Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (Over 1,100 results)

First editions of all fourteen James Bond books, each in their original [first state] dustwrapper, without repair or restoration. On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the limited edition, numbered and signed by Ian Fleming. The Man with the Golden Gun, is signed by and from the collection of the dustwrapper artist Richard Chopping. Together with six of the earliest continuation novels: Kingsley Amis' The James Bond Dossier and Colonel Sun (as Robert Markham); John Gardner's Licence Renewed; For Special Services (signed); Icebreaker (signed); Nobody Lives For Ever. A stunning set, a full catalogue description for each book is available on request. Further details and images for any of the items listed are available on request. Lucius Books welcomes direct contact with our customers.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Hard Cover. First Edition. True first British edition, first printing. Book in fine condition, tight and square (sharp corners), no writings or marks, bright red gilded heart on front board and title on spine. Dustjacket complete, with tiny (imperceptible almost) chips at top spine and top corner, sligthly faded spine, original price of 10s. 6d. net present on front flap and back flap. First issue dustwrapper. This copy has the publisher's clip stating "Advance Copy for Review.". There hasn't been a similar copy in the market at least in the last 30 years being one of only 8 or 10 copies issued. Extremely rare and unique copy. Photos available upon request. $145,000.00.

First edition of the first novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. Octavo, original black cloth. Boldly signed by Ian Fleming on the front free endpaper. From the library of Mrs. Bowker. This example was given by Fleming to his his char-lady. Near fine in a near fine first state dust jacket (without the Sunday Times review on the inner front flap) with some professional restoration to the extremities. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Casino Royale was written by Ian Fleming in Jamaica over a period of around two months, largely from his own experiences and imagination; he also devised the artwork for the cover. "Within the first few pages Fleming had introduced most of Bond's idiosyncrasies and trademarks," which included his looks, his Bentley and his smoking and drinking habits. The full details of Bond's martini were kept until chapter seven of the book and Bond eventually named it "The Vesper", after Vesper Lynd" (Andrew Lycett). It has been filmed twice as a feature film, the first being the 1967 spoof starring David Niven, and later as the twenty-first official Bond film starring Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. HARDBACK - A fine book, bound in the publisher's black cloth boards with clean unfaded red lettering to the spine and heart motif to the front panel. Internally, the pages are very clean indeed with the merest hint of foxing to the end papers, but extremely clean throughout the rest of the inner text. Free of any previous owner names or inscriptions. The dust wrapper is also in fine condition with no loss or tears present, also with no loss of colour or dulling to the spine. There is very minor creasing to the head of the spine, also with a small strip of toning to the top of the rear flap, with a few very faint spots to the rear panel, else a beautiful looking jacket with the publisher's printed price of 10s.6net present to the lower corners of the front flap and rear flaps. There is no review to the front lower rear panel, denoting a correct first issue dust wrapper. Included with the book is a custom made, felt lined clam shell box with raised bands and gilt lettering to the spine, for the books future protection. We have handled a number of copies of Casino Royale in the last twenty five years of dealing in Ian Fleming titles. This copy is the best copy we have handled in this time. A sublime copy.

First Edition, First Printing, First State Dust Jacket. British mystery and thriller novelist Hammond InnesÕs copy with his engraved bookplate which is hand-signed by him in blue ink affixed to the front pastedown. A little foxing to the first two blank leaves and to the two rear blank leaves, a very faint foxing hint to the outer edges (extremely minor) otherwise near fine clean copy with the cloth fresh and the red stamping very bright in a near fine bright dust jacket with two minute slivers of almost undetectable interior reinforcement by an expert paper conservationist at the top and bottom of spine. The printed colors are bright. Enclosed in a custom clamshell box. Hammond Innes CBE (1913-1998) was a contemporary of Ian Fleming, and whereas Fleming wrote spy thrillers, InnesÕs thrillers often dealt with the sea. His most famous novel is The Wreck of the Mary Deare which was made into a film in 1959 starring Gary Cooper and Charlton Heston.

