'Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier'

The original run of Charlie Higson’s Young James Bond novels may have come to a close last year, but the adventures aren’t over yet.

Yesterday, The Young Bond Dossier exclusively broke the news that an all-new Young Bond companion book is in the works and is due to be released this November.

Touted as the complete and definitive guide to Higson’s Young Bond, the aptly-titled Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier will include in-depth character profiles, information on the cars, weapons and exotic locations, plus photographs, maps, and illustrations by artist Kev Walker.

As an added bonus, the book will also feature a brand new Young Bond story from Higson himself.

The Literary 007 lives on in 2009. We’ll keep you updated as more details come in.

Ian Fleming's 'The Blofeld Trilogy' Cover Artwork Revealed

Just a few days ago, CommanderBond.net first revealed that a brand new collection of James Bond novels entitled The Blofeld Trilogy was due to hit shelves this October. We now have complete details on this upcoming Ian Fleming collection, including your first look at the cover artwork.

The Blofeld Trilogy will be published by Penguin Classics on 1 October. This 720-page trade-size paperback will retail for £14.99.

Bringing together Fleming’s Thunderball, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and You Only Live Twice novels, the collection will also include a new introduction by journalist Nick Lezard.

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.

• Order the UK paperback edition of The Blofeld Trilogy from Amazon.co.uk

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest literary 007 coverage.

Raymond Benson's 'Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty' Due In November

The second book in Raymond Benson’s Metal Gear Solid series is now available to pre-order.

Fans will be able to pick up Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty on 24 November in the US and two days later in the UK.

Published in paperback by Del Ray stateside and Orbit in the UK, the book will retail for $14.00 and £7.99, respectively.

Benson’s first book based on the popular video game series was released in mid-2008.

• Order the UK paperback edition of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the US paperback edition of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty from Amazon.com

James Bond fans best know Benson as the author of six Bond continuation novels, three short stories and the film novelizations for Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. Click here for CommanderBond.net’s four-part interview with Raymond Benson.

The Blades Library Book Club: High Time To Kill

Welcome back to The Blades Library Book Club – the place for quality discussions of the books of James Bond!

Every two months a James Bond 007 novel is chosen for the club members to read. A thread is posted in the club forums listing locations on where you can find the novel. Discussions about the book will go on as the book is read and when it is finished. Another thread will be created so that club members can post their review and give a rating on the current book.

All fans of the Literary Bond are eligible for membership. All you need to do to sign up is register on the CBn Forums (it’s free and only takes a minute) and then post your name in the sign up thread.

The Book Club’s 32nd Book

We are progressing though the James Bond 007 novels in chronological order, since quite a number of members are using the club as an opportunity to read the books for the very first time.
After moving through the Bond novels by Ian Fleming, Kingsley Amis and John Gardner, the club most recently embarked upon the Raymond Benson Bond era and now continues with his third novel: 1999’s High Time To Kill.

Obtaining The Book

Ordering online should be fairly easy. High Time To Kill can be ordered online (although in used condition) from the following sources:

• Amazon.co.uk
• Amazon.com
• eBay

Discuss other places to buy High Time To Kill or where you got your copy in this thread.

Discuss The Book While Reading

Want to talk about the book while reading it? Post a new thread in The Blades Library.

Review And Rate The Book

After you have finished reading High Time To Kill, you can discuss it with other club members in The Blades Library, and give the book your personal rating out of five in this thread.

If you have any questions or suggestions just post them in a new thread. Happy reading.

*New* Archive Of All Past Read Books

Additionally, club members can review or comment on any of the past read books in the club any time they want. Click here for the full archive of the past read books in the club.

Previous Books Read

• The Facts of Death: February 2009 – March 2009
• Zero Minus Ten: December 2008 – January 2009
• COLD: October 2008 – November 2008
• SeaFire: August 2008 – September 2008
• Never Send Flowers: June 2008 – July 2008
• Death Is Forever: April 2008 – May 2008
• The Man From Barbarossa: February 2008 – March 2008
• Brokenclaw: December 2007 – January 2008
• Win, Lose Or Die: October 2007 – November 2007
• Scorpius: August 2007 – September 2007
• No Deals, Mr. Bond: June 2007 – July 2007
• Nobody Lives Forever: April 2007 – May 2007
• Role Of Honour: February 2007 – March 2007
• Icebreaker: December 2006 – January 2007
• For Special Services: October 2006 – November 2006
• Licence Renewed: August 2006 – September 2006
• Colonel Sun: June 2006 – July 2006
• Octopussy & The Living Daylights: April 2006 – May 2006
• The Man With The Golden Gun: February 2006 – March 2006
• You Only Live Twice: December 2005 – January 2006
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service: October 2005 – November 2005
• The Spy Who Loved Me: August 2005 – September 2005
• Thunderball: June 2005 – July 2005
• For Your Eyes Only: April 2005 – May 2005
• Goldfinger: February 2005 – March 2005
• Doctor No: December 2004 – January 2005
• From Russia, With Love: September 2004 – November 2004
• Diamonds Are Forever: July 2004 – August 2004
• Moonraker: May 2004 – June 2004
• Live and Let Die: May 2003 – June 2003
• Casino Royale: March 2003 – April 2003

'Sean Connery' Visual Biography Slated For July Release In UK

As reported on CommanderBond.net this past February, a new biography centering on Sir Sean Connery is slated to be released in October 2009 in the US. We can now add that Sean Connery will also be available in the UK from this July and is available to pre-order from Amazon.co.uk.

