CommanderBond.net
  1. James Bond bibliophile sale scheduled for 18 February

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-01-29
    Ian Fleming

    Ian Fleming

    Several Ian Fleming-penned James Bond first editions will be hitting the auction block in Godalming, UK next month as part of Bloomsbury’s Bibliophile sale.

    Scheduled to take place on Thursday, 18 February, the auction will feature 14 James Bond lots in total, including Fleming’s Diamonds are Forever, Dr. No and Thunderball—many of them signed by various Bond girls from the film series.

    Bloomsbury Auctions is located at: Bloomsbury House, 24 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 1PP. For further details, phone +44(0) 20 7495 9494 or visit the official Bloomsbury Auctions website.

    Details on selected James Bond lots follow below:

    Lot 227 – Diamonds are Forever

    Fleming (Ian) Diamonds are Forever, first edition, original boards, a fine, sharp copy, lacking dust-jacket, 8vo, 1956.

    Estimate: £200 – £300


    Lot 229 – Dr. No

    Fleming (Ian) Dr No, first edition, signed by Ursula Andress on front free endpaper, original plain boards, a very good copy, 8vo, 1958. Inscribed “Ursula Andress / Honey Rider”.

    Estimate: £250 – £300


    Lot 234 – Thunderball

    Fleming (Ian) Thunderball, first edition, signed by Luciana Paluzzi on front free endpaper, original boards, facsimile dust-jacket, 8vo, 1961. Inscribed “Luciana Paluzzi / Fiona Volpe”.

    Estimate: £100 – £150


    Lot 237 – The Man with the Golden Gun

    Fleming (Ian) The Man with the Golden Gun, first edition, signed by Britt Ekland on title, bookseller’s small sticker on front pastedown, original plain boards, dust-jacket, an excellent copy, 8vo, 1965. Inscribed “Britt Ekland / ‘Mary Goodnight’ / 2008”.

    Estimate: £250 – £350


    Lot 240 – Octopussy and The Living Daylights

    Octopussy and The Living Daylights, first edition, signed by Maud Adams & Maryam d’Abo on half-title, original boards, unclipped dust-jacket, very slight dulling and rubbing to spine, otherwise very good, 8vo, 1966. The female leads from the movies of Octopussy and The Living Daylights respectively.

    Estimate: £200 – £250


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  2. Martin Grace (1942-2010)

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-01-28

    We are sad to report that James Bond stunt coordinator and double Martin Grace has died at the age of 67.

    According to an update posted on Bondstars, Martin died on Wednesday, 27 January. The stuntman has apparently suffered a cycling accident in late November, which landed him in the hospital for several weeks with a fractured pelvis. This week he was taken from his home in Spain to the hospital again after developing breathing problems. He died yesterday after suffering an aneurism.

    A longtime crewmember on the 007 films, Martin was Roger Moore’s stunt double and worked on every one of his Bond outings throughout the 1970’s and 80’s. It was in 1983’s Octopussy in which he was seriously injured following an accident during the train sequence. For more, see the Inside Octopussy documentary found on the Octopussy Ultimate Editon and Special Edition DVDs.

    After leaving the Bond series, Martin continued his stunt work into the 1990’s and 2000’s, with credits on The Truman Show, Anna and the King, The Number 23 and many other features.

    CommanderBond.net wishes to extend their condolences to the family and friends of Martin Grace.

  3. Sir Roger Moore Facebook fan page launched

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-01-28

    James Bond fans all around the world can now stay up-to-date with all the latest news on actor Sir Roger Moore through his new launched fan page on Facebook: Sir Roger Moore Official Fan Page.

    Become a fan, catch up with the latest news and much more. Sir Roger answers six questions from fans every month on his official website: Ask Here.

    As many CommanderBond.net readers are aware, CBn also recently joined FaceBook. Our Facebook page publishes the 007 news from our main site so that you’re never out of the loop when catching up with your friends. Be sure to become a fan!… http://www.facebook.com/commanderbond.net

    Keep visiting the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for the most up-to-date 007 coverage on the web.

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  4. US By Royal Command audiobook coming in May 2010

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-01-27

    The Young Bond Dossier reports today that the US audiobook edition of Charlie Higson’s By Royal Command will be released in May 2010.

    This audiobook edition of the fifth Young James Bond novel will be released by Blackstone Audio, who is also handling the release of Higson’s Hurricane Gold (which is due out in March). It will be published as a 6 disc CD, a 6 tape cassette, and MP3. Both will be read by Gerard Doyle.