First American edition, first impression. Inscribed association copy. Publisher's original green cloth with red titles to the upper board and spine, in the Leo Manso designed dustwrapper. A very good or better copy, the binding square and the cloth fresh. Minor bumping to the spine tips and a small nick towards the base of the spine. The contents, with some foxing to the edge of the endpapers and closed text block edge are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that has a couple of short closed tears but remains uncommonly bright and attractive. Housed in a bespoke, quarter black morocco solander case. Inscribed by Ian Fleming in blue ball point pen to the front endpaper "To Paul / who wrote the golden words / from / the author / 1954". A superlative association copy, inscribed by Fleming to his great friend and early James Bond champion, Paul Gallico. American novelist and short story writer Paul Gallico, worked with Fleming at The Sunday Times. He was one of the first people to read the manuscript of Casino Royale, providing Fleming with encouragement to publish. The "golden words" to which the author refers in his inscription are printed in red on the front flap of the first edition dustwrapper "PAUL GALLICO calls CASINO ROYALE "The best gambling thriller I have ever read. Fabulously exciting." Jon Gilbert in his award winning bibliography of Ian Fleming writes "Paul Gallico was not only a fan but was of particular help getting Casino Royale published in the United States, where initially the book seemed difficult to place. Unlike the British Cape editions, very few American editions appear to have been inscribed by the author". We are aware of only one other inscribed American first edition (the Stanley Meyer copy also noted in the bibliography). The author's first book, introducing 007 James Bond. First American edition, first printing, second state with the front flap of dustwrapper clipped to the corners and with the printed price of $2.75. [Gilbert A1b (1.2).] Further details and images for any of the items listed are available on request. Lucius Books welcomes direct contact with our customers.

First Edition. First Impression, in first issue dustwrapper without the later reviews or author statement. Publisher's black cloth boards with red titles and â Heart' design to upper, in pictorial jacket. Book has a slight lean but is essentially a clean copy in a very slightly scuffed and edgeworn dustwrapper. A quite splendid association copy. In a custom black leather-spined clamshell case. This copy previously belonged to Sir Fitzroy Maclean, noted diplomat, noted intelligence agent (although he always denied ever having been a spy), decorated war-time S.A.S. officer, and, quite apart from all of these other achievements, one of the most compelling and "accepted" models for modern fiction's most famous blunt instrument. A wartime account of a meeting with Maclean had this to say: "Maclean is described by his friends, as a man of dual character--outwardly languid and casual, affecting the bored, drooping mannerism of a Mayfair dilettante, but inwardly burning with a zest for danger and adventure." Sounds familiar. Fleming and Maclean, fellow Old Etonians and survivors of the rigours of the British public school system, first encountered each other in Moscow in the 1930's. Maclean was there in his capacity as a representative of His Majesty's Foreign Office, and Fleming was a rather dilettante Reuter's correspondent covering what he could of the Soviet purges. Their contributions to Britain's ensuing war effort may have differed rather wildly, but both occupied important roles; Fleming in Naval Intelligence, fighting a chess war by proxy, of subterfuge, plot and counter plot (which rather came in handy for his later writing career, one imagines), and Fitzroy Maclean rattling about the world parachuting in and out of dangerous places, trekking through mountain passes making deals with partisans and guerillas, and generally fighting the kind of war that ends up using a fair amount of piano wire, whilst requiring nerves of absolute titanium. "To some people my life might seem one long adventure holiday blowing up forts in the desert clandestinely parachuting into guerrilla wars, penetrating forbidden cities deep behind closed frontiers, I enjoy the excitement and the achievement of going to remote places, such as getting into Samarkand and Bokhara at the height of Stalin's horrific regime, when no foreigner, let alone a diplomat, was allowed into central Asia." To other people, rare booksellers for example, that sounds unfeasibly terrifying, but certainly notable. It should also be pointed out that Maclean was 85 years old when he said that, so like Bond, his ability to survive and flourish was clearly never in doubt. In 1949 he published his celebrated autobiography "Eastern Approaches" (also published by Jonathan Cape, Fleming's publisher), recounting his exploits in the Western Desert, creeping around behind enemy lines generally wreaking very British chaos in the service of the allies. In certain cases one could be excused for thinking that Bond was a slightly toned-down version of Maclean, but there are very definite congruencies in nerve and determination. The book itself is accompanied by some of MacLean's papers; a loose sheet of notepaper, headed â House of Commons', signed by Maclean (as inserted in the book when sold at auction), plus an unused sheet headed â From the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for War', the position held by MacLean at the time of Casino Royale's publication, a compliments slip from Brigadier Maclean, a visiting card as Secretary at the British Foreign Embassy, and an unused address label from Jonathan Cape, who, as mentioned, published both MacLean and Ian Fleming. (As a further note, this very copy is discussed in John Gilbert's award winning bibliography of Ian Fleming under "Gilbert A1a (1.1) [this copy noted on page 23]. See also Appendix A, page 647." As a reference work for the Bond enthusiast, it is probably compulsory). A rather remarkable copy, of a remarkable book, owned by a singularly remarkable man.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming First Edition First Impression Jonathan Cape 1953. No inscriptions or signs of ownership. No foxing or offsetting. Contents are completely unblemished throughout. Covers fine and unmarked with red lettering and heart motif still very bright. No bumping to edges or corners. A fine copy in a near fine first state dust jacket (without 'The Times' newspaper review). Not price clipped. For further images please see Brought to Book Ltd.

