/ Literary 007 / 1956 - Diamonds Are Forever /

Summary

Written by Evan Willnow on 24 Apr, 2002

Diamonds Are Forever, released 26 March 1956, was a James Bond story about diamond smuggling, a subject that fascinated Ian Fleming so much that he wrote a second book on the subject a year and a half later with 1957’s non-fiction novel, The Diamond Smugglers.

Moonraker

Diamonds Are Forever, released 26 March 1956, was a James Bond story about diamond smuggling, a subject that fascinated Ian Fleming so much that he wrote a second book on the subject a year and a half later with 1957’s non-fiction novel, The Diamond Smugglers.

Articles

The Blurb

BOND IS BACK!

007 discovers the Love and Death are identical twins on a trail of diamonds that leads from London to the dazzling desert casinos, straight into the arms of the Mob—and the murderous Ms. Tiffany Case!

Back of Charter paperback edition

Better Than The Film

“But I thought thoise Indians could do well over ninety,” said Bond. “I didn’t know these Studebakers had it in them.”

There was a straight stretch of empty road in front of them. Leiter gave a brief glance in his rear-view mirror and suddenly rammed the gear lever into second and thrust his foot to the floor boards. Bond’s head jerked back on his shoulders and he felt his spine being pressed into the back of the bucket seat. Incredulously, he watched the hooded speedometer. Eighty. With a clang Leiter’s hook moved the gear lever into high and the car went on gathering speed. Ninety, ninety-five, six, seven—and then ther was a bridge and converging road and Lieter’s foot was on the brake and deep roar of the engine gave way to steady thrumming as they settled down into the fifties again and swept easily through the graded curves.

Leiter glanced sideways at Bond and grinned. “Nearly another thirty on top of that,” he said proudly. “Not long ago I paid five dollars and put her through the measured mile at Datona. She clocked 127, and that beach surface isn’t any too hot.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” said Bond admiringly. “But what sort of car is this anyway? Isn’t it a Studebaker?”

“Studilac,” said Lieter. “Studebaker with a Cadilac engine. Special transmission and brakes and rear axle. Conversion job. A small firm near New York turns them out. Only a few, but they’re damn’ sight better sports car than those Corvettes and Thunderbirds. And you couldn’t have anything better than this body. Designed by that Frenchman Raymond Loewy. Naturalised now. One of the best designers in the world, but it’s a bit too advanced for the American market. Studebakers never got enough credit for this body. Too unconventional. Like the car? Bet I could give your old Bently a licking.” Lieter chuckled and reached in his left-hand pocket for a dime as they came to the toll.

“Until one of your wheels comes off,” said Bond caustically as they accelerated away again. “This sort of hotrod job’s all right for kids who can’t afford a real car.”

Chapter 10, Diamonds Are Forever

Chapters

  1. THE PIPE LINE OPENS
  2. GEM QUALITY
  3. HOT ICE
  4. “WHAT’S THIS ALL ABOUT?”
  5. “FUEILLES-MORTES”
  6. IN TRANSIT
  7. “SHADY” TREE
  8. THE EYE THAT NEVER SLEEPS
  9. BITTER CHAMPAGNE
  10. STUDILLAC TO SARATOGA
  11. SHY SMILE
  12. THE PERPETUITIES
  13. ACME MUD AND SULPHUR
  14. “WE DON’T LIKE MISTAKES”
  15. RUE DE LA PAY
  16. THE TIARA
  17. THANKS FOR THE RIDE
  18. NIGHT FALLS IN THE PASSION PIT
  19. SPECTREVILLE
  20. FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE TOP
  21. “NOTHING PROPINKS LIKE PROPINQUITY”
  22. LOVE AND SAUCE BÉRNAISE
  23. THE JOB COMES SECOND
  24. DEATH IS SO PERMANENT
  25. THE PIPE LINE CLOSES

Timeline

The events of Diamonds are Forever occur between:

July 26 to September 23 1953

Dates calculated by Walter von Tagen III

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