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

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 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.

James Bond books sold for an amazing $40,123

Recently there was a big book auction in the US that offered a section of valuable Ian Fleming books. Below you can see the prices the books went for. Below is pictures of the actual books being sold. Maybe you have anyone like these in your collection. The entire Fleming collection fetched $40,123. You may click on each book to see a bigger version.Please note that prices include the auction house fee but not tax.

The Man with the Golden Gun. London: Jonathan Cape, [1965]. First edition. Octavo. 221, [3, blank] pages. Publisher's full cloth, gold lettering on spine. In a pictorial dust jacket. Spine cocked, extremities worn, spine ends and corners of front board bumped. Some soiling on textblock edges, adhesive residue and abrasions on paste downs, ink mark on front free endpaper, occasional soiling in margins, upper corner creased on page 17/18. Jacket foxed, toned and soiled, minor chips on edges, cello-tape repairs on verso of spine panel. Very good. Sold for $163

 You Only Live Twice. [London]: Jonathan Cape, [1964]. First edition, uncorrected proof. Octavo. 256 pages. Publisher's perfect binding in original printed wrappers. Spine leaning, wrappers rubbed with occasional light soiling, faint tidemark along fore-edge of front wrapper, joints worn, corners bumped. Preliminary and terminal leaves glued to wrappers at gutter, minor faint staining to preliminary leaves, occasional over-opening. Good. Sold for $525

The Man with the Golden Gun. London: Jonathan Cape, [1965]. First edition, uncorrected proof. Octavo. 221, [3, blank] pages. Publisher's perfect binding in original printed wrappers. Front wrapper worn with a series of small bruises, faint diagonal crease across lower portion; joints worn, small chip to foot of spine; corners lightly creased. Hinges discretely reinforced. About very good. I bid $1,025. Sold for $1,062

Diamonds are Forever. London: Jonathan Cape, [1956]. First edition, first impression, with "His friends called him 'Boofy'" on page 134. Octavo. 257, [1, blank] pages. Publisher's black cloth, diamond device stamped in silver and diamond pattern ruled in blind on front board, spine lettered in silver, in original pictorial dust jacket designed by Pat Marriott. Small blemish to lower-right of front board, upper corners softly bumped. Endpapers lightly discoloured from binder's glue with some minor corresponding foxing, hard pencil erasure to upper-right of front free endpaper with small bruise, small stains to lower margin of page twenty-five, affecting adjacent leaves. Jacket edges lightly worn, particularly at spine ends, with small closed tear at bottom of front joint fold, extending to Cape urn device on spine; rear panel lightly rubbed with two small splashes in author bio; spine panel verso faintly darkened; price-clipped. Very good. Sold for $ 1,000

Diamonds are Forever. London: Jonathan Cape, [1956]. First edition, with "Boofy" on page 134. Octavo. 257, [1, blank] pages, with pages [9-10] not accounted for in pagination. Publisher's black cloth, front board pattered in blind with central diamond device stamped in silver, spine lettered in silver, in original dust jacket. Spine leaning gently, front board slightly splayed, lower edge of front board softly bumped. Page edges and endpapers lightly foxed. Dust jacket with closed tear at upper edge of rear panel near joint fold, recently addressed by small tape repair primarily on verso but folded over to small portion of spine and rear panels; spine panel faintly darkened with small bruise between "Diamonds" and "are," rear panel lightly rubbed with some faint soiling, edges and folds somewhat worn. Still, very good. Sold for $1,750

Octopussy and The Living Daylights. London: Jonathan Cape, [1966]. First edition, uncorrected proof, with sixteen words of notes regarding layout in pencil to preliminary pages and four on the front panel of the dust jacket. Octavo. 94, [95], [1, blank] pages. Publisher's perfect binding in printed cape wrappers, in original oversized proof-issue dust jacket with inset box stating "Proof Only..." on front flap. Spine very gently leaning with some minor creasing, rear wrapper slightly cockled at fore edge. Minor small stain to lower margin of page 11. Dust jacket top edge lightly worn with some minor creasing, as expected due to size. Near fine. Sold for $1,250