First edition. 8vo. Original black cloth with red heart vignette on upper cover and titles on the spine, in gun metal grey dustwrapper designed by the author. A fine copy in a very good dustwrapper indeed, which is bright and clean with just trivial wear to corners, a short closed tear to the upper panel and a strip of browning to the rear panel. The author's first book and the first appearance of James Bond, who has probably had a greater impact on society and popular culture than any other fictitious character since Sherlock Holmes. 4,728 copies of the first impression were printed, although no more than 3000 were issued in the first state dustwrapper, the remainder having a favourable Sunday Times review overprinted on the front flap. A significant proportion of the first printing would have been sold to libraries and the remainder were well read, making well preserved copies ever more uncommon. "Ian Fleming has discovered the secret of narrative art. the reader has to go on reading" - John Betjeman (review in The Daily Telegraph). Gilbert A1a(1.1).

First editions of the complete series of James Bond books. Each volume features a design specific to each title copied from the original spines and cloth boards. The set is beautifully presented in a leather entry slipcase resting on a leather plinth. 14 volumes, octavo (180 x 118 mm). Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in black morocco, spines and covers decorated with pictorial title blocks copied from the original covers, twin rule to turn-ins silver, red coloured endpapers, all edges silver. Housed in a leather entry slipcase. Occasional light foxing, else a fine and handsome set.

