The Book Bond

SOLO U.S. temp cover gets a make-over

2013-05-18T17:09:00.003-07:00

U.S. publisher HarperCollins has revamped their temporary cover art for Solo, the new James Bond novel by William Boyd. As you can see below, they've jettisoned their own design and now are using artwork that matches the UK temp art by Jonathan Cape (except with the U.S. release day, October 8, 2013).

Old U.S. temp cover (left) and the new (right).

Yeah, it's definitely an improvement. But it's always nice to have variant artwork on each side of the Atlantic, so I hope they didn't do this just for me. :p

Solo will be released by Jonathan Cape in the UK on September 26, 2013 (Amazon.co.uk) and by HarperCollins in the U.S. on October 8, 2013 (Amazon.com).

SOLO's international publishers (so far)

2013-05-16T10:04:00.002-07:00

Here is a list of foreign language publishers (so far) for Solo, the upcoming new James Bond novel by William Boyd. No word on specific release dates for these international editions.

France
Editions du Seuil

Italy
Einaudi

Brazil
Objetiva

The Netherlands
Uitgeverij Atlas Contact

Germany
Berlin Verlag

Spain
Alfaguara

Poland
Foksal

Solo will be released by Jonathan Cape in the UK on September 26, 2013 (Amazon.co.uk) and by HarperCollins in the U.S. on October 8, 2013 (Amazon.com).

Thanks as always to Phoebe at IFP.

Cover art for THE JAMES BOND COLLECTION

2013-05-08T10:02:00.001-07:00

Cover art had been revealed for Amazon's upcoming The James Bond Collection. The paperback includes unabridged versions of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, Diamonds Are Forever, and Dr. No. It's due for release from Amazon's Thomas & Mercer on May 21, 2013.

Pre-order The James Bond Collection on Amazon.com.

Thanks to W. Perry Bullock and SpyVibe for the tip.

New U.S. temp cover for SOLO

2013-05-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

U.S. publisher HarperCollins has released new temporary cover art for Solo, the new James Bond novel by William Boyd. Solo is due out in the U.S. on October 8, 2013.

Solo will be released by Jonathan Cape in the UK on September 26, 2013 (Amazon.co.uk) and by HarperCollins in the U.S. on October 8, 2013 (Amazon.com).

UPDATE: If you didn't care for this art, rejoice, it has been changed.

30TH ANNIVERSARY OF JOHN GARDNER'S 'ICEBREAKER'

2013-05-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

After his successful comeback in License Renewed and For Special Services, John Gardner's James Bond returned in his third adventure, Icebreaker. The book was first published in the U.S. by Putnam in late April 1983 (I've never been able to nail down the exact date). It was released in the UK by Jonathan Cape on July 7, 1983.

In Icebreaker James Bond is dispatched by M to Northern Finland where he must join a team of agents from the CIA, Mossad, and the KGB. Their mission is to discover whether a Neo-Nazi terrorist organization is stock piling and distribution weapons from within the Arctic Circle. Matters get quickly out of hand and Bond finds himself battling terrorists and his own partners in the frozen forests of Lapland. Ultimately 007 faces off with the terrorist mastermind, Count Konrad von Gloda, inside his massive bunker lair, the Ice Palace.

For me, Icebreaker was that magic #3. It was a bold departure from Gardner's more movie formula-based first two books and was firmly rooted in the world of the literary James Bond. One could not picture Roger Moore in Icebreaker. The book also introduced, for better or worse, hallmarks of the Gardner era, such a double and triple crosses. Icebreaker is a true espionage tale with fresh locations (Libya, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Lapland, Arctic Russia), great characters, a fiendish torture, and one of the best titles ever. For many years Gardner named it as his favorite book. It's still my favorite.

Interestingly, while Icebreaker was far removed from the films in 1983 (the year of Octopussy), I think it's now the Gardner book that is most suited to the more realistic Daniel Craig era. Sure, the Neo-Nazi plot would need to be updated (not too difficult as it's really about terrorists), but it seems to me the idea of Bond being forced, reluctantly, to work as the part of a team is a good next step for Craig's Bond. After Skyfall, Craig's Bond is now firmly 007. But can he tamp down his urge to always go solo and work with agents who might not share his worldview? Can he trust? Should he trust? That is the core of what Icebreaker sets up and explores.

Icebreraker U.S. and UK first editions.

Icebreaker was recently republished in new paperback editions from Orion in the UK and Pegasus in the U.S. I'd say this is one definitely worth revisiting in its anniversary year.

