'My Word Is My Bond' Read By Sir Roger Moore

James Bond fans can get up close and personal with former 007 star Sir Roger Moore as he reads the audiobook edition of his forthcoming autobiography, My Word is My Bond.

Due for release on 9 October in the UK, this audiobook edition will be published by BBC Audiobooks and retails for £12.99.

ROGER MOORE
My Word is My Bond

Published by BBC Audiobooks on 9 October 2008
ISBN: 9781408409466
RRP: £12.99; Duration 2 hours 30 mins on 2 CDs

The download of this title will be available from 6 October 2008, RRP: £9.00
Download ISBN: 9781408423974

Screen legend Sir Roger Moore reads his first ever autobiography recounting with his trademark charm and candour his life and career on stage and screen. In this new release from BBC Audiobooks Sir Roger has recorded the story of his extraordinary career spanning seven decades, from early television to the golden age of Hollywood and on to international stardom.

Dashing, handsome and every inch the gentleman Sir Roger has starred in some of the most treasured films and fêted television series of the last 50 years. Playing the debonair adventurer Simon Templar in The Saint and the charismatic playboy Lord Brett alongside Tony Curtis in The Persuaders Moore was perfectly poised to assume the role of 007, taking Bond to new levels of suavity, style and charm.

Throughout My Word is My Bond Sir Roger recounts his story with his trademark charm and feeling, leading us through his family life, his marriages, and his later battle with cancer and interweaving his personal history with wonderful stories from the heyday of Hollywood and seven block-buster Bond films. Here he is uniquely positioned to give an affectionate insight into the Bond family, the close relationships and all the fun on set filming iconic scenes including the ski-chase opening to The Spy Who Loved Me and exploding Scaramanga’s Lair in Live and Let Die.

My Word is My Bond is peppered with personal anecdotes about Sir Roger’s work with such icons as Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner (who taught him how to kiss), David Niven and Michael Caine with whom he became great friends. Another friend and neighbour Audrey Hepburn introduced Sir Roger to UNICEF for whom he works as an ambassador, a role he is passionate about and on whose behalf he has travelled across the globe to some of the world’s most dangerous trouble-spots. His work for UNICEF was honoured with a knighthood in 2003 and he continues to act as an ambassador and spokes-person for the charity.

In this audio-recording, released on 9 October and in the hardback edition of
My Word is My Bond: The Autobiography , released by Michael O’Mara Books Ltd on 2 October Sir Roger gives us a unique glimpse into his fascinating life story. Packed with stories about his childhood in London and experience during World War II, his encounters with the stars and his wonderful memories of Hollywood, My Word is My Bond provides a fascinating insight into the life and career of a true icon.

My Word is My Bond will be published in hardback on 2 October in the UK and 4 November in the US. Pre-order online:

• Order the UK hardback edition of My Word is My Bond from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the UK signed hardback edition of My Word is My Bond from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the UK audiobook edition of My Word is My Bond from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the US hardback edition of My Word is My Bond from Amazon.com

'Ian Fleming – The Man Behind James Bond' Lecture Announced

After getting involved with several events earlier this year to mark the centenary of James Bond creator Ian Fleming, today we details on yet another upcoming 007 event at Bletchley Park.

On Thursday, 9 October 2008, the Bletchley Park Winter Lecture Series will kick off with ‘Ian Fleming – The Man Behind James Bond’ by Andrew Lycett

Best known by 007 fans for his indepth 1995 biography Ian Fleming, Lycett is a former foreign correspondent also specialising in Africa and the Middle East. His biographical subjects, in addition to Fleming, have included Rudyard Kipling, Dylan Thomas and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The lecture will be held at the atmospheric Bletchley Park Mansion, which is steeped in history and provides an atmospheric setting.

All lectures start at 7:30pm and the Mansion is open from 6:30pm. The ticket price includes a glass of wine, orange juice or coffee after the lecture. Admission charges are as follows:

• single lecture – £10.00
• season ticket for all six lectures – £50.00

Advance booking is strongly advised, please phone 01908 640404 or email [email protected].

