US 'Devil May Care' Cover Art Revealed

US Devil May Care cover

EntertainmentWeekly.com has scored an exclusive look at the US cover art of Devil May Care!

EW.com says, ‘take a look. The shadowy, well-coiffed, and tuxedo-ed James Bond figure on the spine seems to indicate Bond fans could be in for an old-school treat.’

Devil May Care will be released on 28 May 2008.

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

'The Bond Files' Collects Ian Fleming's First Three 007 Novels

While all 14 of Ian Fleming’s James Bond adventures are set to be republished in the UK this upcoming May for the centenary, it appears that one recently published 007 collection has slipped under the radar until now.

First published in December 2007, The Bond Files (not to be confused with the same-titled book by Andy Lane and Paul Simpson) collects together Fleming’s first three Bond novels–Casino Royale, Live and Let Die and Moonraker.

The Bond Files is published in hardback format and measures 5.5″ x 8.25″.

While not listed on the online amazon.com websites, the cover artwork (which is based off of the Casino Royale 2002 US Penguin design) can be viewed online here at the Canadian Doubleday Book Club website.

If you’re looking to grab a copy, there are a few copies available at eBay. Doubleday members can also order online at the official website.

With the addition of ‘Volume 1’ on the cover, hopefully this is a sign of more Fleming collections to come in the future.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest literary James Bond news and coverage. To keep track of all the upcoming 007 releases, events, television shows, and more–just keep your eyes on the CBn Calendar, located on the right panel of our main page.

Vote For 'Devil May Care' Theme Song

Devil May Care cover

As reported by CBn on 29 January, five theme tunes were to be selected by judges and revealed to the public on 3 March. Earlier today, all five entries were uploaded onto the Devil May Care MySpace profile.

You have a week to listen to each entry and vote for your favourite.

The winning tune will be announced on 17 March and will be included on the Devil May Care audiobook. It will also be made available as a free download via Penguin (penguin.co.uk) and iTunes.

Devil May Care will be released on 28 May 2008.

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

'Ian Fleming's Secret War' Coming In August 2008

In a year that is literally overflowing with Ian Fleming exhibitions, James Bond novel reprints, and endless other centenary-related events, it couldn’t hurt to throw in yet another book to the mix.

Set to be published on 18 August 2008 by Pen & Sword Military is Ian Fleming’s Secret War by Craig Cabell.

While details are very limited at this early date and an official blurb is yet to be announced, a few educated guesses as to what this book will be about can be made.

A recent Worthing Herald article notes that Cabell is currently working on two books–one related to James Bond and the other on 30AU.

30AU, or 30 Assault Unit, was a unit set up by Fleming during World War II in 1942, when he was the personal assistant to the director of naval intelligence. It’s goal was to undertake top secret intelligence-gathering missions, going in before Allied troops to make sure vital information was not destroyed.

Cabell stated that the unit served as inspiration to the ultimate creation of 007. He specified one particular soldier, Patrick Dalzel-Job, who, it is rumoured, ‘was a crack shot, could navigate a mini-submarine, could ski backwards and had a compass concealed in his button.’

The 224-page hardback can currently be pre-ordered online:

• Order Ian Fleming’s Secret War from Amazon.co.uk

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest literary James Bond news and coverage. To keep track of all the upcoming 007 releases, events, television shows, and more–just keep your eyes on the CBn Calendar, located on the right panel of our main page.

German 'Hurricane Gold' Due Out Next Week

Hurricane Gold (Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist tödlich)

Next week will see the German release of Charlie Higson’s fourth Young Bond novel Hurricane Gold, entitled Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist tödlich (Talk is silver, silence is golden).

As reported earlier by CBn, the book will receive the identical treatment as the original UK release, hard bound in gold with gilt-edged pages, in honour of Ian Fleming’s 100th birthday.

According to publisher Arena-Verlag, the 352 page book will be delivered to shops “by the end of the week” and should be available there from Monday, 3rd March.

ISBN: 978-3-401-25973-4. 19.90 Euros in Germany, 20.60 Euros in Austria, 35.90 Swiss Francs in Switzerland.

• Order the German hardback edition of Hurricane Gold (Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist tödlich) from Amazon.de

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Hurricane Gold and Young Bond coverage.

'The Battle For Bond' To Be Pulled

In a strange development that could only be tied to the lawsuit magnet codenamed Thunderball, CommanderBond.net has recently learned that the Ian Fleming Will Trust is banning the best-selling book The Battle for Bond, which details the origin of Bond’s convaluted trip to the silver screen.

Tomahawk Publishers have suspended sales of the book, with the notice of the Ian Fleming Will Trust’s action prominently displayed above the book on their web site.

Sources tell CBn that the action is related to Fleming correspondence from the Thunderball lawsuit which had never been previously published.

CBn interviewed author Robert Sellers about his landmark work and have asked for his comment on the matter.

As of this writing, copies of the book are still available on Amazon.co.uk and the Amazon US web sites:

• Order The Battle For Bond: The Genesis of Cinema’s Greatest Hero from Amazon.co.uk
• Order The Battle For Bond: The Genesis of Cinema’s Greatest Hero from Amazon.com

CBn will keep you updated with all the latest developments regarding The Battle for Bond.

