This week finds Graham M. Thomas stranded on Crab Key Island, yet life won’t be too bad with these items to keep him company…
001. You Only Live Twice
Two reasons, the first that it would allow me to remember and picture Japan as the story is largely a travelogue, but second it is the novel where we learn much more about Bond the man, and I could reflect on my own foibles.
Richard Burton on Ian Fleming and You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice Dust Jacket
002. This is Japan, Vol 8, 1961
A veritable treasure as it has articles written by both Ian Fleming and Richard Hughes (Dikko Henderson) – as well as being edited by Tiger Saito (Tiger Tanaka). It is also over 300 pages of extraordinary articles so I assume that with no prospect of rescue, it would serve me long and well.
Who was the real Tiger Tanaka?
Bondo-San in Japan: Interview with Graham M. Thomas
003. Thrilling Cities, Ian Fleming
To be reminded of the places I will never see again but still enjoy through the words of Fleming.
I might also ponder on why he never used Hong Kong or Macau as a setting, despite these being two places he much enjoyed visiting.
Thrilling Cities Redux: Hong Kong
004. Foreign Devil, Richard Hughes
Besides the chapter that describes his trip through Japan with Fleming and Saito, the book is packed with enough anecdotes and stories to counter the dreariness of counting grains of sand.
Richard Hughes: Ian Fleming’s Man in the Orient
Alcoholics Synonymous with Richard ‘Dikko’ Hughes
005. Double 0 Seven, A Report by O. F. Snelling
If I want to settle down to more intellectual effort I would dip into this book that was the first at attempting to analyse the novels.
It is of its time, which is no bad thing as Snelling clearly is able to place Fleming’s writing within the period mores.
O.F. Snelling’s ‘Double O Seven James Bond: A Report‘
006. The James Bond Archives, Edited by Paul Duncan, Taschen
Taschen are superb at finding the most extraordinary material and then presenting it in a sumptuous book.
This would rather weigh down my suitcase but would be worth it.
007. Goldfinger
The novel that has everything you can want from a Bond novel.
Talk of Goldfinger: From the Sublime to the Ridiculous
008. Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz.
And finally – but not least, this picks up from where Goldfinger left off and is my favourite follow-on novel.
Riding on the Wall of Death one more time: Anthony Horowitz’s Trigger Mortis
Tribute to ‘Trigger Mortis’ by Gerry Wadsworth
Bond Song
‘Mountains and Sunsets’ from the You Only Live Twice soundtrack. This track vividly reminds me of tropical islands straddled across a deep blue sea somewhere in the Far East. Soothing and calming. Those wonderful John Barry strings also bring back memories of sitting in a cinema when they had drapes across the screen, up-lit by hidden spotlights.
Luxury Item
I wouldn’t mind one of the cars but realise this is impractical so instead I’ll go for Cooper’s Vintage Oxford Marmalade. Not only would this remind me of home but also my childhood as I have been spreading this on toast since I can remember.
How I would eek it out though is another matter.
Premium Bond – The Branding in Literary James Bond
To Drink
This would have to be sake but not at the temperature that Bond recommends. Instead I would drink it chilled (somehow). But what brand and type?
There are thousands of sake brands brewed in over over one thousand breweries raging from ones that are robust to super delicate. On Crab Key I suspect the former would be the better drink so I’ll go for one of my favourites.
Called Kawatsuru, it comes from a brewery that overlooks Japan’s Inland Sea, and comes in a bottle wrapped round with a dried rice leaves.
Incidental Intelligence
Graham’s book ‘Fleming, Bond and Connery in Japan’ is available as a free download on iBooks or can be also downloaded via Google Play.
Artistic Licence Renewed 