These Pan Books dust jackets, all borrow elements from the Richard Chopping style of design. The flat design, assorted paraphernalia, danger, death, love, flies, flora and fauna.

Pan Books produced some entertaining covers, which quite literally look thrown together, rather like a car boot sale. They do capture the spirit of Bond’s world though and show some effort, which can’t always be said.

Len Deighton’s ‘The Ipcress File’ jacket, certainly captures the danger element of the Bond novels and I like the stubbed out cigarette and coffee. The paperclips are a little silly but overall it captures a mood.

Penguin Book‘s series of Bond covers are attractive but I especially like the ‘For your Eyes Only’ jacket, juxtaposing a Hummingbird and and what looks to be an Iris or some sort. The red color palette adds a little seduction and danger to proceedings too.

After the first 5 John Gardner Bond novels, the jackets lost their way, but ‘Never Send Flowers’ was a return to a more artistic form with the flower and insect motifs. I find the titles a little large, which detracts from the image but it is still retains a nod to the great Chopping.

These are of course John Gardner’s first 5 Bond continuation novels, the first being done by Richard Chopping. Possibly Chopping’s weakest, but still head and shoulders above most other Bond continuation novel covers. My personal favorite here is ‘Nobody Lives Forever‘ with the juxtaposition of the scorpion and flowers. They could have used a Bentley motor cars key fob in my opinion but it will do!

Kinsgley Amis’ ‘The James Bond Dossier’ (excellent by the way) published in 1965, has a fun cover. The Chopping wood background, author title down the side and a gun juxtaposed with a Manilla folder. Obvious but a fitting cover. The first edition cover simply pays tribute to Richard Chopping by arranging the various covers like a spy hole or gun barrel. You decide.

These books are primary reading material for all James Bond fans for the simple fact that Kingsley Amis, himself a big Bond fan, went on to write the first continuation novel, Colonel Sun, in 1968 under the pseudonym Robert Markham.

Incidental Intelligence

Flower Motifs in Literary Bond