    While Amazon.com pre-order links are still forthcoming, 007 fans can currently order from the Blackstone Audio website. The release date is set for 18 May 2010—the same day By Royal Command arrives in hardback as well.

    Keep your browsers pinpointed on the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest news from the world of Young Bond.

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  5. "We even discussed doing it as a period piece."

    By Matt Weston on 2010-01-27

    Edge of Darkness, Martin Campbell’s first film since revitalising the James Bond franchise for a second time with Casino Royale, is just around the corner.

    Martin Campbell

    Martin Campbell

    Despite the three-year gap between Casino and Darkness, the director is readying his next film, an origin story based on the Green Lantern comics.

    On the eve of Edge of Darkness‘ premiere, The Guardian spoke to Campbell about his two Bond successes: GoldenEye and Casino Royale.

    “To be honest, I get too much credit for that,” Campbell told the paper. “Timing was more important on both movies. With GoldenEye, the franchise got locked into this legal fight. They couldn’t make new Bond movies for about seven years. It was my first huge production. I figured if I did at least a yeoman-like job, it would be greeted as a complete revival of the series.”

    Campbell continued, “The producers felt it had gone off the rails a bit after Die Another Day, with invisible cars and all that. I told them, we have to go back to the books. We even discussed doing it as a period piece. We settled on a more f***ed-up character with a dark streak in him, drinking too much, dodgy liver – all that’s in the book. In Casino, he also had a real relationship with a woman. He doesn’t just have a dozen for king and country.”

    In a separate interview, the director told ReelzChannel, “Casino Royale of course was an opportunity to go back to the tone of the books which they never were in the original movies. They never have been. Even the Connery movies are not in the same tone as the book. Again, I was lucky enough to have an origin story.”

    “Bond really doesn’t become Bond until the last frame of the movie. He’s a f***ed up guy. He’s a guy who smokes too much. He doesn’t smoke in the movie but in the books he certainly smokes too much, he drinks too much, he abhors a certain kind of violence when it’s very messy and ugly. It’s something he hates. He finally shoots someone in the forehead with a bullet, but the bathroom scene is very distasteful and ugly and clumsy and messy.”

    “So there are elements to Bond, and of course a great relationship with the girl which allowed you the one meaningful relationship in his life apart from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service where he marries the girl. So that was a really great opportunity to get into the tone of the books and make him a much darker, more f***ed up character which was way more interesting in my opinion.”

    Edge of Darkness is a remake of the acclaimed 1985 BBC miniseries of the same name, which was also directed by Campbell. The thriller stars Mel Gibson and opens around the world this week.

    Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net and our Twitter feed for all the latest news from the world of James Bond.

  6. Collecting 007: Coronet's withdrawn Dr. No cover

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-01-26
    Ian Fleming

    Ian Fleming

    In 1988 and ’89, UK-based publisher Hodder and Stoughton began to publish Ian Fleming’s original James Bond adventures in paperback under their Coronet imprint.

    Aiming for a universal look for the series, the cover artwork for each book featured a different coloured background along with a silhouette of 007 and “James Bond” prominently featured in the center. As an added bonus, each book was accompanied by a new preface by author Anthony Burgess entitled The James Bond Novels: An Introduction.

    Future printings of the novels followed into the 1990’s when it was soon decided that a cover revamp was needed for the series. With artwork provided by David Scutt, Bill Gregory and Paul Robinson, the new cover artwork focused on a particular element for each book (Moonraker featured the cards from the bridge game, The Spy Who Loved Me has Bond’s punctured car tire and so on…).

    One oddity in the series some literary 007 collectors have come across is the fact that two Coronet covers exist for Fleming’s Dr. No. The much more common of the two shows a dangling spider while the other features a woman’s hand brandishing a knife over a blue water background.

    It has been determined that this blue knife cover was an unused artwork piece for the series and was mistakenly put forth as the cover for Coronet’s ninth printing (and only the ninth printing) of Dr. No. All covers before and after in this style make use of the original spider cover.

    Ian Fleming's Dr. No (withdrawn knife cover)Ian Fleming's Dr. No (spider cover)

    LEFT: Withdrawn ninth printing (knife cover)
    RIGHT: Spider cover accompanying all other printings

    Some tips for tracking down the Dr. No ninth printing knife cover…

    • ISBN: 0-340-41899-0
      Note that this ISBN is naturally featured on almost all Coronet Dr. No printings—although some, such as the fifth printing with the spider cover, feature a completely different ISBN (0-340-70343-1)!
    • While the spider covers list the illustrator as David Scutt, the knife cover attributes the artwork to Bill Gregory.
    • While early printings of Coronet’s Dr. No include the Anthony Burgess introduction, it is not included in the ninth knife cover printing, nor future printings with the spider artwork.

