Sixty years ago ( almost ) ... James Bond was born !

Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel turns 60 on 13 April 2013.

Published on 13 April 1953 by Jonathan Cape, Casino Royale introduced James Bond, Special Agent 007, to the world. The first print run of 4,728 copies sold out within a month. Following this initial success, Fleming went on to publish a Bond title every year until his death in 1964. 

It is in Casino Royale where 007 first utters the immortal line ‘Bond - James Bond’ and where Bond first reveals his recipe for the famous martini cocktail, christened the ‘Vesper’ after the first Bond girl, Vesper Lynd. The artwork for the original cover was designed by Fleming himself, decorated with a heart motif to reflect a playing card.  

The first American pocket edition , apparently unsure of the original title , decided to go for a rather Mickey Spillane type of title ' You Asked for it ' .

In 2012, Casino Royale returned to its original publisher, Jonathan Cape, with a Vintage Classics edition featuring a new cover design inspired by the original, and an introduction by Alan Judd. Vintage also publish the rest of the James Bond collection and Fleming’s two non-fiction books.

To this day, Fleming’s Bond novels have sold over 60 million copies and have inspired a hugely successful film franchise. 
Eon Production’s 2006 film adaptation of Casino Royale with Daniel Craig is one of the highest-grossing Bond films in history.

Later this year a new James Bond novel, written by bestselling author William Boyd, will be published by Jonathan Cape. The book, the title of which is yet to be revealed, will be published in the UK on 26 September 2013: www.jamesbondthenewmission.co.uk.

( Remerciements :  Katy MacMillan-Scott)