what was subsequently to become the Ministry of Defence"

So to make it short. In 1941 James Bond was seventeen years old. Then he was born in 1924.

If he was born in 1924 he was 29 years old in 1953 when CASINO ROYALE was published. A book that is written in the present.

Then it was one written mission a year and in an interview with Fleming I have heard him say that every book equals a year in Bonds life (asked about the high amount of female lovers that Bond has).

So if James Bond was born in 1924 and 29 years old in 1953 then he was 40 years old in Flemings last novel THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. Note that OCTOPUSSY and THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS were actually published before Ian Fleming past away as short stories in different publications.

Now just for fun lets look at the age of the actors who have portrayed James Bond on screen from the point of view that James Bond should be around 29 years of age.

Sean Connery was born 1930 and therefore 32 years old when appearing in DR.NO.

George Lazenby was born in 1939 and therefore 30 years old when appearing in ON HER MAJESTYS SECRET SERVICE.

Roger Moore was born in 1927 and therefore 46 years old when appearing in LIVE AND LET DIE.

Timothy Dalton was born in 1946 and therefore 41 years old when appearing in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS.

Pierce Brosnan was born in 1953 and therefore 42 years old when appearing in GOLDENEYE. Note that Brosnan was 34 when first offered the role in 1987.

Daniel Craig was born in 1968 and therefore 38 years old when appearing in CASINO ROYALE.

What is does James Bond have in you world. In mine he has always been 36-38. Feel free to comment below.

A young Sean Connery