 

Group of Five Books. London: Jonathan Cape, [1957-1966]. First editions, including From Russian with Love, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy. Five octavo volumes Publisher's bindings and dust jackets. Some rubbing on bindings, spines leaning, ink ownership signatures. Dust jackets rubbed, edgeworn, and stained. For Your Eyes Only has staining on edges and front free endpaper, bookplate and small abrasions on front pastedown. Octopussy foxed on textblock edges, preliminary and terminal sheets, and dust jacket. From Russia, with Love has light foxing on top edge, and ink marks in margins and underlining text. Thunderball has staining on front free endpaper. Overall, very good. Sold for $625

On Her Majesty's Secret Service. London: Jonathan Cape, [1963]. First edition, uncorrected proof, one of 500 printed. Octavo. 288 pages. Publisher's perfect binding in original printed wrappers. Wrappers lightly rubbed, front wrapper lightly soiled, spine somewhat creased and leaning slightly, joints worn, corners softly bumped. Text block lightly foxed at fore-edge with small splash at top, occasional minor over-opening. Very good. According to Gilbert, "The proof of On Her Majesty's Secret Service has more errors and required more amendments than any other Fleming title, both in terms of careless composition and poor spelling..." Sold for $1,062 

The Spy Who Loved Me. London: Jonathan Cape, [1962]. First edition, uncorrected proof, one of only 500 copies. Octavo. 221, [3, blank] pages. Publisher's perfect binding in original printed wrappers. Wrappers lightly rubbed with some minor marginal soiling, particularly near the joint of the rear wrapper; spine rolled, cocked slightly and somewhat darkened. Top edge of text block with slight discolouration near crown, small bruise to half-title page near hinge where paper folded back and was glued to page, likely during the binding process. Very good. Sold for $687

 

On Her Majesty's Secret Service. London: Jonathan Cape, [1963]. First edition, limited issue, one of thirty-five unnumbered copies marked "Presentation," from a total limitation of 285, including 250 numbered copies, and signed by the author on the limitation page. Octavo. 288 pages, frontispiece after painting by Amherst Villiers tipped in. Publisher's quarter vellum over black cloth-cover boards with large ski-track motif on front cover, in publisher's plain protective clear plastic dust jacket. Spine somewhat darkened, joints softly creased with a touch of rubbing and a few spots of minor soiling. Mild over-opening to the first gathering. About near fine. Sold for $12,500

 

 

 Casino Royale. London: Jonathan Cape, [1953]. First edition, first impression, first issue of the first James Bond novel. Octavo. 218, [2, blank] pages. Publisher's black cloth, front board stamped in orangish-red with central heart device, spine lettered in orangish-red, in original first issue dust jacket lacking the over-printed Sunday Times review. Front board slightly soiled along lower edge, small damp stain to rear board at joint, spine gently leaning. Top edge of text block and free endpapers faintly foxed, page margins a bit browned, but pages still supple. A very good copy, housed in custom black clamshell case. Sold for $11,250 

Goldfinger. London: Jonathan Cape, [1959]. First edition, first issue, second state with blind-stamped detail lacking from upper-left portion of skull decoration. Octavo. 318 pages. Publisher's black cloth, spine lettered in gilt, front board stamped in blind with line-drawing of skull, gold pieces over eye sockets blacked in gilt, in original dust jacket. Front board lightly rubbed, spine slightly skewed, upper corners softly bumped. Occasional light foxing to page edges and endpapers. Dust jacket edges lightly worn, heaviest at spine ends and fold, spine panel somewhat darkened, light soiling on flap folds. Very good. Sold for $625

