William Boyd discusses new Bond novel

Commander_Skyfall

I suppose there is an element that fitness levels have changed considerably since Fleming's day, then, a man of 45 may well be struggling with the physical side of the job, in the 21st century however, Daniel Craig is 44 and showing no signs of slowing down, so Boyd doesn't neccessarily have to portray him as an over the hill Spy on the downslope to retirement if he doesn't want to, I suspect from what he's said that he probably will though.

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7

Commander_Skyfall wrote:

I suppose there is an element that fitness levels have changed considerably since Fleming's day, then, a man of 45 may well be struggling with the physical side of the job, in the 21st century however, Daniel Craig is 44 and showing no signs of slowing down, so Boyd doesn't neccessarily have to portray him as an over the hill Spy on the downslope to retirement if he doesn't want to, I suspect from what he's said that he probably will though.

We also must consider how much Bond has worn his body, from both the injuries he experience in the war and working for MI6, as well as the 71 cigarettes a day he puffed out.

Bounine

Commander_Skyfall wrote:

I suppose there is an element that fitness levels have changed considerably since Fleming's day, then, a man of 45 may well be struggling with the physical side of the job, in the 21st century however, Daniel Craig is 44 and showing no signs of slowing down, so Boyd doesn't neccessarily have to portray him as an over the hill Spy on the downslope to retirement if he doesn't want to, I suspect from what he's said that he probably will though.

The book is set in 1969 though when I guess 45 year old men's fitness levels were lower than they are today.

There's always been a heightened reality in the Fleming books in terms of JB himself. Obviously Bond wouldn't have had the strength and stamina he had in his 30's when he smoked around 3 packs of heavy Morland Specials and Chesterfields a day, coupled with his over indulgence in alcohol. I support a more realistic Bond book than what Fleming gave us in general but simultaneously I'd still like that reality to be slightly exaggerated unless Boyd has him quit or dramatically cut down his cigarette intake (which wouldn't bother me) and reduce the drinking a tad. He'd also have to have him stick to a vigorous fitness regime.

Bentley

Fellow Agents,
Set in '69, chronologically, Boyd's Bond mission will follow directly on from Kingsley Amis' excellent "Colnel Sun" adventure in which our hero was obliged to both save a kidnapped 'M' and ward off a terrorist attack.
Amis stayed true to Fleming but evolved the character and there was certainly a little less smoking so maybe our hero will finally quit under Boyd's stewardship and substitute his nicotine addiction for a little more sex and violence?
In any event, by setting the book in '69, he puts Bond at the heart of London's greatest cultural and social revolution whilst avoiding having to follow on from Faulks' thoroughly awful DMC debacle.
What will he be driving and who will his tailor be and will the ever faithful May still be making his breakfast - these are the key questions?
Also, will 'M' be lining up Bond to replace Bill Tanner as chief of staff when he, Bond, retires from the 00 section and Bill retires from the service?
And Mr.Boyd, two special requests; please set more of the book in London and whatever you do, avoid Omega watches only Rolex please!
Regards,
Bentley

Bounine

If Bond retires as an agent in Mr Boyd's book, I wonder if new authors will confine their stories to the pre 70's. If not, will they just disregard the timeline and continuity or will they have Bond return to active service as an immortal man in his late 30's, early 40's as in Gardner's and Benson's yarns? We're yet to have a Bond book set in the 70's, excluding Pearson's excellent Bond biography in which he also referred to Bond's adventures in earlier decades including the 40's. As far as actual 007 novels go, we've had the 30's, 50's, 60's, 80's, 90's, and the 21st century.

Yes, no watches that are limited in elegance such as Omega! Omega hasn't made an appearance in the books has it? Can't remember. It would be rather annoying if an author chose to use the brands from the films instead of the older books unless the brand is no longer around of course. Can't recall if it's been done. The authors need to make an informed decision as to what brands would really suit Bond, not base their decision on which to use purely because they've been showcased in the films. Saville Row is still around so there's no reason why Bond can't wear their suits. I think Benson had his Bond wear Brioni which I wasn't happy about.

blakewho

Fleming was very limited in mentioning what brands of clothing Bond actually used. Nowhere is it mentioned where he had his suits, and presumably shirts, tailored, or bought his shoes and ties. You get the odd snippet like his battered Saxone golf shoes, but little else. A modern equivalent to Fleming's Bond would, I suspect, be equally discreet and discerning. His suits would be of Savile Row quality, but perhaps from a less well-known tailor off the Row itself, but he would never let on who it was.