Michael VanBlaricum and John Cork interviewed on NPR

2013-04-22T19:04:00.004-07:00

This is an excellent interview with Michael VanBlaricum of the Ian Fleming Foundation and Bond author and filmmaker John Cork about the literary James Bond.

You can read the article and listen to the interview at Illinois Public Radio website, or CLICK HERE to listen to just the interview itself.

007 going 'SOLO' in Africa and the USA

2013-04-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

A surprise in today's press release announcing the title of William Boyd's new James Bond novel, Solo, was the additional news of the major locations featured in the book: Africa and the USA.

Funnily enough, it was exactly a year ago that The Spectator suggested that Boyd's Bond could be set in Africa based on comments the author made at the Oxford Literary Festival that year. Looks like the first rumor out of the box proved to be true. (Funny how often that happens.)

This is actually 007's second trip to Africa in a row. A large part of Jeffery Deaver's Carte Blanche was set in South Africa. Of course, Carte Blanche was a contemporary adventure while Boyd's novel is set in 1969, so I expect we will be visiting a very different Africa in Solo.

However, I'm even more excited by the news that 007 will be traveling to the USA in Solo. Can you believe that the literary James Bond has not set foot in the U.S. since Raymond Benson's The Facts of Death in 1998? In that book Bond traveled to Texas. Exactly where Boyd is taking Bond in the American portion of his book is not yet known. The last time Bond visited America in the classic Fleming timeline was The Spy Who Loved Me (1962).

At today's London Book Fair unveiling, Boyd said, "He goes on a real mission to real countries and the world he's in is absolutely 1969. There are no gimmicks, it's a real spy story. . . there is a very precise reason why I chose that year."

Hmmm....

Solo will be released by Jonathan Cape in the UK on September 26, 2013 (Amazon.co.uk) and by HarperCollins in the U.S. on October 8, 2013 (Amazon.com).

Note: The image here is fanart.

JAMES BOND IS BACK IN 'SOLO'

2013-04-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

William Boyd announced the title of his new James Bond novel today at The London Book Fair: SOLO. Here is the official press release:

William Boyd announces title of new Bond book

at The London Book Fair

www.jamesbondsolo.co.uk

William Boyd, whose James Bond continuation novel is set to be one of this year’s publishing highlights, has today announced that his book will be called Solo.

The announcement came on the opening day of The London Book Fair, where Boyd is Author of the Day.

He explained his choice of title:

‘Sometimes less is more. For me as a novelist the simple beauty of Solo as the title of the next James Bond novel is that this short four-letter word is particularly and strikingly apt for the novel I have written. In my novel, events conspire to make Bond go off on a self-appointed mission of his own, unannounced and without any authorization - and he’s fully prepared to take the consequences of his audacity.

‘The journey Bond goes on takes in three continents – with the main focus honing in on Africa. It’s what happens to Bond in Africa that generates his urge to “go solo” and take matters into his own hands in the USA.

‘Thus far and no further, at this stage…’

He continues: ‘Titles are very important to me and as soon as I wrote down Solo on a sheet of paper I saw its potential. Not only did it fit the theme of the novel perfectly, it’s also a great punchy word, instantly and internationally comprehensible, graphically alluring and, as an extra bonus, it’s strangely Bondian in the sense that we might be subliminally aware of the “00” of “007” lurking just behind those juxtaposed O’s of SOLO…’

Very little else has been revealed about the book at this stage, other than that it will feature a veteran secret agent, with Bond aged 45. It will be published on 26 September in the UK by Fleming’s original publisher, Jonathan Cape, an imprint of Vintage Publishing, part of The Random House Group, in hardback, ebook and audio editions. HarperCollins will publish the book in Canada and the U.S. on 8 October.

Quote from Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd:

‘Ian Fleming had a great aptitude for naming his books and his Bond titles have become true classics. Solo is a simple yet striking title which fits perfectly alongside the other books in the Bond canon. The announcement of the title marks the lead up to the launch of William Boyd’s novel in September, which we and the Fleming family are looking forward to immensely.’

Quote from Richard Cable, Managing Director, Vintage:

‘We are delighted to be announcing Solo as the title for the new James Bond novel on the day on which William Boyd is celebrated as Author of the Day at London Book Fair. The few of us with the good fortune to have read Solo can testify that Will has written an absolutely brilliant book and we look forward with mounting excitement to a huge worldwide publishing event on September 26th. The timing of the announcement is particularly apt as we mark the 60th anniversary of Jonathan Cape’s first publication of Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale.’

Solo... I think I love it. Not an obvious Bond title, but still very Bondian. Elegant, but also tough. And I love one word titles. We haven't had a one word title on an adult Bond novel since Doubleshot in 2000.

