‘There is only one Bond’ – first glimpse on new covers at The Book Bond

Today John Cox’s website The Book Bond, dedicated to the latest news in James Bond’s literary world, revealed an interesting development. Vintage Books, the current holder of a ten year licence to publish Ian Fleming’s Bond novels, intends to publish the fourteen books with two entirely different cover artworks, the classic series (see their covers here), and what Vintage call their contemporary James Bond series.  The first seven of these can be seen at The Book Bond’s story here.

While the classic series adopts a distinctively minimalistic, yet ingenious approach – minus the author’s name! – the contemporary series features a much more conventional photographic artwork that nonetheless wasn’t seen in this manner on Bond covers before. The theme is a man’s silhouette alone in the middle distance, put into the various settings of the respective novels, all done in b/w, with the title in gold. The most intriguing detail is the claim ‘There is only one Bond’ on each cover.

You can discuss this news here

Read the Book Bond story here

Thanks to John Cox for the alert.

Ian Fleming Publications announces audio book releases

Ian Fleming Publications has announced the release of 12 James Bond Audio Books to be released later this year. Individually read by some of the best British talent, the project 3 years in the making, aims to create an exciting, modern take on these classic stories.

• Casino Royale read by Dan Stevens
• Live and Let Die read by Rory Kinnear
• Moonraker read by Bill Nighy
• Diamonds Are Forever read by Damian Lewis
• From Russia With Love read by Toby Stephens
• Dr No read by Hugh Quarshie
• Goldfinger read by Hugh Bonneville
• Thunderball read by Jason Isaacs
• The Spy Who Loved Me read by Rosamund Pike
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service read by David Tennant
• You Only Live Twice read by Martin Jarvis
• The Man With the Golden Gun read by Kenneth Branagh

Bond novels launch as eBooks in the UK

Starting on 4 November 2010, Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels will make their way onto digital store shelves at major retailers such as Amazon and Waterstone’s. Fleming’s 007 novels have been available in the United States in a digital format since Fleming’s Centenary celebration in 2008, but this marks the first time for the UK. Corinne Turner, Managing Director at Ian Fleming Publications said, “Ian Fleming wrote his James Bond novels to be read and enjoyed by everyone, and we are always looking for opportunities to introduce new audiences to Bond’s adventures. Fleming loved good, new technology, and I am sure he would have been thrilled by the idea of his books being available electronically.” Previously only Sebastian Faulks’ novel Devil May Care was available digitally in the UK.

Further Bond adventures not written by Fleming such as Charlie Higson’s Young Bond series will also premiere as eBooks starting in December. In all Fleming wrote fourteen James Bond novels:

• Casino Royale (1953)
• Live and Let Die (1954)
• Moonraker (1955)
• Diamonds Are Forever (1956)
• From Russia with Love (1957)
• Dr. No (1958)
• Goldfinger (1959)
• For your Eyes Only (1960)
• Thunderball (1961)
• The Spy Who Loved Me (1962)
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1963)
• You Only Live Twice (1964)
• The Man With The Golden Gun (1965)
• Octopussy and the Living Daylights (1966)

Press Release

James Bond novels launch as eBooks in the UK

Ian Fleming’s classic James Bond novels are to be published for the first time in the UK as eBooks on 4 November 2010. The 14 books, which include Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, From Russia with Love and Dr No, will be sold under the Ian Fleming Publications Ltd imprint and will be available through major retailers including Amazon and Waterstone’s. The eBooks will be priced in line with the lowest-priced Bond paperback editions available on the market.

Corinne Turner, Managing Director, Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, comments: “Ian Fleming wrote his James Bond novels to be read and enjoyed by everyone, and we are always looking for opportunities to introduce new audiences to Bond’s adventures. Fleming loved good, new technology, and I am sure he would have been thrilled by the idea of his books being available electronically.”

Fleming’s James Bond novels first launched as eBooks in the United States to mark the Ian Fleming centenary in 2008 and were sold through Sony’s special edition 007 Reader and the Amazon Kindle. The availability of the eBooks in the US marked a new chapter in Bond publishing, and it is anticipated that this success will be matched with the forthcoming UK launch.

Further James Bond titles including Charlie Higson’s bestselling Young Bond series will follow from December.