Bounine

Oh, did Fleming never mention that Bond wore Savile Row suits? Considering the many times I've read these books, you'd think I could remember. Goodness, have I been influenced by the films too?

What did he say? Ah, let me see, black hand knitted silk ties, sea island cotton shirts, single breasted suits, trousers of navy serge... No, I can't recall a brand being mentioned now that you mention it.

Bentley

Fellow Agents,
blakewho & Bounine are completely correct.
Our hero has to remain a man of discreet but fine taste and Fleming was very sparing with his mentions. Albeit, as he was a pioneer in this direction he quickly gained a reputation as being the brand king.
I would humbly suggest that Anderson & Sheppard are named as tailors. Chavet can take care of his black silk knitted ties and shirts (ok, they're French but it will give the gig an international flavour) and Rolex can take care of watch duty.
Now what about the car?
Bond was driving a Bentley Mark 11 Continental in OHMSS in '63 - what would he have driven in 1969 ?
Suggestions to the editor please!
Regards,
Bentley.

Bounine

I can't recall him writing that car off in or following OHMSS but maybe it received a few bullet holes at the conclusion of this book. The windscreen was shattered wasn't it? I wonder if he could drive the same car. What did Faulks have him drive in DMC? I'm pretty sure it was a Bentley, but what kind?

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7

Bounine wrote:

I can't recall him writing that car off in or following OHMSS but maybe it received a few bullet holes at the conclusion of this book. The windscreen was shattered wasn't it? I wonder if he could drive the same car. What did Faulks have him drive in DMC? I'm pretty sure it was a Bentley, but what kind?

I believe it was the Bentley Continental GTC. This may help:
http://www.bentleymotors.com/world_of_bentley/latest_news__events/archive/2008/james_bond_and_bentley_devil_may_care/

EDIT: I rifled through DMC. It was a Continental.

Bounine

Ah, thanks. Not the same kind of Bentley Continental that Bond drove in OHMSS then.

Commander_Skyfall

He was issued with an Aston (was it a DBIII?) in Goldfinger, so one assumes that Mi6 would of continued to provide him with a company car, and most probably still from the same manufacturer.

By 1969 that would most certainly be a DBS like this...

Bentley

Fellow Agents,
By '69 the Bentley Mk 11 Continental would be very outmoded and quite clumsy.
Car technology moved ahead quite a lot during that era and given his love of cars, he would certainly have wanted to cut a dash on the Kings Road whilst having sufficient muscle to chase any villain.
The DBS is certainly a contender but I have to discount it. In my humble opinion it is the ugliest car ever produced by Aston and Bond would have wanted something sexier.
This could lead us down the e-type path but I think it's popularity with the media and showbiz crowds would have dissuaded him.
On balance, there is only one car for Bond in '69, the Bristol 410!
It meets all criteria. Only 79 of these English beauties were ever produced in '68 & '69. Sexier than Pussy Galore, they had a 5.2 litre Chrysler engine and could leave most hot rods of the day for dead.
The colour would definitely have been British Racing Green with a cream leather interior and of course, it would have been retro fitted to hold his Colt .45 in a concealed draw.
I think it ticks all the boxes but if there are doubters out there - let me know!
Regards,
Bentley

Bounine

I looked up a small You Tube video of the car and I'm not sure:



I like the DBS better but I'd rather Bond stick to a Bentley in battleship grey.

