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James Leasor and the James Bond Continuation Authorship in the 1960s?

DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
edited March 2019 in Literary 007 Posts: 18,348
I'm very interested in how James Leasor (1923-2007) was asked in the 1960s by Glidrose to be the first James Bond continuation author before Kingsley Amis and Geoffrey Jenkins, on the strength of his successful Dr Jason Love spy novel series (one of which, Passport to Oblivion, was filmed as Where the Spies Are [1966], starring David Niven).

Does anyone know anything more about this besides the scant information that is available about this online which comes from his obituary in The Times in 2007?

Or have you read any of his Dr Jason Love spy novels, and, if so, what do you think he would have done as a Bond continuation author?

If so, I'd love to hear from you. :)

P.S. Read more about James Leasor's life and works here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Leasor

Comments

  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,181
    The name rang a bell so I looked him up, but I'm afraid he's in the file marked 'read one once, no longer own it, remember literally nothing about it'. Feel free to count that as a thumbs down for his capabilities as a Bond writer...
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    I have a few Jason Love novels I believe the man also wrote the book which was filmed with Roger Moore, Gregory Peck and David Niven as The Sa Wolves. I would not mind a James Bond novel written by Leasor he did have an enjoyable writings style and his Jason Love was an enjoyable albeit anti-hero.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,348
    SaintMark wrote: »
    I have a few Jason Love novels I believe the man also wrote the book which was filmed with Roger Moore, Gregory Peck and David Niven as The Sa Wolves. I would not mind a James Bond novel written by Leasor he did have an enjoyable writings style and his Jason Love was an enjoyable albeit anti-hero.

    Yes, that's right. It was based on Leasor's Boarding Party, which I bought a first edition of yesterday in one of my second-hand bookshop haunts.
  • PussyNoMorePussyNoMore
    Posts: 520
    Leasor's Dr Jason Love novels were very creditable additions to the spy genre.
    His hero was more from the Buchanesque school - the game amateur lured into the murky world of espionage - as opposed to the hard nosed secret agent.
    That said, the books - particularly the first three - were very successful. They were well written, smart, sexy and with a point of difference. They were quite tightly plotted, glamorous and as well as being a judo expert, Love shared his creators passion for Cord cars - and wouldn't we all have loved one of those?
    I was aware that Gildrose had approached him and frankly I think he would have done a good job of it.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,348
    Lovely to see James Leasor appear at the premiere for The Sea Wolves (1980), the film based on his book Boarding Party (1978):

  • PussyNoMorePussyNoMore
    Posts: 520
    Great stuff and a very good movie
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited December 2017 Posts: 18,348
    PussyNoMore wrote: »
    Great stuff and a very good movie

    Yes, I really need to buy it and see it. Saw a bit of it years ago. I just recently got a lovely first edition of Leasor's Boarding Party in a second hand bookshop I frequent for £15.
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,181
    Picked up Passport in Suspense today, so I'll give the man another chance and report back in due course...
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,348
    Agent_99 wrote: »
    Picked up Passport in Suspense today, so I'll give the man another chance and report back in due course...

    Thank you. Looking forward to your review, @Agent_99!
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    I liked those early Jason Love novels, they were fun. The movie with David Niven should had a few more installments.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited April 2020 Posts: 18,348
    Option taken out to film one of James Leasor's WWII books, Green Beach, about a mission during the 1942 Dieppe raid:

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