CommanderBond.net

Our friend Tanner/Brisco over at his EXCELLENT spy blog Double O Section has uncovered a major Young Bond 5 scoop. In his review of The Young Bond Rough Guide to London, Tanner finds in the "Day Trips" section this revealing sentence:

"The visitor is more likely to be struck by the lonely, grey splendour of Windsor Castle, the world's largest inhabited castle which will play a key role in the fifth Young Bond novel."

How about them apples!

I highly recommend reading Tanner’s full YB Rough Guide review.

How about that!

Young Bond 5 is what I look forward to most, and this is exciting news.

Good scoop!

My only fear about YB5 is that it could be set entirely in England (Eton and Windsor). I'm sure Charlie will knock it out of the park, but I do hope the book features Bond in another location at some point (I'd love to see Young Bond in India). We had our all England book in DoD.

BTW, it appears Charlie is continuing the echoes of the Fleming books. Like FRWL (Fleming 5th), it seems YB5 will be a more complex novel rooted in real-world political (Royal) intrigue.

Definitely a great catch. I too hope the fifth book will have some globetrotting, but I'm sure I'll end up enjoying it either way.

Pretty sure we've known this.. for months maybe even as far back as the release of Blood Fever. Charlie himself talked about this in an interview at some point. I'm pretty damn sure. Talked about it's proximity to Eton, the Royal family being involved somehow and that it's all involved in the "maid event" and how for national security reasons M fudged the dates in the obit and the British Secret Service covered it all up following Bond's departure from Eton.

Oh, I know we've know about the involvement of the Royals for a while. That has been on my Book 5 page from day one and I mentioned in my article this was a “confirmation” (although I remember in 2005 when Higgy first said this, he didn't say which book, but the implication was that it was Book 5). But I think this is the first time anyone has said that Windsor Castle will be specific location in Young Bond 5.

But that's the glory of senility. Everything is new.

Still, Double O Section's review of the Rough Guide kicks . No other website (including mine) took the time to give this book a proper review. And it deserves one it as it's another high quality production from IFP/Puffin (higher than it even needs to be). Also cool that Tanner/Brisco points out that the editor of the Rough Guide is Paul Simpson of The Bond Files fame.

Here's an interview where Charlie specifically mentions Windsor Castle. It's heavily implied that it'll be featured in book 5. Things can change as we know (e.g., book 4 locations), but this is about as guaranteed as it gets.

Well... there's the rub! The IFP presented me with the plan for Eton to be the background for all the books. Two of the things that attracted them to the Eton scenario was that a) it is quite an extraordinary and exciting school, and b} that it's right next to Windsor Castle. Without giving too much away, the Royal Family will come in to it later on. - Charlie

Just saying.

Ah, there's Windsor Castle. I stand corrected. Sorry.

(But I expect this is still news to most Young Bond fans.)