Thunderball. London: Jonathan Cape, [1961]. First edition, uncorrected proof, one of 500 copies. Octavo. [254], [2, blank] pages. Publisher's perfect binding in original printed wrappers. Front wrapper lightly soiled, spine leaning and a bit darkened, bottom of spine bumped, joints creased, series of small splashes to fore-edge of text block. Preliminary and terminal blanks discoloured at gutter from binder's glue, due to possible repair, occasional light over-opening, scant wear and small closed tears to page edges. Very good. I bid $1,750. Sold for $1,812

 

Live and Let Die. London: Jonathan Cape, [1954]. First edition, serif faint on the signature letter "I" on page 129. Octavo. 240 pages. Publisher's black cloth, Edward IV gold rose noble coin device stamped in gilt on front board, spine lettered in gilt, in original second issue dust jacket, (identified as third state by Biondi and Pickard). Front board bent near joint and slightly splayed, with three short ripples in cloth above coin device, spine gently cocked, gilt slightly tarnished, upper corners softly bumped. Occasional light foxing to edges of text block, blemish with small bruise at upper corner of front free endpaper from pencil erasure. Sold for $937

Moonraker. London: Jonathan Cape, [1955]. First edition, second state, with "shoot" corrected on page ten but other textual and printing errors present. Octavo. 255, [256] pages. Publisher's B binding of black cloth, measuring 194 mm tall, front board and spine lettered in silver, in original first-issue dust jacket. Binding lightly rubbed with few minor surface scuffs, rear board slightly warped, spine gently leaning. Page edges foxed with series of small splashes to fore-edge and small dampstain across the bottom edge. Front free endpaper and first two leaves as well as rear endpapers and two terminal leaves foxed; rear endpaper also soiled and stained. Sold for $3,250

Complete Set of Facsimile First Edition James Bond Books. Sheldon, CT: The First Edition Library, [circa early 1990s]. FEL editions, facsimiles of the Cape first editions of each of Fleming's Bond titles. Fourteen octavo volumes. Publisher's bindings, in original dust jackets and slipcases. Fine, in the original shrink wrap. Sold for $1,625

James Bond related car found after 30 years

Back in 1953 Ian Fleming commissioned a left-hand-drive Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback in Deep Grey with black leather as a gift for his American friend Ivar Bryce.

Ian Fleming and Ivar Bryce had been friends since 1917 and shared the same interests. It was also Ivar Bryce that helped Ian Fleming buy land in Jamaica so he could build his home Goldeneye and start writing James Bond novels. We are meant to believe that Ian Fleming bought this car for Ivar Fleming as a thank you after he had written Casino Royale.

Ian Fleming's choice car  for his friend later showed up in the book Thunderball  were James Bond drove one that looked the same.

Gullwing Motor Cars recently discovered the real-life car wasting away in a garage in Hancock Park, Los Angeles for nearly 30 years.

Ivar Bryce was Ian Fleming's inspiration for CIA agent Felix Leiter in the James Bond books. The US agent showed up in six installments in the series starting with Casino Royale (1953), ending with The Man with the Golden Gun (1965)
Back in 1953 the Bentley R-Type Continelnal Fastback was one of the fastest production cars in the world. 

The Continental designation signified a power upgrade over the standard R-Type, and Fleming built it up with extras like rear spats, lightweight seats, fitted luggage, and a racehorse mascot. The Bryces flew their gift around the world to their various homes in England, Nassau, New York, and Vermont. After they sold it the car had several owners, ending up in the hands of a Beverly Hills surgeon in 1978, and according to Gullwing it's been sitting in a garage almost since that time. It has matching numbers and the original interior, and Gullwing says, putting it mildly, it is "an ideal restoration candidate."

This Ian Fleming related car went on auction this year with an estimate of $1.4M - $1.8M but didn't sell, so don't be afraid to ask a few hard MI6-like questions about it if you're interested.

Some of the text from this blog post came from this and this article where the photos has also been taken. Thanks to Alan over at Collecting Fleming for the heads up.