    As this line-up of James Bond novels from Coronet is long out-of-print, Bond collectors will want to turn to sites such as eBay and AbeBooks in order to track down this elusive copy of Ian Fleming’s Dr. No.

    Happy hunting.

    Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for the most up-to-date literary James Bond coverage on the web.

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  7. Radio production of Ian Fleming's Goldfinger to feature Ian McKellen and Toby Stephens

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-01-26

    The cast and broadcast date has been announced for the forthcoming BBC Radio 4 production of Ian Fleming’s seventh James Bond adventure, Goldfinger.

    Ian Fleming's 'Goldfinger'

    Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger

    As reported on CommanderBond.net this past October, this 007 production will be handled by independent production company Jarvis and Ayres. Owned and run by actors Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres, this is the same group that was responsible for the 2008 production of Dr. No, which was produced to mark the Fleming centenary in May.

    In addition to featuring Sir Ian McKellen in the title role, numerous James Bond film alumni will also star in the production, including: Toby Stephens (Die Another Day), Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day) and Tim Pigott-Smith (Quantum of Solace).

    The official IanFleming.com news release follows:

    A brand-new radio recording of Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger has been produced by Jarvis & Ayres, featuring an all-star cast and scheduled to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over Easter weekend 2010.

    Dramatisation is by award-winning Archie Scottney – Murder She Thought and Spy Stories, Something Fresh (P.G. Wodehouse), Man of The Moment and A Small Family Business (Ayckbourn), The Mysterious Mr Quin (Agatha Christie), Shadowlands (Nicholson).

    As with Jarvis & Ayres’ production of Dr No, music is specially composed by Mark Holden and Sam Barbour.

    This remarkable radio adaptation stays true to Ian Fleming’s novel. A full cast list is below.

    GOLDFINGER – Ian McKellen
    JAMES BOND – Toby Stephens
    IAN FLEMING – Martin Jarvis
    ‘M’ – John Standing
    PUSSY GALORE – Rosamund Pike
    HAWKER – Alistair McGowan
    MR STRAP – Tom Hollander
    JOHNNY SOLO – Tim Pigott-Smith
    DU PONT – Henry Goodman
    ODDJOB – Jon David Yu
    HELMUT SPRINGER – Hector Elizondo
    COL. SMITHERS – Ian Ogilvy
    TILLY – Lisa Dillon
    FELIX LEITER – Lloyd Owen
    JILL – Anna-Louise Plowman
    JED MIDNIGHT – Nigel Anthony
    DOCTOR – Kyle Soller
    NIGEL KELTON – Matthew Wolf
    ALFRED BLACKING – Alan Shearman
    NIGEL KELTON – Matthew Wolf

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  8. The World is not Enough (2000) – Cheats & Unlocks

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-01-25

    The World is not Enough (2000)
    (Nintendo 64 / PlayStation 1 / Game Boy Color)

    Cheats & Unlocks

    Nintendo 64

    The following bonus unlocks are made available by completing a specific single-player mission by a specified amount of time. They are broken down depending on playing in Agent / Secret Agent / 00-Agent modes:

    Agent

    Mission Time Limit Bonus Unlock
    King’s Ransom 2:20 Team King of Hill Multiplayer Scenario
    Underground Uprising 2:15 Forest Multiplayer Level
    Midnight Departure 3:05 Soldier Skins
    Masquerade 3:15 Sky Rail Multiplayer Level
    City of Walkways I 3:35 Civilian Skins
    Meltdown no time limit Contemporary Villain Skins

    Secret Agent

    Mission Time Limit Bonus Unlock
    Courier 2:00 Suit Skins
    King’s Ransom 3:45 Security Guard Skins
    Cold Reception 3:15 Air Raid Multiplayer Level
    City of Walkways I 3:50 Covert Skins
    City of Walkways II 3:40 Wild Fire Multiplayer Mode
    Turncoat 3:20 Capture The Briefcase Multiplayer Scenario
    Fallen Angel 2:45 Gadget War Multiplayer Weapons
    Meltdown no time limit Classic Villain Skins

    00-Agent

    Mission Time Limit Bonus Unlock
    Thames Chase 4:25 Exotic Multiplayer Weapons
    Cold Reception 3:05 Exotic Skins
    Night Watch 2:20 Castle Multiplayer Level
    Masquerade 4:20 Scientist Skins
    A Sinking Feeling 2:55 Navy Skins
    Meltdown no time limit Golden Gun Multiplayer Scenario

    Gameshark Codes (Nintendo 64):

