Ian Fleming, infamous author and creator of the legendary spy-character James Bond, penned hundreds of letter to his wife Ann, over a course of several decades. The letters document the tangled and tumultuous relationship the pair shared, from its beginnings as a secret affair up to their eventual, bitter separation.
Auction house Sotheby's is selling over 160 of these letters, which span two decades, and are a rare glimpse into the scope and scale of the life of the highly successful author.
Gabriel Heaton, a specialist in books and manuscripts at Sotheby's said:
This must surely be an unmatchable record of the life of the author as his fortunes changed.
Not only do the letters document the rise and fall of the couple's relationship, it also coincides with the burgeoning success and notoriety of the James Bond franchise, with the first Bond novel penned by Fleming, Casino Royale, written in the year of the couple's marriage.
The letters will be sold through an online auction by Sotheby's between the 3rd and 10th of December, with an estimate of between £200,000-£300,000.
