CommanderBond.net

Centenary stuff is starting to be announced. This sounds nice.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol...icle2280357.ece

This sounds really nice. Great find, zen.

'For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond' Exhibition

Centenary event set to take place in April 2008

New Book To Accompany Ian Fleming Centenary Exhibition Coming In April 2008

'For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond' by Ben Macintyre

More info about this book at Bloomsbury and Amazon.co.uk.

Edit:

Amazon.com too.

Jamaica Will 'Bond' With Ian Fleming Centenary Celebrations

Including a recreation of Fleming's study at Goldeneye

Virtual Exhibition: 'For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond'

Get a sneak peek at the upcoming 007 exhibition

I like that virtual tour. Since my plans to visit London fell through this may be as close as I get to it.

Jamaica readies for Ian Fleming

Here's something to warm the cockles of James Bond fans' hearts: the Jamaican government is set to launch a series of programmes to commemorate the death centenary of 007 creator Ian Fleming and provide insights into the life of the phenomenon and his creator.

The event begins on May 28. "Some of the events would be executed in Jamaica under the auspices of the Jamaican government while others will be organized and staged in Britain and elsewhere by the Fleming family and the British government," the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) that is promoting the event said in a statement.

Fleming first visited Jamaica as a British intelligence officer. Far from the maddening crowd, he found solace on the island and made it his home and penned down the 14 prominent James Bond thrillers that went on to become an epic series.

For the record, 21 official Bond movies have been made, the stories for the other seven being penned by other authors and a 22nd film on the way.

Major parts of three Bond movies - Dr. No, Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun - have been set in Jamaica.

"Would these books have been born if I hadn't been living in the gorgeous vacuum of a Jamaican holiday? I doubt it," Fleming has been famously quoted as saying.

Located in Oracabessa, 20 minutes from Ocho Rios, Goldeneye, the house that Fleming designed himself, is nestled amongst the tropical forests and lush gardens on a seaside bluff overlooking the Caribbean.

"Jamaica gave Fleming the balance of privacy and serenity to draw on his own experiences, his fascination for military gadgets, sharp wit and his dry arrogance to create the 20th century's most successful action hero," the JTB statement said.

In 1952, Fleming sat down in Goldeneye and wrote Casino Royale to introduce James Bond to the world.

For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond, an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London, will see a recreation of Fleming's study at Goldeneye being mounted.

Fleming died of heart failure on August 12, 1964 after having just completed his first children's story about a car that flew - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and having seen Sean Connery play James Bond in only the first two of the Bond films.

"The third largest island in the Caribbean, Jamaica has enough geographic and cultural diversity to rival most island chains. Whether you're looking for thrilling cliff dives or laid-back island life, it's all here. You just need to know which part of the island to visit," JTB said in its statement.

JTB, founded in 1955, is Jamaica's national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. It was declared the Caribbean's leading tourist and convention bureau by the World Travel Awards (WTA) for 2006.

Jamaica has earned the WTA's vote as the world's leading cruise destination, the Caribbean's leading destination and the Caribbean's leading cruise destination.

http://commanderbond.net/components/quickn...&item=46232 - NDTV Movies

I got the book from play.com yesterday. It's a nicely-produced book, the pictures are excellent and the text, what I can gather from a preliminary skim through, is intelligent and thoughtful. It looks to be a very good addition to one's Bond library.

The IWM is quality. This will be a classy event.

Sounds promising. It's nice when Bond books hit a good balance between photos/pics and text content because it doesn't always happen.

Yeah I had a flick through in the bookshop yesterday and it looks like a good read; quite classily designed.

Keep the comments/reviews coming people. With 50% off at Amazon this is a great time to buy it.