Fleming (Ian) Thrilling Cities, first edition, signed presentation inscription to Fleming's friend David Bruce from the author "Dave, to keep your mind off your work! Ian" to title, David Bruce's bookplate to front free endpapers, light marginal pen underlining to pp.73/74, occasional very faint offsetting, original cloth-backed boards, very light browning to spine ends, dust-jacket, very light creasing to spine head, otherwise a fine example, [Gilbert A16a], 8vo, 1963.

⁂ Inscribed to David Bruce (1898-1977) an American diplomat and intelligence officer, was best known for heading the Europe branch of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) which was a London based espionage agency, conducting activities for the United States Armed Forces branches. As a personal friend to Ian Fleming, Bruce would see the James Bond films as soon as they appeared beginning with the premiere of 'Dr. No' and the preview of the film 'From Russia with Love'.

Originally published as two series of articles for The Sunday Times; from 24 January to 28 February 1960 and from 31 July to 4 September 1960. Thrilling Cities was the result of a five-week, all-expenses-paid trip to visit the world's most exciting cities. Travelling to thirteen cities, from Hong Kong to Monte Carlo, Fleming gathered material that would provide much of the backdrop and research for the five Bond novels and seven short stories that would follow.