The Centenary Edition of the Works. [Casino Royale; Live and Let Die; Moonraker; Diamonds are Forever; From Russia, With Love; Dr No; Goldfinger; For Your Eyes Only; Thunderball; The Spy Who Loved Me; On Her Majesty's Secret Service; You Only Live Twice; The Man with the Golden Gun; Octopussy; The Diamond Smugglers; Thrilling Cities; Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang; Talk of the Devil].

Queen Anne Press, 2008. 18 volumes, octavo. Original quarter vellum by Shepherds, Sangorski & Sutcliffe, replicating the original limited edition of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, spines lettered in gilt, black cloth sides, red endpapers embossed with Fleming's initials, edges gilt. Housed in the original black cloth slipcases with black lettering on spines; and in the original large black box with the author's family crest gilt-stamped on lid. In fine condition. Limited edition, number 30 of 100 sets attractively bound in quarter vellum from a total edition of 406 sets, published to commemorate the centenary of Fleming's birth. This definitive edition is "the most comprehensive collection of the writings of Ian Fleming to be published, including all of the author's original titles as issued in book-form editions and, in a brand-new volume, a collection of his journalism, some of which appears here for the first time" (Gilbert, p. 580). The Queen Anne Press was established in 1951 by James Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley, who was a significant figure in Fleming's life. Owner of the Sunday Times amongst others, Lord Kemsley offered Fleming a job as foreign news manager of Kemsley Newspapers after the war, and enabled him to write the Bond novels by allowing an unusual clause in Fleming's contract: Fleming would take January and February as his annual paid leave, during which time he worked on his novels at Goldeneye, on Jamaica's north shore. In 1952 Lord Kemsley appointed Fleming as the managing director of the Queen Anne Press as a wedding gift, a position he held until his death in 1964. Fleming's literary estate acquired the press the year before this publication, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the author's birth. This set is from the significant Ian Fleming collection of Martin Schøyen (b.1940), with his bookplate on the front pastedown of Casino Royale. 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. Item #155979

Gilbert F10(b); The Schøyen Collection No. 159.

Price: £6,000.00

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