The James Bond Dossier.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. [James Bond Reference] FIRST EDITION, ASSOCIATION COPY. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.159 [1]. Publisher's black cloth-effect paper over boards, with gilt titles to spine, and the pictorial dust-wrapper, based on the familiar Chopping 'trompe l'oeil' designs from the Ian Fleming first editions. Decorative bookplate, SIGNED by Amherst Villiers, also SIGNED by his daughter Janie Villers in our presence. Price clipped, else a clean, fine copy. Engineer Charles Amherst Villiers (1900-1991) designed a supercharger for the 4½ litre 'Blower' Bentley, the gearing for which was made by David Brown & Son [D.B.S.], prior to their acquisition of Aston Martin, a struggling motor company previously funded by Count Louis Zborowski. His friend Ian Fleming chose the 'blower' as James Bond's own vehicle, plus a company Aston Martin D.B.3 on assignment, and later consulted Villiers while writing Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, an adventure book about a vintage car based on Zborowski's 1920 Zeppelin-powered Mercedes. Item #66095
BMC No.1 p.4-13 'Fleming and Bond; Related Titles'. Gilbert, Jon; Ian Fleming: The Bibliography, page 592, see also Appendix A, page 634.
Price: £675.00
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