Diamonds Are Forever

Diamonds Are Forever (1963) – Ian Fleming
Pan Books | ISBN: None | Pan X235
Condition: Poor – Missing First Six Pages, Reinforced Hinges | Sold by Crappy Old Books

Diamonds. Those glittering little stones which have inspired centuries of romance, enormous fortunes, international intrigue and the extraordinary human conviction that a small piece of compressed carbon is worth sacrificing several months’ wages to obtain. Unfortunately, in Ian Fleming’s world, diamonds also attract smugglers, gangsters, professional killers and an exceptionally dangerous British secret agent who has a habit of turning perfectly respectable criminal enterprises into spectacular disasters.

Welcome to Diamonds Are Forever, Ian Fleming’s fourth James Bond novel, originally published in 1956, and presented here in a gloriously battered 1963 Pan Books paperback that has clearly experienced a few adventures of its own.

When Bond is assigned to investigate an international diamond-smuggling operation, he finds himself following a trail from London to America, where organised crime, wealthy criminals and thoroughly disreputable characters are making an excellent living from the illegal movement of precious stones.

Along the way he encounters Tiffany Case, a beautiful and resourceful woman whose complicated past has left her with a healthy suspicion of men, particularly those who arrive asking inconvenient questions.

Bond’s investigation carries him into the glamorous and dangerous world of American gambling, horse racing, gangsters and Las Vegas, where enormous fortunes change hands and nobody seems particularly concerned about where the money originated.

Behind the operation stand the Spangled Mob, an American criminal organisation whose business arrangements make the average British board meeting seem positively wholesome.

Fleming combines espionage, organised crime and the irresistible atmosphere of 1950s America, creating a thriller filled with expensive tastes, dangerous encounters and Bond’s customary disregard for personal safety.

Unlike the more extravagant 1971 film adaptation, the original novel offers a grittier adventure, with a stronger emphasis on criminal networks and the dangerous business of infiltrating them.

And now to the physical condition, which deserves a paragraph of its own.

This copy is in Poor condition. The first six pages are missing, so the surviving text begins on page 7. The book is heavily worn throughout, with the unmistakable appearance of a paperback that has enjoyed a long, demanding and occasionally undignified existence.

However, the hinges have been reinforced with brown paper, making the binding considerably more robust than its battered appearance might suggest. It is a practical repair rather than an invisible restoration, and the book remains a usable vintage reading copy, provided it receives reasonable handling.

There is something rather appealing about that.

Collectors seeking immaculate corners, untouched spines and flawless first pages should look elsewhere. But anyone wanting a genuine early-1960s Bond paperback that can actually be handled and read without trembling at the prospect of diminishing its investment value may find this wonderfully liberating.

Offered by Crappy Old Books, this is an honest survivor from the golden age of James Bond paperbacks, complete with its wonderfully evocative vintage cover.

Because diamonds may be forever.

But paperback bindings, apparently, are not.

Fortunately, a little brown paper and determination can accomplish wonders.

And unlike Bond’s expensive gemstones, this particular treasure comes with absolutely no pretence of perfection.

Keep browsing: See more Thrillers books Other books by Ian Fleming