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Fleming to be portrayed by James D'Arcy in Age of Heroes

Age of Heroes poster

Over the past couple of years there’s been numerous rumors and reports about multiple film projects that will bring Ian Fleming to the big screen. The biggest of these is one simply titled “Fleming” which is being produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s company, Appian Way. In that film, which at one point was set to include scenes from the famed Thunderball legal case, Fleming may be portrayed by DiCaprio himself. Another production titled “Ian Fleming” is currently being developed by Palmstar Entertainment and Animus Films, based on Andrew Lycett’s extensive 1995 biography Ian Fleming: The Man Behind James Bond. Last year it was rumored that James McAvoy would star as Ian Fleming, though that turned out to be false.

Sean Bean in Age of Heroes

A third film has quietly been in the works too, but the good news about this one is that it filmed over the summer and is slated to hit theaters this year as early as 1 October in the UK according to sites such as IMDb (this may prove to be unlikely as there hasn’t been any marketing for the film yet, e.g., a trailer at the very least). Called Age of Heroes, it tells the story of Ian Fleming’s Red Indians, 30 Assault Unit or 30 AU, he formed while working for Naval Intelligence during World War II.

Age of Heroes is the first in a trilogy which will be followed by Age of Glory and Age of Honour. James D’Arcy (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and Flashbacks of a Fool starring Daniel Craig) will portray Ian Fleming. Also starring in Age of Heroes is Sean Bean best known to James Bond fans as 006 Alec Trevelyan in 1995’s GoldenEye.

Age of Heroes was written and directed by Adrian Vitoria.

Scene from Age of Heroes - D'Arcy (Ian Fleming) on the right?

CommanderBond.net first reported on Age of Heroes in March of this year.

'You Only Live Twice' radio adaption on BBC 7

Michael Jayston is James Bond - in the 1990 BBC radio adaption of
'You Only Live Twice'

BBC Radio 7 are this weekend re-broadcasting the 1990 radio adaptation of Fleming’s 1964 Bond novel, You Only Live Twice.

The adaptation is faithful to Fleming’s original novel, unlike the 1967 movie starring Sean Connery.

British actor Michael Jayston, who appeared in Doctor Who and the mini-series Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, plays James Bond.

Broadcast times are:
Sat 28 Aug 2010, 13:00 on BBC Radio 7
and
Sun 29 Aug 2010, 01:00 on BBC Radio 7

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date literary 007 news on the web.

From Russia with Love gets the Popular Penguin treatment

From Russia with Love, Ian Fleming’s fifth James Bond novel, will join the ranks of the Popular Penguin series as one of 75 new titles to be released this June.

From Russia with Love

The Popular Penguin series, exclusive to Australia, was created to celebrate the publisher’s literary legacy. Each paperback in the series is adorned with artwork that recreates the style of the publisher’s earliest reprints.

The 75 new titles are being released to mark Penguin’s 75th birthday. Other books featuring in the forthcoming wave include Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Dante’s Inferno.

Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale, was released as part of the series’ second wave in June last year.

The From Russia with Love Popular Penguin hits shelves on 28 June and retails for AU$9.95. More details on the release can be found on the Penguin Australia website.

The Blofeld Trilogy US cover artwork revealed

Two months ago CommanderBond.net reported that The Blofeld Trilogy, an omnibus containing three classic Ian Fleming-penned James Bond novels, would be released in the US later this year.

Originally debuting in the UK last October, this 007 collection brings together the three novels that make up the SPECTRE trilogy—Thunderball, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and You Only Live Twice.

Cover artwork has now been revealed for the US edition of the book, which will retail for $22.00 and is due for release on 28 September.

Ian Fleming’s The Blofeld Trilogy US paperback

With a new introduction by Nick Lezard.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld is James Bond’s arch-nemesis: a deranged criminal mastermind with ambitions to bring the world to its knees in his pursuit of power. This collection brings together three novels featuring the ultimate Bond villain. First introduced in Thunderball, Blofeld’s plan to steal atomic bombs and hold the whole world to ransom leads to a thrilling chase in the Bahamas. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service sees Blofeld developing terrifying weapons—and destroying the one thing Bond holds most dear—and in You Only Live Twice, the shattered secret agent must get his revenge in one last, deadly encounter.

