Today, 12 August, marks the date of Ian Fleming’s death in 1964. A man of many guises, including those of journalist, stockbroker and Naval Intelligence officer, Fleming didn’t publish his first novel Casino Royaleuntil he was 45 years old.
After the success of Casino Royale, the first print run of which sold out within a month, he published a Bond title every year until his death. The luxurious appeal of the spy fantasy – the fast cars, the exotic locales, the expensive meals and beautiful clothes, many of which were based on Fleming’s own tastes – provided a perfect escapist fantasy in a post-war world still reeling from the horrors that it had just endured. Raymond Chandler hailed Fleming as ‘the most forceful and driving writer of thrillers in England’ and his books were beloved by both presidents and the masses alike. Fleming died of heart failure on 12 August 1964, aged just 56. To read about Fleming’s life in more detail, explore our timeline here.
As we remember Fleming’s life and achievements, we here at Ian Fleming Publications would also like to take the opportunity to look ahead to the future. We’re thus pleased to announce our next publishing project, bringing three well-loved classic Bond titles back into print, all with brand-new introductions.
Colonel Sun by Kingsley Amis
The first ever James Bond novel published after the death of Ian Fleming. This edition celebrates the novel’s 55th anniversary and features a new foreword by Anthony Horowitz.
Zero Minus Ten by Raymond Benson
Rediscover this classic Bond continuation novel in a brand-new paperback edition. It will include a new introduction from the author himself, Raymond Benson.
James Bond: The Authorized Biography by John Pearson
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the authorised biography’s publication, this edition will feature a new foreword written by Mark Pearson, John’s son.
All three titles will be published in paperback in the UK on October 5th, James Bond Day, and will be priced at £9.99 each. They are all now available to pre-order via our site, click on the links above to find out more about each title and order your copy from your preferred retailer. Zero Minus Ten and James Bond: The Authorised Biography are also available to pre-order within the US via our website.
Additionally, a limited number of signed copies of Zero Minus Ten are available to pre-order via our site for UK and US customers, but please note that these will not be dispatched until early November.
Keep an eye on our socials and your inbox as we’ll be sharing the covers for these exciting new editions soon.
