Posted By Dan Greenfield on May 28, 2025 | 3 comments

The late, great Ian Fleming was born 117 years ago, on May 28, 1908…

James Bond books have been around since the 1950s — issued and reissued and reissued, again and again.

Among my favorites covers (I have a thing for Bond covers) are those created by Roseanne Serra and Richie Fahey for Penguin, starting in 2002, according to 007 Magazine. The stylish covers are a magnificent pastiche of modern art style and retro sensibility, all the while recalling Maurice Binder’s groundbreaking title sequences from the films.

Since it’s the late Ian Fleming’s birthday — he was born 117 years ago, on May 28, 1908, and died August 12, 1964, at the age of 56 — I figured I’d pull these editions of the novels and short-story collections together and rank the TOP 13 COVERS.

Why not all 15? Because 13 is what we do, natch. Here are the two that didn’t make the cut…

… and here are the 13 that did. They’ll leave you shaken and stirred:

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13. The Man With the Golden Gun. I freely admit that I’m influenced by the movies, so seeing such a mundane version of the golden gun leaves me a little cold. Don’t forget though: I think ALL these covers are terrific.

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12. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Sure, you get the skiing in there but it’s not among the most inspired here.

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11. Moonraker. A book that’s much, much better than the movie, though this cover seems a little low key.

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10. Thunderball. Totally subjective and unfair, but if the woman on the front bears no resemblance to Claudine Auger, I just can’t accept it. Love the “Thunderball” font though, and the cover definitely captures the underwater feel.

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9. Octopussy. I try not to hold the dopey title against Octopussy, but I just can’t bring myself to rank it higher than this. The octopus itself adds a menacing go-go touch, while I also appreciate the woman’s very ’60s, black, Nancy Sinatra go-go boots.

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8. Diamonds Are Forever. Probably the most sexually suggestive of the covers. That’s not a knock. Just a little too obvious.

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7. From Russia With Love. The busier these covers are, the more I like them. Definitely scores Binder points with the floating Lektor keys.

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6. Live and Let Die. Excellent book. I haven’t read all the Flemings (shame on me) but this is probably my favorite so far. It’s got pretty much everything I’d want for one of these covers. So why not higher? The position of the playing cards Solitaire is holding is a bit, um, too on the nose. Again, these things ooze sex but sometimes subtlety is better.

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5. Casino Royale. Not too dissimilar from Live and Let Die. Just has more class.

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4. Doctor No. Is that supposed to be Doctor No himself, or some kind of Asian statuary? Either way, it rocks. And no, I’m not ignoring Honey Rider there.

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3. The Spy Who Loved Me. The lurid combination of red and pink, the flame motif, the truly creepy killer up top and the Vespa-riding Bong woman, all combine to make this one of the best of the best. Binder would approve.

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2. Goldfinger. Come on, the gold-painted Jill Masterson, the appearance by Oddjob (unnamed in the book), the purple/gold/green color combo — how can you go wrong?

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1. You Only Live Twice. I’m an absolute sucker for Japanese-influenced imagery and the red and gold are a really winning choice. Further, on a completely personal level, the book gets huge points because I read it on a trip to Japan last summer — the culmination of a childhood dream. A dream influenced by You Only Live Twice.

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MORE

— BOND, JAMES BOND: 13 Great Moments in IAN FLEMING’s Novels. Click here.

— 13 JAMES BOND COVERS: A Birthday Salute to IAN FLEMING (2021). Click here.