    Enable Code (Must Be On)
    F10A92402400
    F10A68041000

    Unlock All Single-Player Levels
    81102EE6 0021

    Courier
    Objective A Complete 800BFF4B 0011
    Objective B Complete 800BFF63 0011
    Objective C Complete 800BFF53 0011
    Objective D Complete 800BFF73 0011
    Objective E Complete 800BFF6B 0011

    King’s Ransom
    Objective A Complete 800BFFAF 0011
    Objective B Complete 800BFFB7 0011
    Objective C Complete 800BFFDE 0011
    Objective D Complete 800BFF9F 0011
    Objective E Complete 800BFFBF 0011

    Thames Chase
    Objective A Complete 800BFFF7 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C0007 0011

    Underground Uprising
    Objective A Complete 800C000F 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C0017 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C001F 0011
    Objective D Complete 800C0027 0011

    Cold Reception
    Objective A Complete 800C004F 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C0057 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C005F 0011
    Objective D Complete 800C0067 0011

    Night Watch
    Objective A Complete 800C008B 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C0093 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C009B 0011
    Objective D Complete 800C00A3 0011
    Objective E Complete 800C00B3 0011

    Midnight Departure
    Objective A Complete 800C00CB 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C00D3 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C00DB 0011
    Objective D Complete 800C00F3 0011
    Objective E Complete 800C00FB 0011

    Masquerade
    Objective A Complete 800C001B 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C002B 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C0043 0011

    City Of Walkaways I
    Objective A Complete 800C0067 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C006F 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C0087 0011

    City Of Walkaways II
    Objective A Complete 800C00AB 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C00B3 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C00C3 0011

    Turncoat
    Objective A Complete 800C00EB 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C00FB 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C0203 0011

    Fallen Angel
    Objective A Complete 800C0223 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C022B 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C0232 0011
    Objective D Complete 800C023B 0011

    A Sinking Feeling
    Objective A Complete 800C0057 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C005F 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C0067 0011
    Objective D Complete 800C007F 0011

    Meltdown
    Objective A Complete 800C029B 0011
    Objective B Complete 800C0293 0011
    Objective C Complete 800C02BB 0011


    PlayStation 1

    The following bonus unlocks are made available by completing a specific single-player mission by a specified amount of time. They are broken down depending on playing in Agent / 00-Agent modes:

    All Weapons – Complete Turncoat with the Best Time (00-Agent mode).

    Invincibility – Complete Meltdown with the Best Time (00-Agent mode).

    Stealth Bond – Complete Night Watch with the High Score (Agent or 00-Agent mode).

    Power Enemies – Complete Russian Roulette with the Best Time (Agent or 00-Agent mode).

    Power Guns – Complete Flashpoint with the High Score (Agent or 00-Agent mode).

    Infinite Ammo – Complete Fallen Angel with the High Score (Agent or 00-Agent mode).


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  9. Pistache Returns by Sebastian Faulks due November 2010

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-01-24

    Ian Fleming centenary author Sebastian Faulks has a new story collection scheduled for release later this year: Pistache Returns.

    It was only days ago that CommanderBond.net reported that Faulks’ original Pistache collection (which features the comic story Ian Fleming Thinks Even James Bond Goes Shopping) would be getting a paperback reprint in the UK this June.

    Like the original, Pistache Returns promises more parodies and more pastiches. The blurb follows:

    Sebastian Faulks' 'Pistache Returns'

    Sebastian Faulks’ Pistache Returns

    A collection of fanciful, satirical and surprising parodies, squibs and pastiches inspired by The Write Stuff on BBC Radio 4.

    Pistache (pis-tash): a friendly spoof or parody of another’s work. [Deriv. uncertain. Possibly a cross between pastiche and p**stake.]

    From the writer of such brilliant parodies as Thomas Hardy’s football report and Dan Brown’s visit to the cash dispenser, comes another collection of witty pastiches.

    Pistache Returns will be published in hardback by Hutchinson and retail for £12.99. It is due for release on 4 November 2010 and can currently be pre-ordered from Amazon.co.uk:

    Keep visiting the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for the most up-to-date literary 007 coverage on the web.

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  10. The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader now available

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-01-23

    The second edition of Christoph Lindner’s The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader has finally been released in the United States.

    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 is published in paperback by Manchester University Press. At 272 pages in length, it retails for $24.95. An Amazon order link follows at the end of this article.

    The book’s original blurb follows:

    'The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader' (2nd ed.)

    The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader (2nd ed.)

    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.

    Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for the most up-to-date literary James Bond coverage on the web.

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