Fleming, Ian | You Only Live Twice, presentation copy to Robert Kennedy

Fleming, Ian

You Only Live Twice. London: Jonathan Cape, 1964

8vo. Copyright page with "First published 1964"; foxing to preliminary leaves, slightly toned, a few stray stains. Original black Type C cloth, Gilbert's Binding A, upper board lettered with Japanese characters in gilt, spine lettered in silver; cocked, corners lightly bumped, edges foxed, offsetting to endpapers affecting inscription. Original pictorial jacket by Richard Chopping, bamboo-patterned endpapers; jacket chipped and rubbed at extremities with some loss, spine sunned, a few stray spots and stains.

First impression, first state, inscribed by the author to Robert Kennedy: "To Robert Kennedy with celestial good wishes! From Ian Fleming."

In the early 1960s, a friendship developed between Fleming and Robert Kennedy, largely as a result of his brother John F. Kennedy's love for the James Bond series. Fleming and the future president had a storied meeting in March 1960, in which the Bond author proposed some creative approaches to American foreign policy in Castro's Cuba, and John quickly became fascinated by the British author's allure.

Fleming went on to send inscribed copies of his books to John and Robert Kennedy as well as their sister Eunice over the years. In fact, this very presentation copy is mentioned in Pearson's biography of Fleming: "'I wish someone else could read it also,' said a black-edged card written to Fleming in the spring of 1964 by the Attorney-General of the U.S., Robert Kennedy, thanking him for 'You Only Live Twice'" (Pearson).

Indeed, John F. Kennedy listed From Russia, With Love as one of his 10 favorite books in a Life magazine article, and "it would be hard to over-estimate [the president's endorsement's] importance in the development of the cult of James Bond in the United States" (Pearson). Fleming recognized the boost garnered by Kennedy's support, writing to Robert Kennedy in 1962, "I am delighted to take this opportunity to thank Kennedys everywhere for the electric effect their commendation has had on my sales in America."

REFERENCES

Gilbert A12a(1.1); Pearson, The Life of Ian Fleming, p. 323–7