Octavo. Original black boards, spine lettered in red, red heart device on front cover. With dust jacket. Housed in a custom blue quarter morocco solander box. Edges foxed, sporadically affecting margins, contents clean. A very good copy in like, gently foxed jacket, not price-clipped, couple of nicks and short closed tears, a bright and sharp example. First edition, second impression, presentation copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, "To Tanis and Teddy Read and burn! from The Author. Aoüt 1953". The married couple Tanis and Teddy resided with the Flemings at their Goldeneye estate the following year for, in Ann Fleming's words, "twelve interminable days" (quoted in Lycett). The endless flirting between Tanis Eva Bulkeley Guinness (1908-1993) and Charles "Teddy" Edward Harold John Phillips (1907-2006) proved to be a nuisance to Ian Fleming; in early 1954, attempting to write Moonraker (1955), his concentration was frequently interrupted by their pet names of "Bear" and "Lion". "At one stage Ian was driven to announce at the luncheon table that he and Ann were going away for a short while, and that their visitors could, of course, continue to use the house. Since Ann had not been informed of this ploy, it caused some embarrassment. Ann had to produce some clever social footwork, which only resulted in Ian accusing her of being a traitor" (Lycett). Following this confrontation, temperatures cooled; the Flemings were not driven out of their own home, and Tanis and Teddy would subsequently offer their hosts two bottles of whisky as an apology. Interestingly, Teddy was a relative of Ian Fleming's intimate friend Ivar Bryce, who was instrumental in finding for Fleming the Goldeneye estate, on Jamaica's north shore. Fleming wrote the Bond novels with the assistance of an unusual clause in his contract as foreign news manager of Kemsley Newspapers: Fleming would take January and February as his annual paid leave, during which time he worked on his novels at Goldeneye. Casino Royale, the first of the Bond novels, was first published earlier the same year. This copy is from the significant Ian Fleming collection of Martin Schøyen (b.1940), with his bookplate. Schøyen's private collection of manuscripts, which span all cultures and all time periods, is one of the largest and most comprehensive of its kind. Gilbert A1a(2); The Schøyen Collection No. 3. Andrew Lycett, Ian Fleming: The Man Who Created James Bond, 2012; Edward Abel Smith, Ian Fleming's Inspiration: The Truth Behind the Books, 2020, p. 159.

Hardback. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. The 1st book in this famous 14 volume set, first edition hardback with original first state dust cover, priceclipped. Has not been restored. Some rubbing to extremities of dust cover. Light foxing to endpapers. Overall very good condition. 218 pp. Presents well, striking cover 'arranged by the author. Perfect addition to a Fleming collection. The iconic 1st James Bond Novel this being the 1st edition 1st issue and with no restoration. We also have a complete set of James bond Novels in stock. book.

First edition of the first novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. Octavo, original black cloth. Boldly signed by the author â from Ian Flemingâ on a card mounted to the front free endpaper. Casino Royale was written by Ian Fleming in Jamaica over a period of around two months, largely from his own experiences and imagination; he also devised the artwork for the cover. "Within the first few pages Fleming had introduced most of Bond's idiosyncrasies and trademarks," which included his looks, his Bentley and his smoking and drinking habits. The full details of Bond's martini were kept until chapter seven of the book and Bond eventually named it "The Vesper", after Vesper Lynd" (Andrew Lycett). It has been filmed twice as a feature film, the first being the 1967 spoof starring David Niven, and later as the twenty-first official Bond film starring Daniel Craig as James Bond. Near fine in a near fine first issue dust jacket without the Sunday Times review printed on the front flap, priced at â 10s. 6d. net". with some restoration along upper and lower edges. Housed in a custom clamshell box.

[Spy novel] FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.218; [2], blank. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with red titles and 'heart' design to upper, tail edge untrimmed, pictorial dust-wrapper priced at 10/6. Edges clean and fresh, no inscriptions, a few faint spots of foxing to endpapers and rear panel of jacket, shallow chip to crown and slightly larger loss to top edge else a decent example of the wrapper with no restoration whatsoever. Housed in a leather-spined cloth-covered clamshell box. Gilbert A1a (1.1).

FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. 8vo. (20 x 13cm), pp.218; [2], blank. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with red titles and 'heart' design to upper, tail edge un-trimmed, pictorial dust-wrapper priced at 10/6. Presented in a bespoke black cloth clamshell. Edges clean and fresh, no inscriptions, a few very faint spots to endpapers, dust-jacket is clean and bright, having benefitted from some expert repair. Shows as a fine copy. Gilbert A1a (1.1).

A first edition, first printing published by Cape in 1953. Some light spotting to edges, endpapers lightly toned with ink ownership name, original black boards with heart motif in red to upper cover, spine lettered in red, first issue dust-jacket without Sunday Times review, light toning to spine, lower panel with light marking and toning, neat and expert restoration to spine ends and corners but in effect a near-fine copy overall, 8vo, 1953. The first novel by Fleming and the first appearance of James Bond, one of the 20th Century's most enduring characters.

