“Never send a man where you can send a bullet.” Unlike the previous James Bond books by Ian Fleming, For Your Eyes Only is a collection of five short stories, not a single adventure (two of the stories, “Quantum of Solace” and “The Hildebrand Rarity” had been previously published in Cosmopolitan and Playboy, respectively). Elements of the stories … More For Your Eyes Only, by Ian Fleming: Book Review
I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. Here we have it: the first Bond book by Ian Fleming that I actively disliked. Fleming churned one book out every year once he started writing about 007’s adventures in 1953 so it was really just a matter of time before he repurposed some of … More Goldfinger, by Ian Fleming: Book Review
On screen, Dr. No is the very first James Bond adventure. But in the series of books the franchise is based on, Doctor No actually came sixth. In keeping with that, when we meet up with Bond in the book he’s reeling from the events of Diamonds Are Forever and From Russia, With Love. Without any history to build … More James Bond in Dr. No: Book vs. Movie
President Kennedy himself professed to be a big fan of the novel From Russia, With Love–including it in his ten favorite books. The film adaptation was the last movie he ever saw, as he had it screened in The White House just before his fateful trip to Dallas. Untimely death aside, that seal of approval helped … More James Bond in From Russia With Love: Book vs. Movie
Like Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever was one of my least favorite movies in the Bond series. Unlike Moonraker, the book didn’t improve things. Moonraker was one of my favorite books in the novels so far, but Diamonds is among the worst. The plot of the book and the movie have the same basic set-up (James Bond pretends to be Peter … More James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever: Book vs. Movie
Here we have quite an interesting juxtaposition: Moonraker is the worst Bond movie ever made in my opinion, but it’s probably my favorite of the books by Ian Fleming (so far at least). How did that happen? Blame Star Wars. No really. For Your Eyes Only was supposed to be the next Bond movie after The Spy … More James Bond in Moonraker: Book vs. Movie
“’They want us dead,’ said Bond calmly. ‘So we have to stay alive.’” The film adaptation of Moonraker is legendary for being awful. I called it the worst Bond movie ever, so you can understand that I was very curious to see how the book would fare. Thankfully, aside from the title and the villain’s name … More Book Review: Moonraker, by Ian Fleming
The movie version of Live and Let Die was used to introduce a new actor, Roger Moore, playing 007, but on the page it was pretty much just another adventure. Unlike Casino Royale, there are many differences to be found between the source novel and the film adaptation. Both find 007 investigating Mr. Big, an African American crime … More James Bond in Live and Let Die: Book vs. Movie
“History is moving pretty quickly these days and the heroes and villains keep on changing parts.” Although it was the 21st movie in the series of Bond films, Casino Royale was the very first Bond novel written by Ian Fleming. Appropriately enough, its film adaptation was essentially a reboot of the Bond series with Daniel … More Book Review: Casino Royale, by Ian Fleming
Casino Royale was the first book in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, but it was the 21st movie in the film series. In both cases, it serves as a sort of introduction to the suave British agent with the cold eyes. Unlike many adaptations of Fleming’s novels, the plot is remarkably consistent with what you … More James Bond in Casino Royale: Book vs. Movie
Supposedly Fun 