JAMES BOND
FACT FILES

The covers presented on this page are displayed in the order they were first published in the UK and USA, which in the case of the UK paperbacks was not the original release order of Ian Fleming's novels. Dates shown below each title denote the first printing with this cover.

Collecting the James Bond novels in paperback is a cheaper option than trying to acquire a full set of hardback first editions. However, as the early titles in the series were printed in much smaller numbers than the later 1960s editions, these can still command a high price on the second-hand market. In the UK all of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels were first published in paperback by PAN Books. Pictured below are the twelve novels and two short story collections published by PAN Books between 1955 and 1967. It should be noted that the first printings of both ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN were originally for export only, and it was not until a year after the first printings that they were widely available in the UK. The first printings of these three novels are therefore technically the true first editions. The export edition for ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE was slightly different to the later UK version having its title in blue and a darker overall cover. A first edition was also produced specifically for the Canadian market and issued in September 1964. Its cover had the price of 60c printed in the bottom left-hand corner. The first three export copies were printed in significantly smaller quantities than the UK edition and therefore much harder to find. The export edition cover for YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE was laminated and darker overall to its UK counterpart. The 2nd printing was much paler and the title now appeared orange rather than the deeper red of the export version.

The American publishing rights to the James Bond novels were originally held by different companies, and it was not until 2002 when Penguin Books reissued the series in paperback that collectors could own the complete series with uniform covers. Often censored for their US release, Ian Fleming's novels did not initially sell in large numbers, but with an endorsement from none other than the American President, and the release of the early films starring Sean Connery, the author eventually achieved the huge success which endures to this day. The paperbacks of Ian Fleming's first four James Bond novels were published by two different companies with CASINO ROYALE and MOONRAKER re-titled for American audiences. It was not until 1961 when the New American Library (Ian Fleming's American hardback publisher) acquired the paperback rights to the early novels that they were issued with uniform covers. Ian Fleming's controversial 1962 novel THE SPY WHO LOVED ME was published in paperback in the USA by the New American Library under their Signet imprint, but it was not until three years after the author's death that the title was available in the UK. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE and YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE were published in the USA at the same time PAN Books issued their export editions, but it would be another year until paperbacks were widely available in the UK.

FACT FILES INDEX

FACT FILES - James Bond UK Paperbacks