Charlie Higson Reveals 'Young Bond 5' Tidbits

After being relatively quiet on the Young James Bond front for several weeks, the Young Bond Dossier reports that author Charlie Higson has checked in with a major update on his fifth and final Young Bond novel.

Although we continue to refer to this novel as Young Bond 5, Higson says that a title has been chosen, adding that it was not The Shadow War, Diamond Rain, Dynamite Kiss, or any of the other working titles previously mentioned. Beyond that, Higson only said the final title is Flemingesque and he’s very pleased with it.

Higson also confirmed that Young Bond 5 will echo back to the original Ian Fleming adventures with the inclusion of Hannes Oberhauser, James Bond’s climbing and skiing instructor, first introduced in the 1966 publication of Octopussy & The Living Daylights.

As the Dossier points out, Oberhauser was an important man in Bond’s life and ‘something of a father figure to [him] when he happened to need one.’

A mere week behind schedule in delivering this manuscript after a very busy 2007 (Higson has been writing the novel in Italy for the past month), the Young Bond 5 release date still stands at 4 September 2008.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Young Bond coverage.

Sebastian Faulks On The Ingredients Of 'Devil May Care'

“It’s a very traditional Bond story. It’s got all the bits that you like about the Bond adventures and none of the boring bits.”

Sebastian Faulks

With that statement, bestselling author Sebastian Faulks succinctly summarises the ingredients of his forthcoming James Bond novel, Devil May Care, written to coincide with the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth.

The comments can be found in a brand new interview on the superb – and frequently updated – Devil May Care MySpace page.

Faulks continues, “It’s got pace, adventure, it has not one, but two beautiful women.”

“Ian Fleming loved trains; it has trains. He loved cars; there are cars. There’s also something I’ve discovered; a very, very exotic Cold War vehicle. I can’t really think how better to describe it. And, of course, it has high life. Adventure.”

The author also offered his advice to 007 fans aspiring to write the book’s theme song as part of the world first competition found on the MySpace page.

“If you just imagine, if you try to write a song for a novel which epitomises all the things you’ve liked about Bond before, then you’ll be fairly close, I hope, to what’s in Devil May Care.”

Click here to watch the video interview.

Meanwhile, in an earlier blog entry, Tuuli Shipster, who features on the novel’s cover art, discussed its creation.

Model Tuuli Shipster features on the Devil May Care cover

“Before I was finally cast, I went to meet the design team at Partners who showed me a mock-up of the cover to give me an idea of what they were ultimately looking for. It is such a striking image and I was delighted when I finally heard I’d been chosen to be a part of it.”

“The shoot itself was great although physically quite demanding. In fact, after seeing the pose required, I practised back bends for a week to make sure I was up to it. It took a whole day to get the right shot and while we were shooting we listened to the Bond theme compilation CD to help get us in the right mood. In any case, it certainly helped me channel my inner Honey Rider!”

Sebastian Faulks’ Devil May Care will be released worldwide on 28 May 2008.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Devil May Care news.

'Bond On Set: Filming Quantum Of Solace' Due September

Photographer extraordinaire Greg Williams is back to document the production of the latest James Bond film in the next instalment of his Bond On Set series.

Bond On Set: Filming Quantum Of Solace will be released in the United States on 15 September 2008.

Williams previously released books featuring stunning photographs from the production of 2002’s Die Another Day (gallery) and 2006’s Casino Royale (gallery).

Additionally, Williams produced all of Casino Royale‘s posters, as well as many of the film’s publicity stills (gallery). He has also worked on a number of other movies, including The Bourne Ultimatum and Peter Jackson’s King Kong.

A United Kingdom release date for Bond On Set: Filming Quantum Of Solace has yet to be announced.

Click the link below to pre-order the book from Amazon.com and keep watching CommanderBond.net for the latest Quantum Of Solace news.

'Polestar' Is Titan's Next James Bond Collection

While Shark Bait was just released last month and The Paradise Plot is coming this June, a few details have been released on the newest Titan Books James Bond collection: Polestar.

According to this listing on amazon.com, the Polestar collection is planned for release on 4 November 2008.

While no additional stories have been confirmed besides the obvious inclusion of Polestar, with Jim Lawrence listed as the author and series regulars Yaroslav Horak and John Mclusky as the illustrators, it seems likely that the accompanying stories could include Flittermouse, The Scent Of Danger, Snake Goddess and/or Double Eagle.

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.

Readers will also want to note that Titan has skipped over six original 007 adventures while putting together some of their more recent collections. These titles include: The Girl Machine, Beware Of Butterflies, The Nevsky Nude, Hot-Shot, Nightbird, Ape Of Diamonds.

We’ll just have to wait and see which additional stories will be included.

Titan’s Polestar collection can currently be pre-ordered at amazon.com. A UK release date is yet to be announced.

Stay tuned for CommanderBond.net for all the latest news on the Titan James Bond comic strip releases.