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In related Bletchley Bond news, a brand new book entitled From Bletchley, With Love by Mavis Batey is available for sale at the official website.

Giving readers a fascinating look at Fleming’s activities as liaison officer between Bletchley Park and the Director of Naval Intelligence throughout the war, this book accompanies the ‘From Bletchley, With Love’ exhibition.

Knowing the enemy’s secrets and keeping your own is a real war winner. In World War 2 codebreaking and the Special Intelligence derived from it played a major role in the allied victory in Europe. Ian Fleming, NID 17F, acted as liaison officer between Bletchley Park and the Director of Naval Intelligence throughout the war. The brand new ‘From Bletchley, With Love’ exhibition at Bletchley Park shows for the first time his involvement with the secrets of ENIGMA and ULTRA, which he was never able to reveal, but which formed the inspiration for the fantasy world of James Bond. Amongst other fascinating Fleming insights, the exhibition and this accompanying book make the startling revelation of who was Ian Fleming’s real-life ‘M’.

This book accompanies the brand new ‘From Bletchley, With Love’ exhibition at Bletchley Park.

• Order From Bletchley, With Love by Mavis Batey

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest literary 007 news and complete coverage of all the Ian Fleming centenary events.

'Ken Adam Designs The Movies: James Bond And Beyond' Now Available

Ken Adam Designs the Movies: James Bond and Beyond is now shipping from both Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

The book, which CommanderBond.net first reported on in May of this year, centers on the highly praised and well known work of production designer Ken Adam.

Adam, who served as production designer on seven of the 007 films–Dr. No, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds are Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker–is well remembered by Bond fans for creating some of the most majestic sets to ever grace the series.

The offical descriptive Ken Adam Designs the Movies: James Bond and Beyond blurb follows:

Showcasing the work of Ken Adam, the man who created some of the most iconic and memorable sets in the history of the movies.

Ken Adam is the most distinguished living production designer in the world. His work spans seven decades and more than seventy-five movies, from his revolutionary designs for the first seven James Bond movies to work on Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and Alan Bennett’s The Madness of King George, for both of which he won an Oscar.

Born in Germany, Adam trained in London as an architect, and his first Art Director credit was on Around the World in Eighty Days in 1956. He has subsequently worked in Hollywood, Italy, and Germany as well as Britain.

Ken Adam’s extensive personal archive of concept sketches, drawings, set stills, and photographs from every stage of his career forms the basis of this book. Using case studies from the 1950s to the present day, it shows the whole cycle of his production designs, from initial concept to what appears on the screen itself. The result encapsulates the evolving role of the Art Director and Production Designer from the golden age of the big studios to the digital fantasies of the early twenty-first century.

The commentary is by Christopher Frayling, Rector of the Royal College of Art, London, Chairman of the Arts Council, England, Chairman of the UK’s Design Council, and a Trustee of the Victoria & Albert Museum. 250 illustrations, 180 in color.

This book is the second collaboration between Adam and author Christopher Frayling. The two previously worked together on 2005’s Ken Adam: The Art of Production Design.

The book will be available in UK bookstores on 29 September. And despite having a scheduled US release date of 27 November, fans on both sides of the pond can get their copy online now. Retail price is £32.00 and $65.00, respectively. Pre-order links follow below.

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date and complete literary James Bond news.

Final Cover Art For 'Polestar' James Bond Collection

The final cover artwork that will accompany Polestar, the latest addition to Titan’s James Bond collection, has been released online at Amazon.co.uk.

This new Titan collection, due for release in November in both the UK and US, will bring together five James Bond adventures in total. In addition to the title story, the collection will include Flittermouse, The Scent Of Danger, Snake Goddess and Double Eagle.

