23 replies to this topic

[JimmyBond]

I was at my local second hand bookstore today stockpiling Bond books, and I wanted to get this one. I knew Amis wrote under a different name, but I couldnt remember what, so I didnt get it. I'm thinking about going back tomorrow, but is it really rare?

Cause if there is a 0 chance it will be at my bookstore I wont bother.

[Mister Asterix]

Kingsley Amis's Bond novel Colonel Sun (written under the name Robert Markham.) shouldn't be to hard to find. I've seen copies of it at several used book store. I would imagine it should be easier to find then some of the Gardner outings.

[JimmyBond]

Well, I went out today and looked, for Robert Markham, not Amis, which I forget to do yesterday

Didnt find it, but that wont deter me.

[Bondpurist]

Why don't they just re-release Colonel Sun and the Gardner novels in a paperback series to save us from scrabbling about in second hand book shops? I'm sure they'd make a killing.

[rafterman]

there's a fairly recent British copy out there, had the same design as Fleming, Gardner and Benson up to High Time to Kill....saw it in a bookstore in London about four years ago and didn't pick it up, so I got on Advanced Book Exchange and found an older copy....it's hard to find, but not that hard...I think the Wood novelizations are harder to find...

[zencat]

Originally posted by Bondpurist
Why don't they just re-release Colonel Sun and the Gardner novels in a paperback series to save us from scrabbling about in second hand book shops? I'm sure they'd make a killing.

We had a very hot thread about this not too long ago. Wish I could remember what it was called, but I'm pretty sure I started it?

[zencat]

Ah, here it is: http://forums.comman...s=&threadid=461
Read and reignite it if you wish, Bondpurist.

[Tim007]

I've found the German Copy of Colonel Sun at ebay, and shortly the Moonraker novelization of Christopher Wood.

On a quick note, the novel had two German titles. First of it was published as "Liebesgr

[zencat]

Interesting! I'd like to find of copy to that first German edition with the "Liebesgr

[Tim007]

I have to admit that I haven't seen the first edition. I don't know where to find. It took me 4 or 5 months to find a copy of that book on ebay. It's strange, but the editions in Germany weren't that big and it is damn hard to find an old Bond novel at all.

Ah well, the Flemings were shipped to shops last year again, but all my Gardner books and that Amis one I found via ebay. You just can't get them! It's truely a pity

[Tim007]

Well, I've just looked up what edition I own - it's not given. But "Kaiser" normally publishes book they can get a cheap license for. Originally Bond novels has been published by "Scherz" in Germany...

Here's the cover and the first page:

[Blue Eyes]

For those searching for Colonel Sun, I've tended to find it not under Amis or Markham in the second hand book stores, but under Ian Fleming. So give the Fle section a search at your second book store and you may be in luck

[Blofeld's Cat]

I was pleasantly surprised a little while ago to discover a secondhand bookshop specıalısing in english language literature in Jakarta.

To my amazement I found 15 copies of Colonel Sun on the shelves! They were all the 1991 Coronet Books edition, and as they labled the cost in Australian dollars as well as English pounds on the back, I'm assuming they were imported from Oz, most likey as unsold stock.

Never underestimate the value of rummaging through a secondhand bookshop, even in a non-english speaking country.

BTW, these Col. Suns were going for about US$2 each.

[rafterman]

nice find BC...

[zencat]

Thanks for the pics and the translations, Tim. Those are very interesting.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Originally posted by rafterman
nice find BC...

I don't know what your experience of this situation is like in Korea Rafters, but my experience tells me that as these english language books are just foreign literature the shopkeepers just wouldn't know the worth of some of them.

Last year I was able to purchase a near-pristine copy of From Russia With Love with the movie tie-in cover for just US$3! How the hell it managed to be kept in such good condition all this time, I don't know.

[boeserzwilling]

Just a late addition. This is the German 1st edition from 1969.

[Dr Shatterhand]

Apologies for reigniting this thread but as a new member I think I've got a good excuse. I used to have a late '60s/early '70s Pan paperback of this though subsequently lost during a house move. In my opinion, Colonel Sun is the single best continuation Bond novel and it even beats the poorer Flemings such as TSWLM and TMWTGG. Why is it out of print? Could we petition Pengiun to put it out alongside their recent Fleming reissues? What does anyone else think?

[B5Erik2]

The paperback is relatively easy to find in used bookstores, the HARDCOVER is virtually impossible to find, though.

So I got my hardcover copy on e-bay for $20!

I get all the Bond books in hardcover - I've got all of the Gardner books, 4 of the Benson novels, and 7 Fleming Bonds all in hardcover. I will have them ALL in hardcover before too long....

[zencat]

Originally posted by boeserzwilling
Just a late addition. This is the German 1st edition from 1969.

Thanks for that, boeserzwilling. Interesting cover.

For you Colonel Sun fans, check out the cover of this rare issue TRUE magazine that first serialized CS.

[Tim007]

So let me resume:

"Colonel Sun" first was published in Germany as "Liebesgr

[Tehuti 004]

I got a 1971 Pan Printed copy of Colonel Sun the other day.

I found it in a used bookshop, along with many Fleming books from the early 60s. All about 50p, a little tattered but still relativly good.

There are quite a few shops down here in Portsmouth that may sell these books. Just around the cornor from the shop I bought Colonel Sun from, was a book shop specıalısing in Crime Fiction. I will have to have a look in there since it seems the kind of place to sell Bond books.

[JimmyBond]

This thread still here eh? Well, I FINALLY GOT IT

Paperback naturally, going to start reading it soon. For it's extreme rarity it better be damn good

[JackChase007]

Well done, Jimmy! I got it on eBay ages ago, but have yet to read it. I'm trying to read all of the earlier novels in order, and I'm going back to the beginning. Let me know how it is.