A GROUP of Ian Fleming’s novels all in hardbacks with original vintage dust jackets went up for auction in the Cotswold Auction Company’s book, medals, militaria and collectables sale.

Few names from the golden age of British espionage novels are more recognisable than that of Fleming’s James Bond.

From his earliest appearance in Casino Royale, to the post-Fleming spin-off novels still printed today, James Bond books are incredibly popular and interest for the original novels is phenomenal.

A first edition copy of Diamonds are Forever realised the highest price in the sale, and after spirited bidding from the phone and the internet, sold for £2,200.

The 1959 classic novel Goldfinger was snapped up by an eager fan for £600, whilst a copy of Dr No sold above its estimate, selling to a bidder for £580.

A beautifully bound set of the novels and letters of auction favourite Jane Austen, in full green Morocco leather with gilt tooling greatly exceeded its estimate despite some internal foxing and replaced endpapers, going under the hammer for £1,600, whilst a similarly bound set of Anthony Trollope’s The Chronicles of Barchester reached £680.

Popular children’s author Joan Aiken made an entry in the sale with a signed first edition, in pristine jacket, of her magnum opus The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, which reached £1,000, whilst a varied set of modern hardback and first editions reached £380.

White vellum bindings are often found on older books, and books bound in this fashion are often sought after by collectors. A copy of Of Domesticall Duties, a popular conduct-book published in 1622 by clergyman and author William Gouge, in heavily damage white vellum covers sold for £1,000, whilst a 1555 copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy (the first to use the word divine in the title) flew above estimate, selling for £850 to a room bidder.