Pre-order online from Amazon.com:

• Order the US paperback edition of The Blofeld Trilogy from Amazon.com

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for the most up-to-date literary James Bond coverage on the web.

Signed first edition of Ian Fleming's Moonraker sells for $50,000

Back in early February, CommanderBond.net reported that several valuable Ian Fleming-penned James Bond first editions from the personal collection of Otto Penzler were going up for auction on 8 April.

The sale proved to be a major success, with copies of Casino Royale and Moonraker easily surpassing their expected estimates.

Full details follow below in a news release from Paul Fraser Collectibles:

Ian Fleming’s Moonraker

James Bond first editions add excitement to any rare book auction, and Swann Auction Galleries’ 314 lot auction on Thursday, April 8 was no exception, boasting 28 books and manuscripts penned by Ian Fleming.

In particular, two first editions in excellent condition brought some keen bidding from the audience.

The first was a beautifully preserved copy of Casino Royale, Fleming’s first Bond novel. The black cloth of the cover itself is stamped with red heart in the centre and red lettering appears along the spine.

The dust jacket is more familiar, however, with the bleeding hearts design created by Fleming himself. In this case it appears in all its glory, with only the faintest toning present, no doubt preserved by the burgundy morocco and cloth clamshell box which comes with it.

The lot beat its top estimate of $30,000 to sell for $33,600. It was outstripped, however, by a signed copy of Moonraker, Fleming’s third novel.

The black cloth covers, stamped in silver and clothed in its dustcover with the well known ‘firey’ design, the copy is also in exemplary condition. Inside, Fleming has written “To Eileen M. Cond Who cannot be easily shocked! from Ian Fleming – 1955.”.

This caused frenetic bidding from the audience, and the upper estimate of $25,000 was doubled before the winning bidder took home their prize for $50,400.

Collectors of James Bond memorabilia may be interested to know that a suit worn by Pierce Brosnan’s Bond in GoldenEye is currently available.

Keep your browsers locked on the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest news on James Bond-related events occurring around the world.

Ian Fleming's Diamonds are Forever reprinted in France this month

French Diamonds are Forever

Ian Fleming’s fourth James Bond novel, 1956’s Diamonds are Forever, will be reprinted in France later this month.

As some CommanderBond.net readers may recall, it was first announced in late 2007 that publisher Bragelonne would be reprinting the original Bond titles following their film tie-in edition of Casino Royale the year before.

Reprints of Live and Let Die and Moonraker have so far followed, which now brings us up to Fleming’s fourth 007 adventure.

This paperback edition of Diamonds are Forever will be published as Les Diamants sont Éternels. Retailing for 9.90 €, it is due for release on 16 April and can currently be pre-ordered online at Amazon.fr:

• Order the French paperback edition of Diamonds are Forever (Les Diamants sont Éternels) from Amazon.fr

Be sure to keep checking the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest news from the world of James Bond.

Radio 4 production of Goldfinger now online

Literary James Bond fans can now access the BBC Radio 4 production of Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger online.

Originally running this past Saturday afternoon, the adaptation of Fleming’s seventh 007 adventure can now be played online via the BBC iPlayer.

Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger

In addition to featuring Sir Ian McKellen in the villainous title role, numerous James Bond film alumni also starred production, including: Toby Stephens (Die Another Day), Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day) and Tim Pigott-Smith (Quantum of Solace).

The official IanFleming.com news release follows:

A brand-new radio recording of Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger has been produced by Jarvis & Ayres, featuring an all-star cast and scheduled to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over Easter weekend 2010.

Dramatisation is by award-winning Archie Scottney – Murder She Thought and Spy Stories, Something Fresh (P.G. Wodehouse), Man of The Moment and A Small Family Business (Ayckbourn), The Mysterious Mr Quin (Agatha Christie), Shadowlands (Nicholson).

As with Jarvis & Ayres’ production of Dr No, music is specially composed by Mark Holden and Sam Barbour.

This remarkable radio adaptation stays true to Ian Fleming’s novel. A full cast list is below.

Keep visiting the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for the most up-to-date 007 coverage on the web.