Solo will be released by Jonathan Cape in the UK on September 26, 2013 (Amazon.co.uk) and by HarperCollins in the U.S. on October 8, 2013 (Amazon.com).

WILLIAM BOYD interviewed at The London Book Fair

2013-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

William Boyd will reveal the title of his new James Bond novel TODAY at 11:30AM (GMT) at The London Book Fair. While we wait for that, here's an interview with the author.

I will post the title here on The Book Bond around 7AM (PST).

UPDATE: JAMES BOND IS BACK IN 'SOLO'

WIN LOSE OR DIE and BROKENCLAW released in U.S.

2013-04-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

Pegasus has released (a few weeks early) their next two John Gardner James Bond reprints, Win, Lose or Die and Brokenclaw.

Pegasus appears to have skipped over Licence To Kill. Perhaps the U.S. publisher isn't going to reprint the novelization as Orion did in the UK? The next two books, The Man From Barbarossa and Death Is Forever, are scheduled for release on February 6, 2014.

Visit our special Gardner Renewed page for links and release dates for all the Gardner-Bond reprints in the U.S. and UK.

60 YEARS OF CASINO ROYALE

2013-04-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

It was 60 years ago today on April 13, 1953, that British publisher Jonathan Cape released Ian Fleming’s first novel, Casino Royale. The book introduced the world to secret agent James Bond 007, and has never gone out of print. Below are some Casino covers from the last 60 years. Happy birthday, Mr. Bond!

University of Illinois celebrates THE BIRTH OF BOND

2013-04-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the publication of Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, The University of Illinois Rare Book & Manuscript Library is hosting a special exhibition called The Birth of Bond. The exhibition opens today and runs through July 5, 2013. Click here for more details.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the publication of Casino Royale, the Rare Book & Manuscript Library will showcase a great 'thwacking' portion of the publication history of Casino Royale and also broadly represent the print history of Ian Fleming's important writing career.

The special exhibit includes a manuscript copy of Fleming's earliest surviving short story, dozens of editions, translations, and even parodies of Casino Royale, as well as Fleming's letter stating he is bludgeoning his friends into actually buying his book. Also highlighted are selections from Fleming's notable journalism career, the first editions of all the "Bond" books, original cover art for the 1955 British paperback, and a typescript manuscript of Casino Royale.

Banker, wartime spymaster, foreign news editor, children's author (the creator of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), and himself a bibliophile, the creator of "Bond—James Bond," left an indelible mark on 20th-century culture. This exhibition traces the influence of Fleming's creation of Bond forward to our own century.

NEW JAMES BOND BOOK TITLE TO BE REVEALED ON MONDAY

2013-04-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

William Boyd will announce the title of his forthcoming James Bond continuation novel at The London Book Fair this Monday, April 15, at 11:30am.

The announcement will be part of The Author of the Day event at the English PEN Literary Café. Invited press will have a brief opportunity to ask questions of William Boyd about the choice of title. A book signing will follow the event.

"I’m both delighted and honoured to be one of the Authors of the Day at The London Book Fair," says Boyd. "It’s a rare and rather wonderful pleasure to find oneself for a few hours at the very centre of the international publishing industry and LBF always provides the warmest of welcomes to writers."

A press release officially announcing the title will follow at midday. Of course, I will get the new title up here on The Book Bond ASAP.

William Boyd's James Bond novel will be released by Jonathan Cape in the UK on September 26, 2013 (Amazon.co.uk) and by HarperCollins in the U.S. on October 8, 2013 (Amazon.com).

Thanks as always to Four Coleman-Getty.

UPDATE: JAMES BOND IS BACK IN 'SOLO'

IAN FLEMING in Spring 2013 Fine Books and Collections

2013-04-07T17:40:00.004-07:00

The Spring 2013 issue of Fine Books and Collections features James Bond creator Ian Fleming on the cover. Inside is an article on "The Birth of Bond" by the mighty Mike VanBlaricum of the Ian Fleming Foundation (the man who helped me build my own collection of Fleming Firsts).

THRILLING CITIES and THE DIAMOND SMUGGLERS released

2013-04-04T00:21:00.003-07:00

Ian Fleming's two non-Bond books Thrilling Cities and The Diamond Smugglers have been re-released in the U.S. and UK. Vintage has released the books in the UK with cover that matches their recent Vintage Classics editions. In the U.S. Amazon has followed suit with covers that match their new Ian Fleming paperbacks.

Click to visit The Book Bond's Classic Fleming page where you'll find links to purchase all the new Ian Fleming editions in the U.S. and UK, including the new Thrilling Cities and The Diamond Smugglers.