First edition. Octavo. 218 pages. The author's first book and the novel which unleashed James Bond upon an unsuspecting world.Spotting to front free endpaper, half-title and top edge. Very good in the first-issue dustwrapper (no review on front flap) which is good, price-clipped, lightly soiled on rear panel, nicked and chipped at the edges and defective at head of spine.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. This Casino Royale was a previously library owned edition yet it is in remarkable condition.  Original black cloth boards with heart on the cover and red lettering on the spine. Front and rear paste down have light loss where the dust jacket was apparently secured. Previous owner's signature on the front free page. London library stamp on the half title page and rear flap of DJ. Dog eared on four of the pages. Dust jacket has had a clear cover professionally removed and the lettering on the front flap and rear panel is now misaligned. Light stain on the spine touching the letter "A". Marks on the flaps where the pasting was present. Otherwise a bright and clean dust jacket with little wear to the corners, spine ends or edges.

Hardcover. Condition: Wie neu. Dust Jacket Condition: Wie neu. 1. Auflage. First Edition, First Printing. A near fine copy in a near fine second issue dustwrapper (with Christopher Pym's review in the Sunday Times over-printed on the front flap and "The Author" on the rear panel). A most collectable copy of this scarce title: no inscriptions or flaws, book and dustwrapper completely original, never ever having been touched by any restorer. Compared to other copies that have been on the market since 2015, this is one of the really desirable ones. Only 4728 copies (plus a few proofs and review ones) of the first edition were printed , 2400 of which came with the second state dustwrapper. Sadly, most collections of James Bond novels in first editions, first printings lack "Casino Royale" since its initial print-run was pretty low, sold out very fast and a considerable number of the very first edition went to libraries.

Second edition, fifth impression, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To CD from Ian". Sir Charles Denis Hamilton was a decorated veteran of the Second World War, "an outstanding natural newspaperman", a close friend of Fleming, and a fellow board member at the Kemsley News Group. As a columnist, much of Ian Fleming's journalism was published in the Sunday Times when Hamilton was editor-in-chief. In 1962 the inaugural issue of the ST Magazine featured the James Bond novella The Living Daylights. Hamilton also championed Fleming's Thrilling Cities travel articles, later being the dedicatee of the book edition. The first James Bond novel, Casino Royale was originally published in 1953. After two reprints, the work was entirely reset in 1957 and featured a dust jacket design by Patricia Marriott (1920-2002). Marriott also designed the dust jackets for two further Cape-published James Bond novels, Diamonds are Forever (1956) and Dr No (1958). Her husband, Michael Howard (1923-1974), was Fleming's literary advisor and a director at Cape. The 1963 impression was the fifth impression of the second edition and is also noted by Gilbert as the "eighth printing". This was, crucially, the final Cape printing of the author's debut novel to be published during his lifetime. This copy is from the library of the Fleming bibliographer Jon Gilbert, with his bookplate and signed catalogue description loosely inserted. Gilbert A1a(8). Harold Hobson, Phillip Knightley and Leonard Russell, The Pearl of Days: An Intimate Memoir of the Sunday Times, 1972. Octavo. Original black boards, spine lettered in red, red heart device on front cover. With dust jacket. Housed in a custom black morocco-backed folding box. Minor foxing to edges, extremities of jacket a little rubbed, unclipped; a fine copy in a near-fine jacket.

