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The covers presented on this page are displayed in the order they were first published in the UK, not in the original release order of Ian Fleming's novels. As such this provides a more interesting historical context to the publishing history of the James Bond paperbacks in the UK. The dates shown below each title denote the first printing with this cover.

Triad/Panther UK Paperbacks 1977-1985

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN photographed by Beverley Le Barrow

In 1977 the rights to publish the James Bond novels in paperback were acquired by Triad Paperbacks Ltd (a subsidiary of Granada Publishing) who reissued all of Ian Fleming's novels and short story collections (and Robert Markham's COLONEL SUN) over the next five years, with striking new covers photographed by Beverley Le Barrow. The first Panther release was Christopher Wood's novelization of the 1977 Roger Moore film The Spy Who Loved Me. The Ian Fleming titles were then published under the Triad/Panther imprint, (with later printings under the Triad/Granada imprint) although not all books were initially available. Included in the first batch published in 1977 were DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE, DR. NO, GOLDFINGER, ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE and Robert Markham's COLONEL SUN, which was now incorporated into the series for the first time. In February 1978 LIVE AND LET DIE was published, followed in March by THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, and CASINO ROYALE in July. On October 12, 1978 THUNDERBALL, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and OCTOPUSSY were added to the collection, with FOR YOUR EYES ONLY appearing in 1979 and THE SPY WHO LOVED ME in 1980. Ian Fleming's controversial 1962 novel had been out-of-print since 1976 when PAN Books sold the last of their stock. Similarly, MOONRAKER was also unavailable for five years until it was republished by Panther as the final novel in their series in 1982. Both titles had been delayed so as not to hamper sales of the two film tie-in editions of Christopher Wood's JAMES BOND, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and JAMES BOND AND MOONRAKER, which were also published in paperback by Triad/Panther. Two further film tie-in editions of Ian Fleming's short story collections followed in 1981 and 1983.

COLONEL SUN Panther paperback DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Panther paperback FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE Panther paperback

DR. NO Panther paperback

COLONEL SUN
Published 1977

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
Published 1977
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Published 1977

DR. NO
Published 1977

GOLDFINGER Panther paperback ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE Panther paperback LIVE AND LET DIE Panther paperback

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN Panther paperback

GOLDFINGER
Published 1977

ON HER MAJESTY'S
SECRET SERVICE
Published November 1977
LIVE AND LET DIE
Published 23rd February 1978
THE MAN WITH
THE GOLDEN GUN
Published 16th March 1978
CASINO ROYALE Panther paperback THUNDERBALL Panther paperback YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE Panther paperback

OCTOPUSSY Panther paperback

CASINO ROYALE
 
Published 20th July 1978

THUNDERBALL
Published 12th October 1978

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
Published 12th October 1978
OCTOPUSSY
Published 12th October 1978
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY Panther paperback THE SPY WHO LOVED ME Panther paperback MOONRAKER Panther paperback

 

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
Published 1979
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
Published 1980*
MOONRAKER
Published 1982*

All titles were reprinted several times throughout the 1980s with later printings under the Triad/Granada or Triad/Grafton imprints. The erratic publishing schedule must have confused collectors when the new series appeared in the late 1970s as not all the titles were available in bookstores at the same time. With no frame of reference, one naturally assumed that all of Ian Fleming's novels would be available with a uniform set of covers. It was only when MOONRAKER was finally published in 1982 that a complete set of all the James Bond novels was then obtainable with matching covers; this was the first time since the 1960s Raymond Hawkey series was published.

Panther Box-set

A slip-case boxed set of six paperbacks was released in 1978 and again in 1979/80. Unlike the 1973 PAN Books boxed set containing four ‘still-life’ series paperbacks, the outer case used the same images seen on two of the books housed inside rather than a new cover photograph.

