FOR YOUR SHELF ONLY: JASON WHITON

Our series For Your Shelf Only has given us a chance to hear from a number of collectors about their prized treasures and their history with Ian Fleming and 007. We've talked with Bond continuation author Raymond Benson, spy novelist Jeremy Duns, and many others. I always enjoy connecting with our guests over our mutual love of spy adventure, and today I had the rare opportunity to sit in the interview seat myself! Artistic License Renewed, a wonderful website that focusses on Ian Fleming, Richard Chopping, and the Bond novels, invited me in for a virtual chat about my collection. Here's a sneak preview of my answers: "The editions I tend to collect more actively now are books about Fleming or Fleming’s non-Bond work. Some gems include early (sometimes first) work serialized in magazines, early collection catalogs, The London Magazine in the 1950s, Horizon in the 1940s, contributions to Room 3603, Counterpoint, Motor Car, To Catch a Spy, and Jonathan Cape Publisher. Books about Fleming, like Ivar Bryce, the memorial address, Letters of Ann Fleming, and reference books like SMERSH. I was able to add a couple of rare Fleming appearances to Jon Gilbert’s Bibliography." When did I start reading Fleming and what's my favorite Bond story? Read the full interview here. For Your Shelf Only links on Spy Vibe: Jon Gilbert, Raymond Benson, Jeremy Duns, Peter Lorenz, David Foster, Rob Mallows, Roger Langley, Craig Arthur, Fleming Short, Matt Sherman, Alan Stephenson, rare Ian Fleming, rare Fleming short. 

Spy Vibe is having a spring sale on eBay. New items added very few days and include rare Beatles autographs, James Bond, rare books, music, and comics. Details here. 

Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming: Mt. Demon Hell Japan, new poster announced, 007 Audio Books Update, Appropriating Bond Exhibit, Fleming Letters Mystery, Double 007 Book Designs,  Double 007 designs II, rare Ian Fleming edition, Book Design Dopplegangers, Turkish Bond design, Ian Fleming Letters, Erno Goldfinger, Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.

Recent Spy Vibe posts: Spy exhibit at the Pacific Science Center, Ian Fleming: Mt. Demon Hell Japan, 007 Audio Books Update, Sylvia Anderson, Appropriating Bond Exhibit, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton,  Solar & Bionic Man Return, The Saint Library Released, DC Fontana Prisoner Video, James Bond Comic Event, Turkish James Bond Design, Edward Gorey's 1960s, Ipcress File cinematography, 007 SOLO cover designs, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Shane Glines Batman.

FOLIO SPIES

The Folio Society was founded in 1947 by Charles Ede and has continued to follow their mission to enhance the reading experience by paying close attention to the book itself. As they state on their website, typography, paper, illustration, slipcase, printing and binding are all chosen carefully to create a harmonious whole. The Folio books are sold individually, as well through subscriptions. There is a marketing aspect to their company that reminds me a bit of all of those variant editions that publishers hook us with, although Folio does not produce multiple versions of titles. They are editions made for book lovers and collectors, and I admit that I really enjoyed looking at their designs and choice of titles. As you might imagine, Folio has their hands in great classics from Greene, Conrad, Bradbury, Ambler, le Carre, and anthologies featuring The Strand, Conan Doyle, Ian Fleming, H.G Wells. They also printed a number of espionage memoirs and historic studies. I recently searched their listings and back-catalog and found some attractive editions that may appeal to fellow Spy Vibers. Best designs? I'm partial to Fahrenheit 451 and Enigma. What do you think?

Many of these titles are out of print, but you can still find copies easily. Books to check out: The Human Factor by Graham Greene, Memoirs of a British Agent by Bruce Lockhart, Mission to Tashkent by F.M Bailey, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, Adventure Stories From The Strand (featuring Conan Doyle, Kipling, H.G Wells, Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, Sapper, others), The Spy's Bedside Book (featuring Ian Fleming, Graham Greene, John Buchan, others, and intro by former MI5 head), The Mask of Dimitrios by Eric Ambler, Crime Stories From the Strand, The Double Cross System by J.C Masterman, Enigma by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore, Smiley's People, The Honourable Schoolboy (not pictured), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre, SOE by M.R.D Foot, and No Cloak No Dagger by Benjamin Cowburn. Photos below are from The Folio Society and Juniper Books. 

I have a spy novella coming out. Stay tuned and follow Spy Vibe by clicking the Follow link at top right of this page. 

Check Spy Vibe for recent posts about our discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, my review of SKYFALL, tributes to Donald Richie and Tony Sheridan, the Les Vampires serial on Blu-ray, Lucy Fleming, The Beatles first record session, Ian Fleming's desert island interview, new Ian Fleming book designs, Fantomas, Spy Smasher, Barbarella tv show, British spy comics, Piper Gates retro designs, Cinema Retro, and more. 

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JEREMY DUNS: TOP 10 SPY GADGETS

JEREMY DUNS: TOP 10 SPY GADGETS
Bugged rocks and exploding rats? Our Man Jeremy Duns, author of Free Agent, has posted his top-10 list of real spy gadgets on his blog, The Debrief. Along with some rather wild inventions, Spy Vibers will recognize a few toys that showed up in the fictional tales of John Drake (Danger Man) and James Bond. If you are interested in seeing more on the illustrated history of spy gadgets, check out the book The Ultimate Spy by Keith Melton. By the way, the hardcover edition of Jeremy's novel Free Agent is currently on sale for under $3 on Amazon. Penguin is gearing up to launch the paperback edition on June 29th in the US with this fantastic design by Jonathan Gray. Don't miss it!

For spy book lovers and collectors, you may also want to check out the auction catalog for the Otto Penzler Collection. From The Debrief: On April 8, the famed bookseller, publisher and friend to many thriller-writers Otto Penzler is selling off part of his massive collection at the Swann Auction Galleries in New York - specifically, his British espionage and thrillers. This must be the finest collection of its kind in the world, and offers both a deep insight into the history of the genre, and is part of that history. It includes rare correspondence between Ian Fleming and Richard Chopping about the jacket art for the James Bond novels, signed first editions by Eric Ambler, Len Deighton, Graham Greene, John le Carré, Adam Hall and Dennis Wheatley, scarce editions by William le Queux and E Phillips Oppenheim... and much more besides. The asking prices are a little too high for me, but what a gorgeous, gorgeous catalogue. You could read it for hours. -Jeremy Duns