First Edition. First Impression. Octavo (20cm); publisher's black paper-covered boards, with titling and decorative elements stamped in red on spine and front cover; dustjacket; [4],5-218,[2]pp. Previous owners ink name to upper front endpaper, lower corners gently tapped (though still sharp), with a faint, tiny stain to lower edge of textblock; no foxing, but a few small stains to margins of a half-dozen pages or so; Very Good+. In the second state dustjacket, with the Sunday Times review over-printed on front flap and 'The Author' over-printed beneath Fleming's portrait on rear panel (constituting 2400 of the 4728-copy print run); unclipped (priced 10s. 6d. net), gently spine-sunned and lightly edgeworn, with a few tiny tears, and some toning and dust-soil to rear panel; an unrestored, Very Good+ example, with plenty of shelf-appeal. Attractive copy of the first James Bond novel, introducing 007, M, Vesper Lynd, and criminal mastermind Le Chiffre. Basis for Martin Campbell's 2006 film adaptation, starring Daniel Craig, Eva Green, and Judi Dench. Gilbert A1a (1.2); Pronzini & Muller, p.252; Hubin, p.144.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. First UK edition. First impression from 1953 in second issue (1953) jacket. The book is VG+. There is a slight spine lean and some wear to lettering on the spine. The pages are clean (see pic). The jacket is the second issue with Sunday Times review on front flap, (latter copies of the 1st edition were issued with this jacket). It is not price clipped. There is some chipping to tip and tail of spine and some marking to rear. Now in removable protective sleeve. Please see pictures. Any questions please get in touch.

[Spy novels] ALL FIRST PRINTINGS. 14 volumes, octavos (overall dimensions 20 x 13 x 33cm). Publisher's hardbacks in illustrated dust-jackets. The American edition of Octopussy was the first to be illustrated. Ownership signatures to The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only; endpapers of The Man with the Golden Gun with some rubs/scuffs; toning to spine of From Russia, With Love, some chips to spine ends of jackets (moreso to earlier titles). The Man with the Golden Gun is in the second issue jacket with darker grey lettering than the earlier issue. Gilbert notes that the American dust jackets, from Live and Let Die to Doctor No, are "often" or "invariably" clipped, with the printed price retained elsewhere on the jacket, as here. The Spy Who Loved Me is price-clipped. A very good set in similar dust jackets; generally bright and presenting very nicely. First US editions, first printings, of this complete set of Fleming's original James Bond books. From the significant Ian Fleming collection of Martin Schøyen (b.1940), with his bookplate (two volumes added). Schøyen's private collection of manuscripts, which span all cultures and all time periods, is one of the largest and most comprehensive of its kind. Gilbert A2b(1), A3b(1), A4b(1), A5b(1), A6b(1), A8b(1), A9b(1.1), A10b(1), A11b(1), A12b(1), A13b(1), A14b(1); The Schøyen Collection Nos. 18, 25, 32, 46, 59, 72, 78, 89, 97, 108, 116, 129. Christopher Moran, "Ian Fleming and CIA Director Allen Dulles: The Very Best of Friends", James Bond in World and Popular Culture, 2012.

Jonathan Cape. 1953. First editon, second impression. Hardback in second state (with Sunday Times review to front flap) DW. Black cloth boards with red text to spine and red heart to centre of upper board. Lean to spine, very slight shelfwear to edges of boards, endpapers browned and foxed, slight age toning to pages, outer margins of pages and page-edges occasionally foxed. No inscriptions. A generally clean and sound copy in a foxed wrapper that is soiled to rear panel, slightly worn to extremities and chipped to head of spine with wear to top corners and a small pin prick hole and slight marking to spine. NOT price-clipped. Please contact us for further information.

[Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION, second Impression, Jacket B, export copy, also bibliographer's copy. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.218; [2]. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, decorated with heart motif to upper, lettered in red to spine, pictorial dust-wrapper priced at 10/6. This copy was originally sold in Johannesburg, SA (bookseller ticket to pastedown). No inscriptions, some spotting/toning (likely from climate), jacket with some nicks and tears, chipped at crown. Very good. Bibliographer Jon Gilbert's file copy (printed bookplate and pencil notes within). His encyclopaedic guide to the works of Ian Fleming (2012) won the 16th Breslauer Prize for bibliography. This printing is twice as scarce as the first. Gilbert A1a (2.2).