Panther Box-set

Triad/Panther UK film tie-in Paperbacks 1977-1983

Panther Christopher Wood JAMES BOND, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME Poster

ABOVE: (left) Pre-release publicity for Panther's The Spy Who Loved Me tie-in paperback included a mock-up of an alternate cover featuring a still of Roger Moore and Barbara Bach. (right) Posters promoting the release of JAMES BOND, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME used the Robert McGinnis artwork of Roger Moore as James Bond seen on the film posters for Live And Let Die (1973) and The Man With The Golden Gun (1974). The final cover for the paperback (below left) used a publicity photograph of Roger Moore from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

*Ian Fleming's MOONRAKER and THE SPY WHO LOVED ME were not part of the initial batch of titles published by Triad/Panther when the new ‘Girls and Guns’ covers were released. These two titles were delayed so as not to hamper sales of the Panther paperbacks already in circulation as film tie-in editions. Christopher Wood's adaptations of his screenplays were published as JAMES BOND, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME in 1977, and JAMES BOND AND MOONRAKER in 1979. The latter utilised Daniel Goozee's superb teaser poster artwork on the cover, and its release was accompanied by clever newspaper advertisements featuring a stylised image of Richard Kiel as Jaws taking a bite out of the novel!

JAMES BOND, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME | Jaws advertisement
JAMES BOND AND MOONRAKER | FOR YOUR EYES ONLY | OCTOPUSSY

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY was also reprinted in 1981 as a film tie-in edition under the Triad/Granada imprint, and followed in 1983 by OCTOPUSSY. An unknown illustrator provided the artwork of a Roger Moore ‘lookalike’ on FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, whilst Stephen Crisp illustrated a generic James Bond for the OCTOPUSSY cover and used some ‘lazy’ photo reference for the other figures, one of whom is clearly based on Richard Burton in Where Eagles Dare (1968). Both paperbacks were straight reprints of the Ian Fleming short story anthologies. Unusually, OCTOPUSSY does not allude to the 1983 EON Productions film of that name but ostensibly was published to tie-in with the release of Roger Moore's penultimate outing as 007.

 

The Golden Gun – Designed by David Collins & Floris van den Broecke

The extraordinary prop gun used on the covers of the Triad/Panther paperbacks was devised by graphic designer and lecturer David Collins, after a commission from Granada Publishing art director Steve Abis. Collins, who worked with noted furniture designer Floris van den Broecke, was given a brief by the publisher titled ‘Girl and Gun’, which detailed the need for a prop gun for use in photographic shoots for the covers of new paperback editions of the James Bond novels. The ‘gun’ needed to be oversized, flexible and suitable for use with live models as well as appropriate for shop displays and book promotion. An early rough montage of two shots; a girl in golden clothes cut out and stuck on top of a shot of a real gun, was enough to sell the idea to the publisher.
 

An early rough montage of two shots; a girl in golden clothes cut out and stuck on top of a shot of a real gun

Presumably the inspiration for the new cover design came from the title of Ian Fleming's final James Bond novel THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, which at the time was the most recent film in the EON series starring Roger Moore, with Christopher Lee as the eponymous villain.

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN Panther paperback

The prop was then built to Collins’ specifications in his London studio. The finished gun was delivered to Granada on March 28, 1977 and this date is engraved on the piece (M28277). The total bill was Ł1,590. The oversized prop was used on 15 separate covers featuring various glamorously dressed models photographed by Beverley Le Barrow, for paperbacks published in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

David Collins preliminary sketches and specifications/Golden Gun under constructions

The finished prop was 6 feet 1Ľ inches wide by 4 feet 3 inches high (210cm x 129cm) and built from painted wood and plastic laminated plywood representing the faux mother-of pearl butt style plates on either side. The prop golden gun was sold in auction at Sotheby's on October 30, 2019 for Ł11,875.

The Golden Gun – Designed by David Collins & Floris van den Broecke

‘Girls and Guns’ – Cover photography by Beverley Le Barrow

Beverley Goodway (1943-2012)

Photographer Beverley Le Barrow was in fact Beverley Goodway (1943-2012), best known for his glamour shots published on Page 3 of British tabloid newspaper The Sun from 1970. Goodway also photographed many other paperback covers for PAN and Panther in the 1970s.

The beautifully crafted model of a 9mm semi-automatic pistol used during the photo sessions for the new paperback covers was designed and built by David Collins and Floris van be Broecke (their names are impressed on the barrel of the gun), with jewellery, boots with other props supplied by Hooper Bolton, Chelsea Cobblers and Asprey. Oversized dice and bullets were also created for the photo shoot. The oversized pistol model had an faux mother-of-pearl style butt-plate on the right-hand side and walnut on the left (which was only seen on three of the covers). The six-foot long pistol later went on display in the window of a major London Bookstore on Charing Cross Road for several weeks to tie-in with this series publication.

