Monty Python made a few Biggles references, so its good to learn what thats referring to. one of the spanish inquisitors was named Cardinal Biggles, and I'm sure there was at least one other reference.
This book supposedly about the man who Ian Fleming based James Bond on used to sell quickly whenever it came into stock. I probably flicked through a copy at one stage but didn’t ever read it in full.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
The Lost World is a fine novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and has had many film and television adaptions over the years. The book has also had many good covers.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
That Pan Books cover is gorgeous. That's a really old one too. I love a vintage Pan.
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
"The big spy boom was on. You remember that? The time when every second publication was a spy book, and if they'd laid all the spies end to end nobody would have been surprised." John Gardner
That last one is The Man From War series of the late sixties. On and off I've been searching for these, but they are quite hard to come by, especially in the format you've posted. I love these Bond rip off titles from the sixties and seventies. The covers drew you in and - even when the stories were so-so - I always have a sense of well-being afterwards, as if my money has been well spent.
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
Ah, Boysie Oakes! Sadly I've not read that one yet but I have copies of all of John Gardner's books (naturally!) including a few signed and proof copies. I must get around to that one. That passage sounds like a nice little meta touch and spot on about the 1960s heydey of spy fiction.
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Yes, I've had it on my shelves for ages. I really must read it. I hadn't realised it was written in the first person from a spy author's perspective and with Boysie Oakes as a secondary character. That's an interesting change in approach. Gardner always liked to experiment a bit with his series characters and he did the same in his later Bond novels too.
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
I reviewed the movie Grizzly a week or so ago and said that I had sold some copies of the MTI ( movie tie-in) paperback so here it is, along with a few more examples…
This was filmed as Three Days Of The Condor…maybe the budget wouldn’t stretch to six days…
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Some more movie tie-ins…NOTLD very popular because of the photo inserts…MF great cover…CJATCOG psychedelic covers were popular for a time…TUW excellent little seen film and a decent adaption…TGVOS fantasy covers always popular…TSWLM interesting that Warner Books dropped the James Bond And from the title which the UK edition had…
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
@chrisno1 Yes, the American publisher Warner Books, of which all the above covers are from. No, it’s this cover…and expect to pay 1000 GBP for a nice first edition hardback at todays valuations. It was 3.50 GBP cover price, originally.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Wow, that's pricey. I assume it was a limited run. What a great cover. I have never seen this before. [Why ? I ask myself] Thanks for that info. I thought it would have been the same as the soft cover as the publication dates are the same. Good to know.
As you are the resident expert, was there a hard cover of Janes Bond and Moonraker ?
I don't know what age you are, chris, but I'm willing to bet you're younger than CHB and I! Age may not guarantee efficiency, but it has its advantages.
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
edited June 2023
I read recently that both of these Christopher Wood film novelisation covers were painted by the British artist Bill Botten (b. 1935) who later went on to paint the covers for John Gardner's For Special Services and Icebreaker in the Richard Chopping style. I hadn't realised they were all done by the one man. According to Wikipedia Botten did the JB, TSWLM cover in a Pre-Raphaelite style while the JB and MR cover was in a different style again using an artist's gouache. Interesting stuff, though like @Barbel above, I sadly don't have either novelisation in first edition. Oh well. 🙂
Great info here. My lack of knowledge is down to pure myopia. I don't take much interest in hardback books. It was space saving initially, now it is more to do with principle, until I earn a fortune enough not to care about book buying tendencies. I just bought OHisMSS, my first hard cover for years & years.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,747Chief of Staff
Comments
Monty Python made a few Biggles references, so its good to learn what thats referring to. one of the spanish inquisitors was named Cardinal Biggles, and I'm sure there was at least one other reference.
I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition.
This book supposedly about the man who Ian Fleming based James Bond on used to sell quickly whenever it came into stock. I probably flicked through a copy at one stage but didn’t ever read it in full.
The Lost World is a fine novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and has had many film and television adaptions over the years. The book has also had many good covers.
That Pan Books cover is gorgeous. That's a really old one too. I love a vintage Pan.