Bond girl Valerie Leon, who had appearances in both The Spy Who Loved Me and Never Say Never Again, will provide the introduction. As a result of the numerous stories to be featured this time around, the Polestar collection will showcase the work of writer Jim Lawrence and artists Yaroslav Horak and John McLusky.

Flittermouse was first published immediately before Polestar and the two stories together represent the final section of Series Five that was first serialised in the Daily Star.

The next three stories, The Scent Of Danger, Snake Goddess and Double Eagle, complete Series Five and represent the final entries of Titan’s James Bond checklist. These strips were syndicated in non-UK newspapers. Mclusky worked with Lawrence on The Scent Of Danger, while Horak returned for the final two stories, Snake Goddess and Double Eagle.

The legend continues! Stand by for more adventures with the world’s greatest and most famous secret agent, James Bond, as some of his most thrilling missions are collected for the first time ever in a deluxe collectors’ library edition! This bumper action-packed volume collects ultra rare Bond stories that have not been seen since their original syndication: Flittermouse, The Scent of Danger, Snake Goddess, Double Eagle and Polestar! Plus a new introduction by Bond girl Valerie Leon (The Spy Who Loved Me), features on Ian Fleming’s home “GoldenEye” and a look at the rarely seen Bond Zig Zag comics series, this latest explosive volume is not to be missed!

To order the Polestar collection, scroll down to the links provided in the CBn checklist below.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for complete coverage of all the latest Titan James Bond releases.

'Bond Bound' Ian Fleming Centenary Companion Book Available Online

Great news for literary 007 collectors. The Bond Bound: Ian Fleming and the Art of Cover Design companion book that has been featured exclusively at the centenary exhibition of the same name is now available to order online.

K1Bond007 notifies us that the catalogue was added to the online store at the official Ian Fleming Publications website.

This 166-page, full-colour catalogue is published by the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation to accompany the ‘Bond Bound: Ian Fleming and the Art of Cover Design’ exhibition. It charts the 50+ year-long history ‘of artists in creating and defining the Bond look and features book covers, film posters, letters and previously unseen archive material.’

The catalogue includes an introduction by Selina Skipwith, curator of the Fleming Collection and a foreword by Corinne Turner, Manging Director of Ian Fleming Publications Limited. Retail price is £22.50.

• Order the Bond Bound: Ian Fleming and the Art of Cover Design catalogue at IanFlemingPublications.com

The ‘Bond Bound: Ian Fleming and the Art of Cover Design’ exhibition has so far opened in London and Edinburgh. It will next stop at New York’s Bonham Galleries in October and Los Angeles the following month. Click here for the full schedule and press release.

Keep visiting the CBn main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of all the 007-related events going on throughout the Ian Fleming centenary year.

Samantha Weinberg To Make First US Appearance At 'Bond Bound' Exhibition

James Bond author Raymond Benson has provided fans with a terrific update on his website, revealing that his 007 omnibus, James Bond: The Union Trilogy (comprising High Time To Kill, Doubleshot, Never Dream of Dying and the previously-unpublished full version of the short story, Blast From the Past), will be launched at the New York opening of the “Bond Bound” exhibition at Bonhams Gallery.

Bond fans might be particularly interested to learn that Samantha Weinberg, author of the terrific Moneypenny Diaries trilogy, will be making her first United States appearance at the October 18 launch.

Weinberg’s first book chronicling the adventures of the famous secretary was published in the US earlier in May. All three novels have been released in the United Kingdom.

Also appearing at the event is Henry Chancellor, author of James Bond: The Man And His World.

The “Bond Bound” exhibition looks at five decades of cover art of the James Bond novels.

Benson also announced that he will be making a number of appearances throughout October, November and December to promote The Union Trilogy. The Chicago area book launch will occur on 25 October, with other Chicago area appearances scheduled.

The author will also appear in St Louis, Missouri, for the first time in December. Additionally, Benson will possibly have an appearance in Italy at the end of October.