Bentley

Dear Bounine,
You have to see her in the flesh!
It's the car Inspector Lynley drives in the TV drama - you can see the beautiful Bristol there.
Alternatively, for £100,000 , you should be able to pick up one of your own.
If you take the latter route and you let me driver her, I'll buy you dinner at "Blades".
Regards,
Bentley

Bounine

Dinner at Blades! Who could pass up that opportunity! I'll add the car to my collection. :)

Bentley

Wear a dinner jacket. We'll dine first and then meet Drax for cards!
Regards,
Bentley

thamesider

My own thoughts on William Boyd...

Frankly, when I first heard the news, I wasn't impressed. I only knew Boyd's work from the Channel 4 adaptation of Any Human Heart a few years back, and it did nothing for me. I hesitate to get drawn into too deep literary criticism, but I had always lumped Boyd in with Sebastian Faulks and others of that type, the ones who are praised by the Guardian for writing "proper fiction" while the Flemings, Deavers, Bensons etc. are consigned unfairly to the tag of "genre writer". Not being a fan of Devil May Care, my hopes weren't high. But as Carte Blanche prompted me to destroy my monthly budget buying up every copy of Deaver's books I could find, I decided to give Boyd the benefit of the doubt and read his prior work.

And I was pleasantly surprised.

Any Human Heart is still boring, and to be honest very few of his early works I stayed with for more than the first hundred pages. But from Restless onwards they suddenly became quite fantastic and I lost more and more time to the books. Part of me is still convinced that this is to do with the subject matter, as Restless, Ordinary Thunderstorms and Waiting For Sunrise all feature spies, thriller elements and wetwork to some degree. Or maybe Boyd has become more sure of himself and his skills, and knows how to make his tales more interesting. So not only will I happily agree to being wrong in my initial estimation of Boyd, but if his "big name" in the bookshop community can bring all of Bond to a wider audience, then that's no bad thing at all.

Plus, he loves Keane, so give the man a medal already.

DB5

Bentley wrote:

Fellow Agents,
Set in '69, chronologically, Boyd's Bond mission will follow directly on from Kingsley Amis' excellent "Colnel Sun" adventure in which our hero was obliged to both save a kidnapped 'M' and ward off a terrorist attack.
Amis stayed true to Fleming but evolved the character and there was certainly a little less smoking so maybe our hero will finally quit under Boyd's stewardship and substitute his nicotine addiction for a little more sex and violence?
In any event, by setting the book in '69, he puts Bond at the heart of London's greatest cultural and social revolution whilst avoiding having to follow on from Faulks' thoroughly awful DMC debacle.
What will he be driving and who will his tailor be and will the ever faithful May still be making his breakfast - these are the key questions?
Also, will 'M' be lining up Bond to replace Bill Tanner as chief of staff when he, Bond, retires from the 00 section and Bill retires from the service?
And Mr.Boyd, two special requests; please set more of the book in London and whatever you do, avoid Omega watches only Rolex please!
Regards,

.Bentley

I would have absolutely no problems with Boyd's Bond referencing Amis' "Colonel Sun," as I truly believe that this work is good enough to be considered the legitimate sequel to "The Man with the Golden Gun." However, I most definitely would ignore Faulk's "Devil May Care," as this "novel" makes the worst of Gardner and Benson seem like the best of Fleming in comparison.

Virage

Oh god, Smiley and Bond have always been designed to be polar opposites, SO DON'T BOTHER CROSSING AND/OR BLURING THE LINE! BECUSE IT AIN'T GONNA WORK!!!!!

Ian Fleming is turning in his grave.

timmer

Bounine wrote:

Just one thing, I don't want him to mention that Bond is 45. If he says that he's in his 40's then this is fine. Going by the sound of Boyd's more realistic take on the character, he might very well mention his exact age though.

Even Fleming was all over the map with Bond's age. Fleming in his very first novel, CR, mentioned that Bond bought a brand new car in 1933 and also had him engaged in high level espionage work for Mi6 at Monte Carlo before the war. With CR set in 1952 at the earliest, then right off the bat we've got a Bond, right out of the box, who is almost 40, assuming he bought the new Bentley, being generous, at age 20 maybe. I think Fleming intended that Bond's age be mid-thirties to early 40's and that he just stays in that range, as good fictional characters are able to do. If Fleming had lived, he might have begun to write Bond as older.
So if Boyd wants to write Bond as 45 in 1969, I'd say he's at least that age anyway, considering he's been a car owner for 36 years by this point. ;)
I do see hope for this Book. Boyd at least seems to be taking the character seriously, although he shouldn't be so afraid of the more sensational elements. Fleming did write DN, GF and the Blofeld adventures too. Fleming's Bond pushed the spyfy envelope
I'm thinking this book will at least be better than the last two limp efforts if Boyd makes an effort to get the character right, as opposed to Deaver's Dudley-Do-Right Bond, and Faulks bad Fleming imitation.