LINK: James Bond returns in new book... of poetry

2013-04-01T19:01:00.001-07:00

Nope, not an April Fools joke. Double O Section has discovered there's a new James Bond book out there. Click on the headline to have a read about The Last Temptation of Bond.

Purchase The Last Temptation of Bond at Amazon.com.

James Bond Omnibus Vol. 005

2013-03-22T15:59:00.003-07:00

Titan Books has revealed cover art for their upcoming James Bond Omnibus Vol. 005, due for release in the U.S. and UK in November 2013. Stories include:

Till Death Do Us Part
The Torch-Time Affair
Ape of Diamonds
The Xanadu Connection
And more

UK: Pre-order James Bond Omnibus Vol. 005 on Amazon.co.uk

US: Pre-order James Bond Omnibus Vol. 005 on Amazon.com.

John Logan looking to FLEMING for Bond 24 and 25

2013-03-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

The James Bond Dossier and HMSS Weblog are reporting on comments Skyfall screenwriter John Logan made about the future of the cinematic James Bond, which is currently in his hands. Logan is reported to be writing the next two Bond films. His thoughts will be of great interest to fans of the literary 007.

Looking to "build on Skyfall in examining the complexities of Bond’s character", Logan says:

“Fleming’s courage in showing Bond’s fear and vulnerability and depression was really interesting and something that a modern audience can accept. I think Skyfall demonstrated that they want more layers to that character. And those are the layers that Fleming wrote.”

It's interesting to speculate how this might effect the ongoing continuation novels. The books have always offered up a more complex vision of 007, but might they now be inspired to delve even deeper?

Boyd: "I don’t think they’ll ever make a retro Bond."

2013-03-01T10:47:00.001-08:00

James Bond author William Boyd spoke with The Independent recently and the topic of his new 007 novel came up (of course). He doesn't reveal much about the book (of course), but his thoughts on the films vs. the books is interesting. Here's an excerpt:

Taking a schizoid shift of my own I decide to move the conversation on from eighteenth century Russia to make a last ditch appeal for more information about James Bond. Indicating with an uncomfortable glance at the window that snipers might be trailing us from across the street Boyd gives a wry laugh. He tells me there is a joined up 007 PR machine covering both the film and publishing empire that “has begun the drip-feed of information” that he can’t interfere with.

But he is clear about one thing: his novel is not being lined up as the basis for a follow-up to Skyfall, the most successful Bond film to date having taken a record £100m at the UK box office, or any other of the spy movie.

“I don’t think they’ll ever make a retro Bond. Even Dr No which was written in 1955 was set in 1962 when the film was made. All the Bond films from then have been completely contemporary. They wouldn’t go back and make a Bond set in 1969. It would throw the whole franchise askew,” he said.

This is a great shame as Daniel Craig, whom Boyd is friends with, will be 45 in March, the exact age of Boyd’s Bond who follows Fleming’s detailed chronology. Much as we might love a period drama it wouldn’t make sense to cast Craig back, Life On Mars-style, five decades, Boyd insists mentioning the gadgets, cars and styles of the day that have come to define each cinematic installment.

But, he concedes: “It’s interesting in Skyfall to see them referring back, as it were, to Bond’s biography, but of course it is set in 2012 so Bond would have been 88. In a way I have the easier, or more logical, task, because my Bond is living his history. His schooldays, his parenting and upbringing is all there.”

“There is a disconnect between the film Bond and the literary Bond which is their contemporaneity. I don’t suffer from that.”

In speaking with the BBC recently, Boyd did reveal that "there's a little bit of Chelsea in my Bond novel." Both Boyd and James Bond live in Chelsea. Ah, the drip-feed...

Click here to listen at BBC

WHATCULTURE.COM counts down the "10 Unadapted 007 Stories We’d Love To See Made Next"

2013-02-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

Whatculture.com has posted a blog counting down 10 continuation novels that could make good Bond films. It's a pretty thoughtful list, although I would have swapped out #4 Scorpius in favor of Brokenclaw, which I think could make a great Craig-era Bond. Read: "Bond 24: 10 Unadapted 007 Stories We’d Love To See Made Next."

If you don't feel like clicking through, here's the list:

10. High Time To Kill (Raymond Benson)

9. Young Bond (Charlie Higson)

8. License Renewed (John Gardner)

7. For Special Services (John Gardner)

6. Icebreaker (John Gardner)

5. Devil May Care (Sebastian Faulks)

4. Scorpius (John Gardner)

3. Colonel Sun (Kingsley Amis)

2. The Man With The Red Tattoo (Raymond Benson)

1. Carte Blanche (Jeffery Deaver)

BOND READS BOND

2013-02-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

Check out this terrific photo of Sean Connery on the set of Dr. No with a copy of Ian Fleming's The Spy Who Loved Me. I've never see this shot before.

