Article by Jeffrey J. Susla In 1963, Ian Fleming’s “How to Write a Thriller” appeared in the May issue of Books and Bookmen. According to Fleming, “There is only one recipe for a best seller and it is a very simple one. You have to get the reader to turn over the page.” So, during…
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…
By Raymond Benson Peter Janson-Smith passed away on Friday, April 15, 2016, at the age of 93. He was a giant in the world of British publishing, a major figure in that arena for nearly seventy years. Serious James Bond fans will know him as Ian Fleming’s literary agent, the man who spearheaded the exploitation…
There are two exciting James Bond reissues from Vintage Books to get your hands on. COLONEL SUN By Kingsley Amis with an introduction by the author The first ever Bond continuation novel, written by Kingsley Amis and originally published by Jonathan Cape in 1968, now in print for the first time since the 1990s. Kris Potter,…
The legacy of the ‘Bond continuation novel’ began in 1968 with Kingsley Amis‘ ‘Colonel Sun’, published by Jonathan Cape on this day – March 28th. Kingsley had been a Bond fan “ever since he discovered the first paperback, ‘Casino Royale’, on a railway bookstall” (The Times Educational Supplement) and had already written the seminal The James Bond Dossier, and…
This week, we are especially happy to welcome Dr. Wesley Britton, whose multi-talents include a successful teaching and writing career. However, it’s his writing and research on Bondology that’s the reason he’s here and in the following interview, Wesley unravels some of the mysteries behind the original Per Fine Ounce, O.F Snelling and his thoughts…
Words by Revelator After reading Mathew Parker’s book it will be impossible to over-estimate the importance of Jamaica to James Bond. Beginning with Fleming’s wartime discovery of the island, Goldeneye: Where Bond Was Born is a chronological countdown of his years there, interlaced with a concurrent history of country. Goldeneye, Fleming’s Jamaican residence, mirrored the…
We are privileged to welcome Matthew Parker in from the cold, to discuss his latest book about Ian Fleming and his beloved second home in Jamaica. Matthew is in the unique position as someone who has lived in the Caribbean and is a successful author of many books including about the Battle of Britain, the…
The name Goldfinger is probably the most synonymous title in the Bond canon with the most famous Bond girl, Bond villain, Bond film and Bond line: “No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.” But what about the book as a whole in the collective memory? It stands as one of the longest in the…
In September 1965, Kingsley was offered the opportunity to write his own Bond story after the success of both his literary critique The James Bond Dossier and tongue-in-cheek The Book Of Bond (Or Every Man His Own 007). Shortly afterwards, in 1966, official Bond publisher Glidrose Productions Ltd. commissioned novelist Geoffrey Jenkins to also write a Bond novel. Set in South…
In 1982, Bond aficionado and the first Bond continuation author – Kingsley Amis – wrote a review of John Gardner’s ‘For Special Services’. By Kingsley Amis Ian Fleming’s last novel, The Man With The Golden Gun, appeared in 1965, a year after its author’s death. I published Colonel Sun: a James Bond Adventure under the…
With kind permission from Revelator: Here’s a little treat to kick off 2014. In 1981 a thick reference book was published, titled The Dictionary of National Biography, 1961-1970 and containing biographies of notable figures who had died during that decade. As one of the best-selling authors of century, Ian Fleming was naturally included, and the editors wisely…
Novelist, poet, critic, teacher and professional drinker Kingsley Amis‘ contribution to the James Bond franchise, cannot be overlooked. His enthusiasm for Bond and his many arguments in defense of Bond and Ian Fleming against criticism found various literary avenues, not to mention the marvelous first bond continuation novel after Fleming’s death, Colonel Sun. Amis on Fleming: “Ian…
The late Christopher Hitchens was one of Britain’s most revered, influential, antagonistic, polarizing, brilliant, erudite, eloquent, intelligent and entertaining writers. If you have not read any of his books and articles or watched him speak interviews and discussions, then it’s time you started. Much like his comrade the late, great Kingsley Amis, Hitchens was a…
Artistic Licence Renewed 