Table of Contents

Introduction
'The name's Bond, James Bond...' - A name 'as ordinary as possible'
The man with the golden typewriter - The life and inspirations of Ian Fleming
In his elder brother's shadow - The distinguished career of Peter Fleming
Father figure - The heroic Valentine Fleming
Goldeneye - Fleming's dream house
Unlikely scenario - Fleming's 'steely patriotism'
Amalgamation of daydreams - The similarities between Fleming and Bond
A significant number - The origins of the highly-resonant 007
Out of puff - Fleming runs short of inspiration
The world is not enough - Who were James Bond's forebears?
School for spies - The Eton of the North
Precocious youth - Bond matures early
Realms of fantasy - In reality a rather ineffective agent
Superman? - Probably not...
At home with Bond - His residence in London
Action-fuelled lifestyle - Bond's plethora of leisure pursuits
Who'd have him? - Bond, the ultimate bachelor
The man who made it happen - Broccoli's passion for the world of 007
Location, location, location - 'We can't have him going to Blackpool'
Place of work - Where the adventures begin
Inspired, but not obvious - Sean Connery, the right man for the job
Hard act to follow - The arrogant George Lazenby
Almost inevitable - Roger Moore, the longest serving Bond
Played for laughs - Moore's unique approach
Short lived - Timothy Dalton - a successful, but fleeting, Bond
Patience rewarded - Pierce Brosnan gets another chance
Rugged and realistic - Daniel Craig, a new departure
The Bond girls - Beyond the beauty...
If you say so... - Fleming's description of SMERSH
True or false - Did SMERSH really exist?
From Russia with outrage - Bond viewed from behind the Iron Curtain
Quaintly old-fashioned - Fleming's novels are of their time
Ace of clubs - Upper-class trappings pervade
For her majesty's service - What awards has Bond received?
Struck a chord - Barry synonymous with Bond
Appearance in High Court - Who wrote the James Bond Theme?
Tested ingredients - The successful Bond formula
Giant leap - Why did Bond go into orbit?
M for mystery - Bond's superior
Stolen gold - A hijacked name
Sincerest flattery - Bond spawns a new genre
Open to abuse - 007 through the eyes of early satirists
The power of Powers - The Austin Powers trilogy
Johnny English - A thoroughly English satire
Spoof version - Why 1967's Casino Royale was slapstick
Mass mayhem - The madcap plot of 1967's Casino Royale movie
Artistic licence - The town that never was
Stranger than fiction - A topical reference lost on audiences today
Cross-channel raspberry - Bond plays to the anti-Gallic sentiment
Armed to the teeth - 007's arsenal of firearms
Bond on wheels - From Bentley to Saab
Little Nellie - Bond's versatile miniature aircraft
Mountaintop retreat - Blofeld's palace draws hungry skiers
Home from home - Pinewood Studios, the 007 stage
Apocalyptic - Story of a sound stage
Post script - Fleming's other literary exploits
Must haves - The world of Bond collectables
Golden years - The lifestyle of a retired Bond
Held in trust - Bond's legacy lives on
Dynamic successors - Bond literary adventures to continue
Lucky Jim - Kingsley Amis picks up the Bond baton
Golden pen - The prolific John Gardner
An unlikely successor - Raymond Benson, the first US Bond writer
A new dimension - The innovative Charlie Higson
Odd man out - Sebastian Faulks, the 'serious' novelist
Hooked - The contemporary Jeffery Deaver
Permanent home - Fleming's legacy located in India
'Keep Bond British' - Will 007 always be British?
Role of honour - Bond novels and movies
Index

About the Author

Michael Paterson is an author and historian with a special interest and encyclopaedic knowledge of all things James Bond. He has written books on a diverse range of subjects including Inside Dickens' London and Winston Churchill: His Military Life
1895-1945.