This comes from reader Gordon Li who shared this on The Book Bond Facebook page. Thank you, Gordon.

Has WILLIAM BOYD been given a license to kill 007?

2013-02-20T08:09:00.001-08:00

Here's something a little curious. I'm told that bookmakers Ladbrokes in the UK are taking bets on whether James Bond lives or dies in the new 007 novel by William Boyd due out Sept. 26, 2013.

Maybe this is nothing. Bookmakers take bets on just about anything that can be bet on (or so I'm told). But would they really set up betting on something in which the outcome is 100% assured? Did they do this for other Bond books or films? Might Ladbrokes have some deep insider information on the new Bond novel?

Has IFP given William Boyd permission of kill off James Bond!?

Of course, Bond could always "die" as he did in From Russia With Love and You Only Live Twice. But maybe there's something much, much larger in the works here. We were all surprised when, after the much-hyped reboot of Carte Blanche, IFP announced that this new novel would be set back in 1969. Could this be because the plan is to now end the "classic Bond" timeline? Might IFP now go back and do more Young Bond novels (as has been rumored) and/or leap ahead and continue on with the new Carte Blanche timeline? Might Ian Fleming's James Bond never see 1970?

Of course, this would mean the Pearson/Wood/Gardner/Benson novels exist in their own unique timeline, which would be fine because I think most fans agree these books were in a separate universe anyway.

This would certainly be a bold and provocative move by IFP. But they are known for making bold and provocative moves with the literary Bond franchise lately. It would also be a way to make the Boyd novel yet another "event" book.

Yes, I think this is just crazy enough to be conceivable. Do you?

Place your bets...

Boyd's Bond will be released by Jonathan Cape in the UK on September 26, 2013 (Amazon.co.uk) and by HarperCollins in the U.S. on October 8, 2013 (Amazon.com).

THE NEW MISSION

2013-02-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

Ian Fleming Publications has announced Sept. 26, 2013 as the UK release date of the new James Bond novel by William Boyd and have launched the official website. Here is the full press release:

James Bond: The New Mission 26.9.13

Publication date of William Boyd’s Bond book announced

www.jamesbondthenewmission.co.uk

The new James Bond continuation novel by international bestseller William Boyd will be published on Thursday 26 September 2013, it is announced today. The book, as yet untitled, is one of the most eagerly anticipated publications of the year and will be published in the UK by Jonathan Cape – Ian Fleming’s original publisher and an imprint of Vintage Publishing.

The build-up begins with the launch of a website – www.jamesbondthenewmission.co.uk – dedicated to the new book, where fans can register to hear the latest news about the book as it’s released. The publication date is revealed on the same day that Skyfall is released on DVD in the UK.

The name and plot of the book remain a closely guarded secret, but it is confirmed that the story will take place in 1969, featuring a slightly older 007 at the age of 45. Boyd’s book will make a return to ‘classic Bond’, as Sebastian Faulks did with Devil May Care in 2008.

The new book will be published at the same time internationally, with HarperCollins publishing in Canada and the U.S.

2013 is an exciting year for Bond publishing, as 13 April marks the 60th anniversary of Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale. To celebrate, Random House will be releasing new editions of Fleming’s non-fiction books Thrilling Cities and The Diamond Smugglers in the UK on this date.

Thanks as always to IFP and Four Coleman Getty.

U.S. teaser art revealed for BOYD'S BOND

2013-02-15T18:10:00.001-08:00

Teaser cover art for the U.S. edition of William Boyd's upcoming James Bond novel has appeared on Amazon.com. It begins!

William Boyd's still untitled Bond will be published by Jonathan Cape in the UK on Sept. 26 and HarperCollins in the U.S and Canada on October 8, 2013.

UPDATE: Official UK press release and UK teaser art here.

Pre-order BOYD'S BOND in Large Print and for Kindle

2013-02-13T14:41:00.002-08:00

William Boyd's upcoming Untitled James Bond novel is now available for pre-order in the U.S. as a Large Print paperback and Kindle eBook. A listing for the hardcover edition appeared on Amazon last week. The book will be released in the U.S. on October 8, 2013.

Continuing our starvation diet in regards to info on the new Bond, the Kindle version only says this under the Book Description:

Unti Bond Novel by William Boyd has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

No word from IFP on when we might get a title. The title and cover art of the last Bond novel, Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver, was revealed in January of the release year. Of course, that book was a Summer release and Boyd's Bond is scheduled for Fall.

Hardcover, Large Print, and Kindle eBook