Books

First edition. 8vo. Original black cloth, spine lettered in gilt, dust jacket. London, Jonathan Cape. The final James Bond novel. Ian Fleming died before the publication of this book, in August 1964. This being the issue with the green and white endpapers apparently having run out towards the end of the print run. One of 3,204 copies bound in this way. A very good copy, a few short tears to the edges of the dust jacket, and a little rubbing to the spine panel. Jon Gilbert, Ian Fleming the Bibliography. A13a. (1.2).

The Man with the Golden Gun is the twelfth novel (and thirteenth book) of Ian Fleming's James Bond series. It was first published by Jonathan Cape in the UK on 1 April 1965, eight months after the author's death. The novel was not as detailed or polished as the others in the series, leading to poor but polite reviews. Despite that, the book was a best-seller. The story centers on the fictional British Secret Service agent Commander James Bond, who had been thought dead, only to return to the Secret Service alive and well. In the novel, Bond is sent to assassinate Francisco 'Pistols' Scaramanga, a notorious hitman, who is believed to be responsible for the disappearance of several British intelligence operatives.