Noel Coward was one of the 20th Century’s greatest artist’s in every sense of the word. He was also one of Ian Fleming’s closest friends and each played an important role in each other’s lives. While outwardly different in many ways, they shared much in common and such as a love of Empire, music, art,…
This month we are delighted to talk to the San Francisco based artist Michael Gillette, who created a beautiful set of officially licensed James Bond book covers for the Ian Fleming Centenary in 2008, that was published by Penguin Books. 1. What is your favourite Chopping cover and why? I really enjoy them all, Chopping…
In Andrew William’s 2009 novel The Interrogator, which was shortlisted for CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger that year, Ian Fleming appears as a character in the book, in his role as Special Assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence Admiral Godfrey. Lieutenant Douglas Lindsay is among just a handful of men rescued when his ship,…
Article by Revelator This month we conclude our 7 part series inspired by Ian Fleming’s “Seven Deadlier Sins.” Fleming conceived the idea for a series on the Seven Deadly Sins in the Sunday Times, and though it did not materialize for the paper, a book was published in 1962 that contained essays by some of…
Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and Harry Saltzman remain the most successful producing partnership in movie history and together they were responsible for the phenomenally successful James Bond series. Loved and hated in equal measure, respected and feared by their contemporaries, few movie people have loomed as large over the industry as Broccoli and Saltzman, yet…
On 18 March 1959 Fleming had written to Richard Chopping about the cover he had undertaken for Goldfinger, saying that: “The new jacket is quite as big a success as the first one and I do think [Jonathan] Cape have made a splendid job of it”. Once again, Chopping was asked to provide the cover…
Jack Barclay Bentley, the world’s oldest Bentley dealership, is hosting a free James Bond exhibition from 11-16 June in partnership with Peter Harrington Rare Books. The Mayfair dealership will play host to original Bond cars and visitors key objects from the genesis of the James Bond story. The first James Bond cars – from the…
Article by Matt Sherman Dear ALR readers, Mr. Fleming gave us the best possible travelogues, didn’t he? His exciting real-world details filled the spaces between the action scenes, making his Bond and other stories eminently readable. “That’s how it’s done,” to quote Bond author and expert John Cork. I’ve been reading Bond since age 9,…
This website just celebrated its 6th anniversary and for the last 4 years we have invited readers and contributors to the site, on an annual celebratory walk and party. This free event, is our way of saying thanks and on the 27th May 2019, Artistic Licence Renewed led it’s 4th Ian Fleming-James Bond Walking Tour of…
In A Spy Is Born, Jeremy Duns follows the trail of a largely forgotten writer through memoirs, newspaper archives, declassified M.I.5 files and dog-eared paperbacks to reveal the surprising literary roots of James Bond. His name? Dennis Wheatley. We asked Jeremy to share more of his intelligence. 001. You wrote about the links between Fleming…
We’re giving away 2 copies of SHAKEN for the perfect Father’s day gift by answering this question: Kina Lillet was the vermouth used in the Vespa Martini, but in Diamonds Are Forever the Vermouth was a different brand, that Bond said was the ‘best vermouth I ever tasted.’ What was it? Terms & Conditions: This…
In the wake of the announcement of Bond 25 at Ian Fleming’s Goldeneye retreat where the 007 books were written, it seems appropriate to revisit the road to Bond 25 and the roots of Fleming’s writing which remain in the films. This history is contained in the paperback of Matthew Field’s and Ajay Chowdhury’s “Some…