Sean Connery is a visual biography by Alain Silver and edited by Paul Duncan that is apart of the ‘Movie Icons’ series–photography books that feature the most famous personalities in the history of cinema.

To be published by Taschen, this 192-page paperback will retail for £5.99/$9.99 and can currently be pre-ordered online (order link follows after the blurb).

Why is the only non-American on the AFI prestigious list a Scotsman? Perhaps it’s because Sean Connery career, as international in its scope as it may have been, as global as may have been his appeal, made him a “genuine movie star” without any petty disputation, pretension, or pandering to current fashion.

Indisputably, Connery’s incarnation of James Bond catapulted him to stardom and lay the foundation for the most successful franchise in motion picture history. Together Bond and Connery became larger-than-life; but it was Connery, not Bond, whose powerful presence went on to permeate scores of other roles. Connery can be as cool and charismatic as Steve McQueen, as elegant as Katherine Hepburn, or as generous as Frank Sinatra.

Movie Icons is a series of photo books that feature the most famous personalities in the history of cinema. These 192-page books are visual biographies of the stars.

• Order Sean Connery from Amazon.co.uk
• Order Sean Connery from Amazon.com

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for all the latest literary James Bond news.

Ian Fleming's 'The Blofeld Trilogy' Coming In October

This October will see the release of a brand new James Bond collection featuring the works of Ian Fleming.

To be published on 1 October by Penguin Classics is The Blofeld Trilogy. While there are currently no publisher blurbs or cover artwork available, it is an almost sure bet that this collection will bring together Fleming’s Thunderball, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and You Only Live Twice novels–all of which feature 007’s arch-nemesis.

Running at 720 pages in total, The Blofeld Trilogy paperback will retail for £14.99 and is available to order from Amazon.co.uk:

• Order the UK paperback edition of The Blofeld Trilogy from Amazon.co.uk

Currently available Fleming collections from Penguin Classics include Casino Royale/Live and Let Die/Moonraker, From Russia with Love/Dr. No/Goldfinger and last year’s release of Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories.

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest literary 007 coverage.

Charlie Higson's New Non-Bond Novel: 'The Enemy'

While By Royal Command may have signaled the completion (for now, at least) of the Young Bond series, more books from author Charlie Higson are on the way.

As reported by The Young Bond Dossier, Higson’s newest non-Bond series has more of a horror approach. The first book in the series, The Enemy, is due out this September. It will be published by Puffin in the UK and Disney/Hyperion in the US.

The Young Bond Dossier has also gotten the first look at the promotional cover artwork for The Enemy—click here to view.

They’ll chase you. They’ll rip you open.
They’ll feed on you…

When the sickness came, every parent, police officer–every adult–fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and lying in wait.

Only children under fourteen remain, and they’re fighting to survive. Because the adults who are alive are hungry…

And the only thing left to eat is you.

• Order the UK hardback edition of The Enemy from Amazon.co.uk

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest literary 007 coverage.

Collecting 007: John Gardner's James Bond In Large Print (2)

For collectors who specialize in the literary James Bond, there is a seemingly endless supply of different editions and printings available to search for. One such format is the Large Print editions. Meant to accommodate those who have poor vision, the typical large print edition of a book will have size 16 font or higher.

Numerous James Bond novels have been published in the Large Print format, including the Ian Fleming, John Gardner, Raymond Benson and Charlie Higson adventures. These editions of the novels are almost always printed in relatively limited quantities with the majority of them being stocked exclusively in libraries. Additionally, they often feature brand new jacket cover artwork that is not featured on any other printing of the book.

As a result of this, the Large Print editions of the Bond novels can be a bit more tricky to obtain for dedicated collectors.

Following up our Raymond Benson collecting guide, CommanderBond.net now continues with the James Bond novels written by author John Gardner from 1981 to 1996. Included are publication details, the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) identifiers, cover artwork and other related notes.

NOTE: Ordering links are provided for Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com, but do note that the overwhelming majority of these Large Print editions are out of print. However, one can often obtain a used copy via the Amazon Marketplace or at alternate used sites, such as eBay or AbeBooks.

All of the James Bond novels and novelizations written by John Gardner have been released in the Large Print format with the exception of 1989’s Licence To Kill.

Collecting 007
John Gardner’s James Bond In Large Print
PART 2

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

---

Nobody Lives For Ever

Number of Large Print editions: 3

1 – UK Chivers Press/New Portway Hardback

Publication Date: April 1987

ISBN: 0-7451-7063-3

Dustjacket: Yes

Special Notes: N/A

• Order the UK Large Print hardback edition of Nobody Lives For Ever from Amazon.co.uk

---

Nobody Lives For Ever

Number of Large Print editions: 3

2 – UK ISIS Books Hardback

Publication Date: October 1987

ISBN: 1-57736-061-8

Dustjacket: No

Special Notes: Simultaneously published in the UK and US by ISIS Books and Landmark Books, respectively.

