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Publisher's pre-publication set of sewn gatherings, in an early mock-up of the dust jacket, the dedication copy, inscribed by the author to Ernest Cuneo on the dedication leaf, "To Ernie, of course, from Ian". The printed dedication reads, "To Ernest Cuneo - Muse". The mock-up jacket has differences from the published version. The physical construction of this set and the first US edition match exactly. Both comprise eight gatherings of 16 leaves each. The setting of type appears to be identical. This set of sewn gatherings additionally has a conjugate pair of endpapers at front and rear. Leaves measure 204 x 136 mm (compared with 202 x 135 mm for the first edition) confirming that this is not simply a disbound copy of the first edition. The jacket is constructed from four sections and laid down on a dust jacket for Graham Greene's A Burnt-Out Case (published around the same time by Viking in February 1961). The spine, front panel, and front flap form one section. The text is replicated on the published version, although the spacing between lines and also the colours for the text on the front flap are slightly changed. The rear panel forms another section. Here only the first four lines appear printed in black ("Secret Agent James Bond / faces his most dangerous assignment, / the deadly S.P.E.C.T.R.E. which could / destroy the world:" followed by a dotted line). It is feasible that other sections are no longer present, and the construction of the jacket in Publisher's pre-publication set of sewn gatherings, in an early mock-up of the dust jacket, the dedication copy, inscribed by the author to Ernest Cuneo on the dedication leaf, "To Ernie, of course, from Ian". The printed dedication reads, "To Ernest Cuneo - Muse". The mock-up jacket has differences from the published version. The physical construction of this set and the first US edition match exactly. Both comprise eight gatherings of 16 leaves each. The setting of type appears to be identical. This set of sewn gatherings additionally has a conjugate pair of endpapers at front and rear. Leaves measure 204 x 136 mm (compared with 202 x 135 mm for the first edition) confirming that this is not simply a disbound copy of the first edition. The jacket is constructed from four sections and laid down on a dust jacket for Graham Greene's A Burnt-Out Case (published around the same time by Viking in February 1961). The spine, front panel, and front flap form one section. The text is replicated on the published version, although the spacing between lines and also the colours for the text on the front flap are slightly changed. The rear panel forms another section. Here only the first four lines appear printed in black ("Secret Agent James Bond / faces his most dangerous assignment, / the deadly S.P.E.C.T.R.E. which could / destroy the world:" followed by a dotted line). It is feasible that other sections are no longer present, and the construction of the jacket in parts is clearly evident. The rear flap carries the same text as the printed jacket with the omission of a credit line for the photographer. The photograph is provided as a separate section laid down. The mock-up has extensive use of adhesive tape. Ernest L. Cuneo (1905–1988) was an American lawyer and newspaperman. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was appointed a liaison officer between the OSS, British Security Coordination (a part of MI6), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of State, and US President Franklin Roosevelt. While working with British Intelligence, he became a close friend of Ian Fleming, as well as Roald Dahl, Noël Coward, and Ivar Bryce. After the war, Cuneo joined with Ivar Bryce and a group of investors, including Ian Fleming, to gain control of the North American Newspaper Alliance (NANA). When Fleming was considering writing detective fiction, Cuneo introduced him to elements of the New York underworld. As Fleming's dedication acknowledges, Cuneo was crucial to the genesis of Thunderball. In mid-1958, Fleming and Ivar Bryce began talking about the possibility of a Bond film. Later that year, Bryce introduced Fleming to a young Irish writer and director, Kevin McClory, and the partnership Xanadu Productions was formed. All four worked on various outlines, treatments and scripts, under such titles as SPECTRE, James Bond of the Secret Service, and Longitude 78 West. Memories of who contributed which elements vary, but Cuneo seems to have been responsible for ships with underwater trapdoors in their hulls, and an underwater battle scene. Xanadu Productions never made the film, and James Bond did not make his screen debut until Dr. No in 1962. Fleming recycled all the major elements of these abandoned film treatments for this novel. This immediately led to legal difficulties with Kevin McClory, who claimed part copyright, but Fleming's inscription to his American friend, with his cheerful acknowledgement of Cuneo's part in the book's creation, predates that unhappy episode. Thunderball was first published in the UK during February 1961. The US publishers were sent a set of galley proofs on 6 January 1961 and the type set from this source. Gilbert records that "an advance review copy has been noted". This comprises a "standard copy of the first impression... with Viking's review slip... loosely inserted". It appears, therefore, there were no proofs and the present set must surely have been sent as a courtesy to Fleming who duly inscribed and presented it to the dedicatee. Fleming did not dedicate all of his James Bond books. Only five from the series of 13 Bond titles published during his lifetime have printed dedications. Of these five, only two are dedicated to single recipients: Goldfinger dedicated to William Plomer, and the current book. Fleming is known to have sent Cuneo a dedication copy of the first UK edition, but the present item is possibly the only dedication copy of the US printing. READ MORE Octavo. Sewn gatherings with endpapers as wrappers. With mock-up of dust jacket. Housed in a black quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. Some minor soiling to outer leaves with small ink stamp to front, a few nicks to extremities; jacket worn with tears and some minor loss, adhesive tape and resulting marks, spine faded: a very good copy in a good and unique jacket. Cf Gilbert A9b(1.1).

Thunderball is the ninth book in the James Bond series, and the eighth full-length James Bond novel, written by Ian Fleming. It is famous for introducing the criminal organization SPECTRE and the character Ernst Stavro Blofeld.