Some spy themed covers…
"The big spy boom was on. You remember that? The time when every second publication was a spy book, and if they'd laid all the spies end to end nobody would have been surprised." John Gardner
That last one is The Man From War series of the late sixties. On and off I've been searching for these, but they are quite hard to come by, especially in the format you've posted. I love these Bond rip off titles from the sixties and seventies. The covers drew you in and - even when the stories were so-so - I always have a sense of well-being afterwards, as if my money has been well spent.
Nice John Gardner quote there, @Barbel. Where's it from?
That's from "Traitor's Exit", @Silhouette Man, perhaps my favourite Gardner and highly recommended to those of us who enjoy 60s spy fiction.
(Not to be confused with "Traitor's Gate" a Dennis Wheatley book about Gregory Sallust.)
Ah, Boysie Oakes! Sadly I've not read that one yet but I have copies of all of John Gardner's books (naturally!) including a few signed and proof copies. I must get around to that one. That passage sounds like a nice little meta touch and spot on about the 1960s heydey of spy fiction.
Oh, that book is crammed full of meta touches! I bet Gardner had a ball writing it, and really you should read it asap.
Yes, I've had it on my shelves for ages. I really must read it. I hadn't realised it was written in the first person from a spy author's perspective and with Boysie Oakes as a secondary character. That's an interesting change in approach. Gardner always liked to experiment a bit with his series characters and he did the same in his later Bond novels too.
These sort of covers sold so quickly they hardly touched the shelves…
I reviewed the movie Grizzly a week or so ago and said that I had sold some copies of the MTI ( movie tie-in) paperback so here it is, along with a few more examples…
This was filmed as Three Days Of The Condor…maybe the budget wouldn’t stretch to six days…
CoolHand said:
This was filmed as Three Days Of The Condor…maybe the budget wouldn’t stretch to six days…
_____________________________________________________________
I have this exact edition, probably found in one of those neighbourhood little library boxes
the movie's vastly better than the book
I haven’t read the book and I think I only ever had one copy of that version but several of this one…
Some more movie tie-ins…NOTLD very popular because of the photo inserts…MF great cover…CJATCOG psychedelic covers were popular for a time…TUW excellent little seen film and a decent adaption…TGVOS fantasy covers always popular…TSWLM interesting that Warner Books dropped the James Bond And from the title which the UK edition had…
I used to love such books and had a lot of them. Of the above, though, I only had one (make a wild stab in the dark as to which) and still have it
TSWLM is the American edition, right? So I ask, was the UK Jonathon Cape hardback edition the same cover as the UK paperback?
@Barbel I’m going to for Sinbad
@chrisno1 Yes, the American publisher Warner Books, of which all the above covers are from. No, it’s this cover…and expect to pay 1000 GBP for a nice first edition hardback at todays valuations. It was 3.50 GBP cover price, originally.
Wow, that's pricey. I assume it was a limited run. What a great cover. I have never seen this before. [Why ? I ask myself] Thanks for that info. I thought it would have been the same as the soft cover as the publication dates are the same. Good to know.
As you are the resident expert, was there a hard cover of Janes Bond and Moonraker ?
I think that owing to time differences, CHB is probably asleep at the moment so I hope he doesn't mind me posting the answer to @chrisno1's question -
(and no, I don't have a copy, much as I'd like to)
How come I've never seen these two fantastic cover designs. I am bereft 😟😟
I don't know what age you are, chris, but I'm willing to bet you're younger than CHB and I! Age may not guarantee efficiency, but it has its advantages.
I read recently that both of these Christopher Wood film novelisation covers were painted by the British artist Bill Botten (b. 1935) who later went on to paint the covers for John Gardner's For Special Services and Icebreaker in the Richard Chopping style. I hadn't realised they were all done by the one man. According to Wikipedia Botten did the JB, TSWLM cover in a Pre-Raphaelite style while the JB and MR cover was in a different style again using an artist's gouache. Interesting stuff, though like @Barbel above, I sadly don't have either novelisation in first edition. Oh well. 🙂
Link: Bill Botten - Wikipedia
Great info here. My lack of knowledge is down to pure myopia. I don't take much interest in hardback books. It was space saving initially, now it is more to do with principle, until I earn a fortune enough not to care about book buying tendencies. I just bought OHisMSS, my first hard cover for years & years.
Well, not exactly mint copies ☺️
Well done, sir !