• Order the UK Large Print hardback edition of Nobody Lives For Ever from Amazon.co.uk

---

Nobody Lives For Ever

Number of Large Print editions: 3

3 – US Landmark Books Hardback

Publication Date: October 1987

ISBN: 1-57736-061-8

Dustjacket: No

Special Notes: Simultaneously published in the UK and US by ISIS Books and Landmark Books, respectively.

• Order the US Large Print hardback edition of Nobody Lives For Ever from Amazon.com

---

No Deals, Mr. Bond

Number of Large Print editions: 2

1 – UK ISIS Books Hardback

Publication Date: January 1989

ISBN: 1-85089-194-X

Dustjacket: No

Special Notes: Published in the UK and US by ISIS Books and Landmark Books, respectively.

• Order the UK Large Print hardback edition of No Deals, Mr. Bond from Amazon.co.uk

---

No Deals, Mr. Bond

Number of Large Print editions: 2

2 – US Landmark Books Hardback

Publication Date: November 1987

ISBN: 1-55736-065-0

Dustjacket: No

Special Notes: Published in the UK and US by ISIS Books and Landmark Books, respectively.

• Order the US Large Print hardback edition of No Deals, Mr. Bond from Amazon.com

---

Scorpius

Number of Large Print editions: 2

1 – UK ISIS Books Hardback

Publication Date: February 1989

ISBN: 1-85089-284-9

Dustjacket: No

Special Notes: N/A

• Order the UK Large Print hardback edition of Scorpius from Amazon.co.uk

---

Scorpius

Number of Large Print editions: 2

2 – US Thorndike Press Hardback

Publication Date: September 1988

ISBN: 0-89621-176-2

Dustjacket: No

Special Notes: N/A

• Order the US Large Print hardback edition of Scorpius from Amazon.com

---

Win, Lose or Die

Number of Large Print editions: 2

1 – UK ISIS Books Hardback

Publication Date: February 1990

ISBN: 1-85089-338-1

Dustjacket: No

Special Notes: N/A

• Order the UK Large Print hardback edition of Win, Lose or Die from Amazon.co.uk

---

Win, Lose or Die

Number of Large Print editions: 2

2 – US G.K. Hall Hardback

Publication Date: November 1990

ISBN: 0-8161-4996-8

Dustjacket: Yes

Special Notes: The US G.K. Hall Large Print hardback edition of Win, Lose or Die uses the same cover artwork as the regular US Putnam hardback edition.

• Order the US Large Print hardback edition of Win, Lose or Die from Amazon.com

---

As always, keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most complete and up-to-date news from the world of James Bond.

Charlie Higson's 'Hurricane Gold' Arrives In The US

Today marks the debut of Charlie Higson’s Hurricane Gold in the United States.

The fourth Young James Bond novel in Higson’s incredibly popular series, Hurricane Gold was originally released in September 2007 in the UK.

This new hardback edition is published by Disney/Hyperion and retails for $16.95. It also features brand new cover artwork courtesy of artist Kev Walker.

• Order the US hardback of Hurricane Gold from Amazon.com

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest Young Bond coverage.

'The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader' Coming To US In August

Late last year, CommanderBond.net alerted readers that a new edition of Christoph Lindner’s The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader was slated to be released in the UK in June 2009. We can now report that this book will also be available to 007 fans in the US, due for publication in August.

Originally published in the UK and US at the end of 2003, The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader features various essays examining from different perspectives the cultural icon that 007 has become.

This new edition of The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader will be published in paperback by Manchester University Press. At 272 pages in length, it will retail for £14.99 / $24.95. Cover artwork is yet to be revealed.

The book’s original blurb follows:

Sean Connery’s tuxedo, Ursula Andress’ bikini, Oddjob’s bowler hat, and Q’s gadgets are just a few defining features of the 007 world examined in this text. Drawn from the fields of literary, film, music and cultural studies, the essays in this collection range from revitalized readings of Ian Fleming’s spy novels to the analysis of Pussy Galore’s lesbianism, Miss Monneypenny’s filmic feminism and Pierce Brosnan’s techno-fetishism.

Together the essays not only consider the James Bond novels and films in relation to their historical, political and social contexts, from the Cold-War period onwards, but also examine the classic bond canon from an array of theoretical perspectives. What the text aims to show is that there is much more to the 007 series than cheap thrills, fast cars and beautiful women.

With essays by Umberto Eco, Tony Bennett, Tara Brabazon, Toby Miller and Jim Leach, among others, Lindner illustrates not only how the Bond character has conquered the globe, but has sustained its pre-eminence across six decades. Starting with the original books and moving through the films, the music and the marketing, this study should be of use to students of film, media, popular literature, marketing and cultural studies.

• Order the paperback edition of The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader (2nd ed.) from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the paperback edition of The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader (2nd ed.) from Amazon.com

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest literary 007 coverage.