During my time as a student volunteer at the Lilly Library at Indiana University, the staff gave me a tour of their rarest holdings, hidden away in a basement vault. Among the treasures were the leather-bound, type-written pages of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. The staff mentioned that Fleming wrote these books directly on the typewriter, and if that’s true, the result is nothing short of masterful. Fleming created one of the most iconic figures in literature and film. Millions have devoured ...

Bond, James Bond. Whether it’s the films starring Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig, my family loves a good 007 movie night. As we wait for news on the next Bond actor, I’ve decided to go back and fill in the gaps by reading the original books penned by Ian Fleming. The story arc I just finished featured Bond tracking down and battling a rogue organization called Spectre. Although this group didn’t make a major appearance in the films until recently, Fleming was already ...

Ian Fleming’s 11th James Bond novel is an adventure with a capital A. There’s drama, action, romance, and even a little humor sprinkled throughout. High up in the Swiss Alps, SPECTRE leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld hatches another evil plot, and it’s up to secret agent 007 to stop him. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Ian Fleming once again creates a brilliant array of characters. Marc-Ange Draco, the incredibly likable head of the Union Corse, is arguably my favorite Fleming creation since Kerim...

Commander and Mrs. Bond. On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the 11th novel written by Ian Fleming, was penned at his Jamaican estate in 1962, coincidentally while the film adaptation of Dr. No was being shot nearby. Without a doubt, this is Fleming’s most human and emotional portrayal of the British master spy. We see significantly more depth to Bond’s character here, and Fleming offers more nuanced development than in any previous installment of the series. This is also our introduction to Trac...

“When the odds are hopeless, when all seems to be lost, then is the time to be calm, to make a show of authority – at least of indifference” ― Ian Fleming, On Her Majesty's Secret Service On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming is easily one of my favorite Bond novels so far. It perfectly balances all the classic elements that draw readers to the series—action, intrigue, charm, and grit—while managing to dial back some of the more dated, obnoxious tropes like the casual sexism and racism ...

Since I recently listened to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Ian Fleming's only children's book) on audio, I decided to dive back into some classic Fleming. James Bond—I absolutely love this series! Years ago (I won't say how many), I actually got in trouble for having a paperback copy at school. On Her Majesty's Secret Service was considered inappropriate reading material back then. Other classmates were carrying around Stephen King and authors whose books were packed with far more explicit content th...

(A-) 82% | Very Good
Notes: James Bond, the sentimental Scot, repeatedly finds direction, rejuvenation, and repair in the company of the broken girl with the fast car in Ian Fleming's classic, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. This is a must-read for fans of spy thrillers looking for an authentic literary critique of 007's most vulnerable mission.

All he remembered, before sleep took him, was that she had said when it was all over, "That was heaven, James. Will you please come back when you wake up. I must have it once more." Then she had turned over on her side away from him and, without answering his last endearments, had gone to sleep - but not before he had heard that she was crying.What the hell? All cats are grey in the dark.True or false?ALL CATS ARE GREY IN THE DARKJames Bond is driving through France, as he does every year. Why? ...

Rating: 4.5* out of five Just a quick reminder that this is a review of the 1969 film, not Ian Fleming's novel. I found I couldn't quite get past the outdated attitudes in the books. I think because books are important to me—they’re enduring documents of their time—and films are often just light, insubstantial entertainment, I judge movies much less harshly. After all, I take them far less seriously. This is a 4.5-star experience because George Lazenby’s only outing as 007 in On Her Majesty's ...

I suppose when you write a long series of books centered on the same character, a certain level of fatigue is almost inevitable. Arthur Conan Doyle hit that wall, as did Agatha Christie—and here, Ian Fleming faces the same hurdle. 'The Spy Who Loved Me' was a somewhat shaky attempt to tinker with the established Bond formula, but 'On Her Majesty’s Secret Service' serves as a far more convincing step in a fresh direction. Where its predecessor tore up the playbook to deliver a jarringly different...