First edition of the first novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. Octavo, original black cloth. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. An exceptional example. Casino Royale was written by Ian Fleming in Jamaica over a period of around two months, largely from his own experiences and imagination; he also devised the artwork for the cover. "Within the first few pages Fleming had introduced most of Bond's idiosyncrasies and trademarks," which included his looks, his Bentley and his smoking and drinking habits. The full details of Bond's martini were kept until chapter seven of the book and Bond eventually named it "The Vesper", after Vesper Lynd" (Andrew Lycett). It has been filmed twice as a feature film, the first being the 1967 spoof starring David Niven, and later as the twenty-first official Bond film starring Daniel Craig as James Bond.

First edition of the first novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. Octavo, original black cloth. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Casino Royale was written by Ian Fleming in Jamaica over a period of around two months, largely from his own experiences and imagination; he also devised the artwork for the cover. "Within the first few pages Fleming had introduced most of Bond's idiosyncrasies and trademarks," which included his looks, his Bentley and his smoking and drinking habits. The full details of Bond's martini were kept until chapter seven of the book and Bond eventually named it "The Vesper", after Vesper Lynd" (Andrew Lycett). It has been filmed twice as a feature film, the first being the 1967 spoof starring David Niven, and later as the twenty-first official Bond film starring Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming First Edition Third Impression Jonathan Cape 1954. No previous owner's name inscriptions or marks. No foxing or toning to contents or edges. Appears unread. A near fine copy in like original dust jacket that has no tears or loss. Not price clipped. In Ian Fleming's captivating novel, "Casino Royale," we are introduced to James Bond, the world's most renowned secret agent, as he embarks on a perilous mission to bankrupt Le Chiffre, a ruthless Soviet agent and financier for SMERSH, the Soviet Union's intelligence organization. Bond's assignment leads him to the glamorous French resort town of Royale-les-Eaux, where he joins high-stakes baccarat games, utilizing his exceptional gambling skills to deplete Le Chiffre's financial resources. As the stakes rise and the tension mounts, Bond faces formidable adversaries, including Le Chiffre's henchmen and the seductive Vesper Lynd, a mysterious British Treasury agent with a hidden agenda. Bond's journey takes him to the depths of betrayal and the heights of danger, testing his limits and shaping his character as he navigates the intricate world of espionage. The novel delivers thrills, suspense, and a captivating glimpse into the life of the iconic agent 007.

Hard Cover. First Edition. (London: Jonathan Cape 1953). First UK Edition. 218 pages. Superbly rebound by the world-renowned Bayntun-Riviere of Bath. Sumptuously re-bound in full black morocco with all edges gilt, 5 raised bands to the spine with title blocked in gold in panel 2 and author's name blocked in gold in panel 3, with gilt decorations to panels 4, 5 and 6; marbled end-papers and single-line gilt border to both the front and back boards. To the middle oif the front board is a red heart (with gold border). What differentiates this copy from the norm - apart from the beautiful binding - is how clean the interior pages are. "Casino Royale" is often found with foxing and soiling. This copy has escaped that fate completely and is an OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE. No inscriptions. Becoming very scarce indeed. It would grace any collection of modern first editions. Looks very smart in its custom-made acetate cover. Photographs/scans available upon request.

[Spy thriller] FIRST IMPRESSION, EXPORT COPY. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.218; [2], blank. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards with red titles and 'Heart' design to upper, tail edge untrimmed. Housed in a bespoke leather-spine clamshell box. Contents clean, edges toned, endpapers with identity marks of U.S.A.F., library pocket at rear with 'withdrawn' as final entry, a couple of neat stamps (not on title page or copyright), covers are near fine. Provided with a later plain brown paper jacket with printed labels, made for ready-reference purposes. This copy was later part of the comprehensive James Bond collection of bibliographer Jon Gilbert, with his pencil notes and ownership to f.e.p. His encyclopaedic guide to the works of Ian Fleming (2012) won the 16th Breslauer Prize for bibliography. The first James Bond novel; this copy, with typically thrilling content for the intended readership, was imported by an American Air Force base in Germany. Only 4728 copies of the first edition were published. An inexpensive copy of this highspot of modern fiction, housed in an attractive leather-spined clamshell box. Gilbert A1a (1.1).