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- A collection of 14 rare Bond books will go up for sale in London from next week
- They contain personal messages from British spy turned author, Ian Fleming
- In a message to a potential message, Fleming referred to himself as 'Mabel'
One message was meant for an alleged mistress and another for his old boss – the spy chief known only as M.
The personal notes to friends and colleagues from novelist and one-time secret agent Ian Fleming adorn a rare and complete set of his James Bond books.
The witty messages mean the set of presentation copies inscribed by Fleming have now been valued at £500,000.
In a message to Sarah Dugdale, a supposed mistress, James Bond author Ian Fleming wrote: 'Sarah, I'm sure you'll enjoy this, Mabel'
A set of 14 books, each with a handwritten message from Ian Fleming, is for sale at the Masterpiece London Art Fair which is being held by dealer Peter Harrington
One of them was for Sarah Dugdale, a supposed mistress.
The married novelist wrote in a copy of Dr No: ‘Sarah, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this, Mabel.’
Calling himself Mabel may well have been a lighthearted attempt to conceal an affair.
Fleming sent Goldfinger to his friends Albert and Cyril Whiting – the pro and his son at Royal St George’s Golf Club in Kent, where Fleming was a member.
The rare set are set to go up for sale for £500,000. British spy turned author Ian Fleming penned messages to friends and potentially even a mistress inside the covers of each book
Inside Diamonds Are Forever, Fleming wrote: 'To Gomer & Edith To read in the sun! With affection from Ian,' while in an edition of Goldfinger the author joked: 'To Alfred & Cecil Blacking on condition they don't sue me for libel! From Ian Fleming'
The 1958 novel contains a scene in which 007 takes on Auric Goldfinger in a game of golf.
A copy of Casino Royale was inscribed with a message to the head of the secret service, M.
In it he wrote: ‘To M, these pages from my memoirs! Ian.’
He dedicated a first edition of Live and Let Die to former girlfriend Clare Blanchard.
The inscription reads: ‘To Clare who sheds much light. With love Ian 1954.’
Leonard Russell, an editor who assisted him with You Only Live Twice, received a copy of Thunderball with the note: ‘To Leonard. These thunderballs! from Ian.’
Two books in the collection have no messages because they were published after Fleming died in 1964.
Casino Royale is simply inscribed 'To M, these pages from my memoirs! Ian'. Referencing the title in another message, he wrote: ‘To Leonard. These thunderballs! from Ian.’
The set of 14 Bond books has been compiled by a collector over the past decade. Inside an edition of For Your Eyes Only, Ian Fleming wrote to newspaper tycoon Lord Beaverbrook 'An Easter Egg!'
The set of 14, which has been compiled by a book collector over the past decade, is for sale at the Masterpiece London Art Fair.
Owner Pom Harrington, of the book dealer Peter Harrington who are selling them, said: ‘This remarkable collection was the result of a ten-year collaboration with a client who wanted to put together a set of James Bond books with witty and personal inscriptions and associations – the crown jewel being the one inscribed to M.
‘Now that the collection is complete, he felt it is time to move on.’
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