In other Raymond Benson news, the author has signed on alongside Christa Faust, James Reasoner, David J. Schow, Nicholas Kaufmann and Charles Ardaito, to write one novel in a series of six centring on adventurer Gabriel Hunt. Benson’s Hunt Through Napoleon’s Web is the last book in the series.

For more Raymond Benson news, visit his RaymondBenson.com.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date James Bond news on the web.

Looking Back: Raymond Benson's James Bond Short Stories

The CommanderBond.net ‘Looking Back’ series concludes the Raymond Benson era with an examination of his three short story contributions to the literary James Bond canon: Blast From The Past, Midsummer Night’s Doom and Live at Five. Published in 1997 and at two different points in 1999, respectively, these elusive short stories provide readers with another look at Benson’s take on Bond.

CBn takes a look back at the three Raymond Benson James Bond short stories (plus a fourth, unpublished one)–included are publication details, the original blurbs and trivia notes.

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“Blast From The Past”

Who’d want to kill James Bond’s son? After a bomb blast, a car chase and an encounter with an old enemy, 007 finds the deadly answer.

First published in the January 1997 issue of Playboy magazine, Blast From The Past represents the true beginning of Raymond Benson’s literary 007 era, preceding the publication of his first Bond novel, Zero Minus Ten (which hit bookshelves in April of that year).

The story concerns a revenge-driven Irma Bunt, who still hasn’t forgotten about Bond’s climactic confrontation with Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Japan, targeting 007 and those who matter most to him.

Trivia

Until October 2008, the January 1997 issue of Playboy was the only place fans could track down this short story, making it one of the most difficult titles in the literary 007 canon to come by. It will be included in the upcoming James Bond: The Union Trilogy: Three 007 Novels omnibus, to be published by Pegasus Books in the US and UK, and also including Benson’s novels High Time To Kill, Doubleshot and Never Dream of Dying.

Benson has previously mentioned that due to spacing issues, roughly one-third of Blast From The Past was edited out of the Playboy magazine editions. The full version of the short story has been published in French and Italian and will finally be made available in English in the 2008 James Bond: The Union Trilogy omnibus.

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“Midsummer Night’s Doom”

Five minutes into the briefing, M turned her chair to face him and asked, ‘What do you know about Playboy, 007?’

James Bond blinked. ‘Ma’am?’

‘The magazine, 007, how much do you know about it?’

Bond shrugged and said, ‘Only that some people have been known to read the articles, and that I need to renew my subscription.’

Midsummer Night’s Doom continued the James Bond/Playboy relationship first started in Benson’s previous short story, Blast From The Past. This story was included in the January 1999 issue, release during the same year as High Time To Kill, The World is Not Enough novelization as well as his third short story, Live at Five

Assigned by ‘M’ to attend a Playboy party at Hugh Hefner’s mansion, this light-hearted and whimsical story finds Bond investigating the suspected sale of human eye technology to the Russian Mafia.

Trivia

Like Blast From The Past before it, this Playboy publication was–and remains–the only place fans can find this Bond short story. The January 1999 issue it was included in celebrated 45 years of the Playboy company.

Benson has since stated that this particular story was written more for fun and is not meant to be taken as seriously as some of his other Bond adventures.

Real-life Playboy playmates Victoria Zdrok and Lisa Dergan, in addition to Hugh Hefner, feature in the storyline.

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“Live At Five”

Live at Five: A 007 short story written exclusively for TV Guide readers.

Raymond Benson’s third short story, Live at Five, differed from his previous two in that this one featured in a November 1999 issue of TV Guide rather than the Playboy magazine.

Included as part of the issue’s ‘Totally Bond’ celebration to mark the then-upcoming theatrical release of The World is Not Enough, Live at Five represents the shortest of all the 007 short stories to date.

Set in the present day, but with a flashback to before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Live at Five concerns James Bond assisting in the daring defection of Russian ice skater Natalia Lustokov to West.

Trivia

Live at Five was included in the 13-19 November 1999 issue of TV Guide and, like Midsummer Night’s Doom before it, has yet to be republished anywhere else.

