James Bond First Editions

The Man Who Was "Q". The Life of Charles Fraser-Smith.

[Ian Fleming / Bondiana] PORTER, David.

UK: M.S. Fraser-Smith, printed by Cox & Wyman, [1989] 1990. [Biography] SIGNED BY CHARLES FRASER-SMITH. A paperback original. pp.189; [3], blank. Second printing. Publishers card covers with illustrations to upper. Fine. Subtitled 'The True Story of Charles Fraser-Smith, the "Q" wizard of World War II, this is the fascinating biography of the inventor and engineer credited as being the inspiration for Ian Fleming's James Bond quartermaster Q. Working for MI6, he developed and supplied gadgets nicknamed "Q-devices" (after Q-ships) for SOE agents operating in occupied Europe. He designed equipment used in Ian Fleming's famous intelligence deception, codenamed Operation Mincemeat. This copy, signed by the subject, comes from the Ian Fleming Bibliographical Archive assembled by Jon Gilbert, with his bookplate and pencilled ownership. His comprehensive guide to the works of Ian Fleming (2012) won the 16th Breslauer Prize for bibliography. Item #66171

Gilbert. Ian Fleming The Bibliography, p.601.

Price: £250.00