The design was based on a hybrid of various guns which according to reportage at the time was deliberate. Ian Fleming's Estate had cover approval and insisted that the firearm should not be based entirely on a particular weapon to avoid specific manufacturer endorsement, so the prop incorporated details from both the 9mm Beretta and Colt 45. Art director Steve Abis also had his name impressed on the barrel of the gun in a target motif. Beverley Goodway photographed the models and gun against a stark white or black background.

Some of the most sought-after glamour models in London posed provocatively on the giant golden gun – including Jilly Johnson (The Sun's first ‘Page 3’ girl) on the cover of OCTOPUSSY. Other models included Diane West (GOLDFINGER), Nina Carter (COLONEL SUN), Chai Lee (YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE) and Anne Marie (LIVE AND LET DIE).

Published in much smaller quantities than their PAN counterparts (although reprinted several times in the early 1980s), the Triad/Panther paperbacks are consequently harder to find nowadays and still command a significant price in mint condition.

GOLDFINGER Diane West cover photography | A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

The series was also published in The Netherlands by A.W. Bruna using alternate photographs from the same Beverley Le Barrow sessions. It is interesting to note that the cover photos for the Dutch versions of DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE are transposed but use the same models in different positions. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and COLONEL SUN retained the same cover image on both the UK and Dutch editions.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER UK Panther paperback & A.W. Bruna Dutch edition
ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE UK Panther paperback & A.W. Bruna Dutch edition
CASINO ROYALE A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

LIVE AND LET DIE A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

MOONRAKER A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

CASINO ROYALE LIVE AND LET DIE MOONRAKER FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE
DOCTOR NO A.W. Bruna Dutch edition FOR YOUR EYES ONLY A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

THUNDERBALL A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

DOCTOR NO FOR YOUR EYES ONLY THUNDERBALL THE SPY WHO LOVED ME

Curiously the Dutch editions lose the word ‘James’ from the cover and the positioning of text sometimes encroaches over the face of the model or is overlaid on the gun. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE is particularly hampered by the design, with model Chai Lee's face obscured by the word ‘Bond’. The cropping of the final image is also very tight, making the oversized gun less prominent on the Dutch covers.

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

OCTOPUSSY A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

COLONEL SUN A.W. Bruna Dutch edition

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE THE MAN WITH
THE GOLDEN GUN
OCTOPUSSY COLONEL SUN
 

‘Girls and Guns’ – Other appearances

Goldfinger computer game

In addition to its appearance on the Dutch paperback of GOLDFINGER, Beverley Goodway's photograph of Diane West also featured on the cover sleeve of a 1986 American computer game. James Bond 007: Goldfinger is a single-player, text-based video game developed by Angelsoft, Inc. and published by Mindscape, Inc. for the MS-DOS, Apple II, and Macintosh computer platforms. The game is loosely based on the screenplay for the third James Bond film Goldfinger (1964) and was penned by future James Bond author Raymond Benson; who contributed towards the initial story, plot and design, but left the project before its completion. The game was a follow-up to James Bond 007: A View To A Kill also published by Mindscape in 1985. In 1989 the Beverley Goodway photograph of Diane West used on the UK Panther cover also appeared on a standalone Hungarian paperback of GOLDFINGER published by Fabula Könyvkiadó Vállalat and translated by Gáspár András. Although the cover (below left) bore the text ‘James Bond Series’, it appears to have been the only Ian Fleming title issued by the publisher.

Goldfinger computer game  
GOLDFINGER Hungarian paperback

CASINO ROYALE Yugoslavian pocket edition

LIVE AND LET DIE Yugoslavian pocket edition

MOONRAKER Yugoslavian pocket edition

GOLDFINGER CASINO ROYALE LIVE AND LET DIE MOONRAKER

Also, in 1989 Ian Fleming's first three James Bond novels were issued as pocket-sized (15cm x 11cm) paperbacks in Yugoslavia utilising Beverley Goodway's ‘Girls and Guns’ photographs. The images were the same as the UK Panther paperbacks, except for MOONRAKER, which used the ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE cover photograph, this time overlaid onto a solid colour background. Like the Dutch editions, the Yugoslavian covers had text overlaid onto the photographs which were also cropped slightly differently to their UK Triad/Panther counterparts.

PAN PAPERBACKS: STILL-LIFE SERIES

CORONET PAPERBACKS


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FACT FILES - James Bond UK Paperbacks