Fleming's novel Goldfinger
First editions of Goldfinger reach high prices, but beware of fake first imprints!
Ian Fleming's novels have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. His seventh book, Goldfinger, was first published in 1959 by Jonathan Cape, London.
Fleming was based with British naval intelligence during World War II. A keen golfer, he was a member of both the Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich and Huntercombe Golf Club, Oxfordshire. Willie Park Jr., Huntercombe's course designer, also designed Old Sunningdale.
Literature's most famous golf match
Three chapters of Goldfinger are devoted to golf. Bond plays a golf match against the villanous Auric Goldfinger on a course called Royal St. Mark's. It bears more than a passing ressemblance to Fleming's beloved Royal St. Georges golf course in Kent.
James Bond was a keen golfer too: Fleming writes that he played his golf "on courses around London - Huntercombe, Swinley, Sunningdale, the Berkshire..."
Early editions of Goldfinger are a valuable find. The first edition (Joanthan Cape, 1959) bears a black cloth cover with gilt lettering. The dust jacket features an image of a skull with a red rose in its teeth. First editions can be identified if the verso of the title page reads "First Published 1959." Only 24,000 copies of the first edition were printed.
Beware of fake first editions!
Book collectors have been alerted to watch out for the switching of book jackets. In fact, a first edition bearing a dust jacket sends warning bells ringing! Many reprints were printed with a facsimile dust jacket and many of these facsimile jackets have found their way onto first editions of Fleming's seventh novel. A true first edition dust jacket bears a fifteen shilling cover price: 15s.
Goldfinger was reprinted a great many times by different publishers - both as hard and softback editions. The very first American edition was published by MacMillan in 1959 and bears a dust jacket with a $3 price. Identical to the UK edition in every way, the MacMillan logo replaces that of Jonathan Cape on the book's spine. (Cape printed the US edition on behalf of MacMillan, releasing 7500 copies.)
High prices at auction
First editions of Goldfinger with the dust jacket come up for auction on both sides of the Atlantic every year. US copies sell for around $1200. Less august American editions with the dust jacket sell for around $800. Naturally, signed copies push the price far higher. One of the most famous signed copies of the book is that given by Ian Fleming to golf writer and fellow Huntercombe member, Henry Longhurst.
The 1964 film version of Goldfinger starred Sean Connery as James Bond. An avid golfer himself, Connery's golfing scenes in the film were shot at Stoke Park Golf Club (Stoke Poges) rather than at Royal St. George's.
The memorable match between James Bond and Goldfinger (both with a handicap of nine) pivots upon 007 catching his golfing opponent cheating. James Bond switches golf balls on Auric Goldfinger during the golf match, using his Penfold Heart golf ball to win the match. Enraged, Goldfinger motions to his caddy and manservant, the Korean henchman Oddjob, to sever the head of a stone staute in the grounds with his steel-rimmed bowler hat. An impressed 007 wonders what the golf club secretary might have to say. Bond is silenced with the line "Nothing Mr Bond. I own the Club..."
Original manuscripts of Ian Fleming's work, held in The Lilly Library at The University of Indiana, show that the golf match between 007 and Goldfinger was an afterthought. Fleming inserted the golf match as hand written notes into his typed manuscript.
It was cetainly an afterthought that was to live on in cinematic history long after Fleming's death. The novelist died from a heart attack which struck him at Royal St George's in 1964. It seems that, even as in life, the game of golf refused to be separated from the brilliant author.
Penguin Group UK re-released Fleming's 007 titles in 2008 to celebrate the centenary of the author's birth.
Book Cover Image by kind permission of Penguin Group UK