James Bond First Editions

Coronation June 2 1953.

[IAN FLEMING / BONDIANA] FROST, Conrad.

London: Arthur Barker, 1978. [British History] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.152. Red cloth lettered in gilt, with the photographic dust-wrapper. Fine in near fine price-clipped jacket, with a barely-visible repaired tear to upper. In his foreword, author Conrad Frost credits James Bond author Ian Fleming for the eventual publication of this book (on the Silver Jubilee), a version of the text having been serialised in 1953 by Kemsley Newspapers with enthusiastic encouragement of their Foreign Manager Ian Fleming, under whom Frost was assigned at the time. Frost was a Mercury Features writer, producing the Ace O'Hara comic strip for the Daily Dispatch (1954-64), which bears a striking resemblance to the later James Bond strips drawn by John McLusky. A largely unknown piece of 'Bondiana', this copy is part of the comprehensive James Bond collection assembled by Jon Gilbert (bookplate within). His comprehensive guide to the works of Ian Fleming (2012) won the 16th Breslauer Prize for bibliography. Item #66304

Price: £75.00