James Bond First Editions

The Book Collector, 1952-1964. The Ian Fleming Years [52 issues].

[BIBLIOGRAPHY] Various Authors.

London: The Queen Anne Press, 1952-1964. [Literary Journal] The first 52 issues published under the stewardship of Ian Fleming. Vol.1, No.1 (Spring 1952) - vol.13, No.4 (Winter 1964). Contributors include John Carter, David A. Randall, T.S. Eliot, Nancy Cunard, Nicolas Barker, William Rees-Mogg, George Sims, B.H. Breslauer and Timothy d'Arch Smith. Some light wear and handling, occasional spotting, some spines toned or wrinkled. A very good set, with various loose ephemera inserted (Editor's compliments slip, notice to subscribers, yearly index, etc). A significant unbroken run of The Book Collector, published by Ian Fleming's Queen Anne Press. In late 1951, The Dropmore Press, owned by Fleming's employer Lord Kemsley and in which Fleming had an interest was revamped as The Queen Anne Press. Ian Fleming was given editorial control with Percy Muir and and John Hayward as directors. Similarly, Kemsley's Book Handbook was rebranded The Book Collector with the same three men serving as the editorial board [and listed on the title page of the first and subsequent numbers]. Kemsley soon tired of the project, and sold the journal to Fleming cheaply, resulting in Ian becoming a publisher. The Autumn 1953 number includes a rare article by Ian Fleming on Raymond Chandler [Gilbert's C41], the penultimate number here is the final issue to carry Fleming's name as editor and the final number here includes an obituary of the recently deceased Fleming, guardian of the journal, from his close friend John Hayward. Item #64211

References: Ian Fleming: Book Collector by William White, published in The Armchair Detective, May 1973. See also Gilbert, page 664. This run is from the comprehensive Ian Fleming Bibliographical Archive assembled by Jon Gilbert, with his pencilled ownership.

Price: £750.00