Description

“YOU SEE, WE’VE GOT ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD”: LIMITED FIRST EDITION OF ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE, SIGNED BY IAN FLEMING—A PERFECT COPY, ONE OF ONLY 35 RESERVED FOR PRESENTATION

FLEMING, Ian. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. London: Jonathan Cape, (1963). Octavo, original half vellum gilt, top edge gilt.

Signed limited first edition, the only Bond title issued in a limited edition, one of only 35 unnumbered copies reserved for presentation signed by Ian Fleming (from a total signed limited edition of 285), of the eleventh Bond novel, in which 007 takes a bride, only to have his happiness cut short by the schemes of his archnemesis, Ernst Blofeld.

The eleventh James Bond novel—the first to be published after the debut of the Bond film series—became “an immediate bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic” (Biondi & Pickard, 48, 53). “By the time of publication, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service had received nearly a quarter more subscriptions than any previous Fleming novel” (Lycett, 419). George Lazenby, in his only outing as the secret agent, starred in the 1969 film version, with Diana Rigg as Tracy and Telly Savalas as Blofeld. With color frontispiece portrait of Fleming. Published simultaneously with the trade edition. Without scarce original mylar jacket. Gilbert A11a.

A fine signed copy, one of the very scarce and desirable 35 reserved for the author as presentation copies.