Two editions of this particular TV Guide were produced: the first was the standard publication and the second was an oversize magazine-style version that included accompanying artwork by Steve Chorney for the Live at Five short story. Both editions retailed for $1.99.

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“The Heart of Erzulie”

You’re forgiven if this is the first time you’ve heard of this one.

First reported on exclusively by CommanderBond.net back in 2004, The Heart of Erzulie represents the fourth and currently, unpublished short story by Raymond Benson featuring James Bond.

The author revealed to CBn that he had written this voodoo-themed story on spec during his Never Dream of Dying and The Man with the Red Tattoo novels.

Said Benson: ‘It wasn’t very good. I did it on spec, just for something to do during the off months between the outline and research trip for Tattoo. It was called The Heart of Erzulie, and it took place in Jamaica. IFP [Ian Fleming Publications] thought it was too much of a Fleming pastiche. I guess I agree. Oh well, it kept me busy for a month.’

Several literary Bond fans hope that we’ll one day see this story included in a Benson omnibus or similar collection. Time will tell…

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Release Timeline

• 1997: Blast From The Past
• 1999: Midsummer Night’s Doom
• 1999: Live at Five

Your Own Opinion On Raymond Benson’s 007 Short Stories

Want to share your thoughts and opinion on Raymond Benson’s James Bond short stories? Feel free to discuss them by visiting this thread and give your personal ratings in this thread on the CommanderBond.net Forums.

Charlie Higson At London's Apple Store On 24 September

Another event has been added to Charlie Higson’s Young Bond tour to promote the release of his latest novel, By Royal Command.

Higson will dropping by The Apple Store in London on Wednesday, 24 September for a meet and greet with Young Bond and The Fast Show fans.

This ‘Meet the Author’ event is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm and there is no cost to attend. The Apple Store is located at 235 Regent Street, London, W1B 2EL.

For further details, visit the official website or phone 020 7 153 9000.

Visit the Young Bond Dossier for a full listing of Higson’s By Royal Command book tour dates.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest By Royal Command and literary James Bond coverage.

'The Shadow War': Mission Four

Attention: James Bond fans! Your fourth Shadow War mission is here!

From today (Wednesday 17th September), there’s a new mission. You’re headed to a bookshop in Lisbon where all is not as it seems. Do you have the intelligence and skill to work out what?

Check your inbox for more details.

It’s not too late to sign up for the Shadow War, the innovative Young Bond alternate reality game, based on Charlie Higson’s bestselling novels. Simply head over to the official Shadow War website to register.

Last week’s mission saw British and OGPU spies headed to London’s Docklands to identify an elusive ship. The mission required fans to consult their copies of the recently-released By Royal Command to find a hidden codeword (The Young Bond Dossier has the scoop for non-players and the curious).

But there are 20 – and only 20 – copies of the book somewhere out there that have a different codeword. If you’re holding a lucky copy of By Royal Command, then let us know on the CommanderBond.net Forums.

To date, none of the 20 copies have emerged online, so be sure to check yours!

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest developments regarding Young Bond and The Shadow War.

Revamped US Young Bond Covers In 2009

US fans will have several Young James Bond-related releases to keep track of when 2009 rolls around.

In addition to the already announced debut of the Hurricane Gold hardback and Double or Die in April and March, respectively, Charlie Higson’s first two titles in the series–SilverFin and Blood Fever–will be getting revamped releases as well.

Both books will be re-released in paperback on 10 March 2009 with all-new cover art from Kev Walker.

Walker is the man responsible for the original US cover for Blood Fever and Double or Die, the latter released earlier this year. He also created the illustrations for the upcoming SilverFin graphic novel, due in October.

The new US edition of Blood Fever, retailing for $7.99, is listed on Amazon.com. A pre-order link for SilverFin is forthcoming.

• Order the US paperback (new edition) of Blood Fever from Amazon.com

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