Bentley

Fellow Agents,
I have a good feeling about having Boyd at the helm. He's a good author and there is something Flemingesque about his prose.
My principle concern is about his pace. He tends to be very considered and his stories move at a certain speed - "Waiting For Sunrise" is a good example.I have no reservations about his capacity plot and to have great attention to detail. He does that stuff well.
Will he be able to amp it up and give us a fast moving page turner? That is the big question?
One things for sure, after the appalling efforts from Faulks and Deaver, IFP need to get it right.
Regards,
Bentley

Agent005

Interesting! I'm excited to see how this turns out...

Also, here's the first thread discussing Boyd's Bond:

http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/2873/william-boyd-to-write-next-james-bond-novel/p1

Bounine

"do see hope for this Book. Boyd at least seems to be taking the character seriously, although he shouldn't be so afraid of the more sensational elements. Fleming did write DN, GF and the Blofeld adventures too. Fleming's Bond pushed the spyfy envelope"

I'm glad people see hope for this book. So do I. It does sound like Boyd will be taking the character seriously. It would be nice to have some of those fairly tale aspects in there aswell though.

"My principle concern is about his pace. He tends to be very considered and his stories move at a certain speed - "Waiting For Sunrise" is a good example.I have no reservations about his capacity plot and to have great attention to detail. He does that stuff well."

I don't suppose one wouldn't want a thriller with slow pacing however I hope the book isn't too fast either. Something with equal pacing to that of Fleming's work would make me happy. Fleming would take a bit of time out now and then to provide some real detail, whether it was describing scenery, a characters background history or Bond's assignment. Most of the other Bond authors were a bit too brief.

I hope we hear something more about the book soon. IFP are probably waiting for the film hype to die down a bit. When next year is the book being released again?

petergreenhill5

Bounine wrote:

"
I hope we hear something more about the book soon. IFP are probably waiting for the film hype to die down a bit. When next year is the book being released again?

According to this Guardian aricle the book is die Autumn 2013

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/apr/12/william-boyd-james-bond-novel

Bounine

Thanks. Still around a year away!

"Even Fleming was all over the map with Bond's age. Fleming in his very first novel, CR, mentioned that Bond bought a brand new car in 1933 and also had him engaged in high level espionage work for Mi6 at Monte Carlo before the war. With CR set in 1952 at the earliest, then right off the bat we've got a Bond, right out of the box, who is almost 40, assuming he bought the new Bentley, being generous, at age 20 maybe. I think Fleming intended that Bond's age be mid-thirties to early 40's and that he just stays in that range, as good fictional characters are able to do. If Fleming had lived, he might have begun to write Bond as older."

True.

Pearson stated Bond's birthdate as 1920. That would mean he was around 13 when he bought a Bentley which does seem a little far fetched. Didn't Higson funnily enough have his new character Uncle Max give Bond a Bentley in Silverfin when he was 13? I think in Pearson's biography he had Marthe De Brandt give it to him when he was around 16 if I remember correctly. Pearson elaborated on Bond's pre war intelligence work. He was around 16 to 19. It's a bit hard to imagine someone this young doing this.

If we go by the 1920 birthdate this would mean Bond would actually be 48 or 49 in 1969. Boyd's obviously going by the 1924 birthdate. Didn't Fleming state this as Bond's birthdate at some point in his books or did people just work this out? Can't remember. I'll have to read the YOLT obituary again. I can't recall whether Fleming mentioned Bond's birthdate in this. I suppose 45 is a good age for Bond to be. If any Bond books were to be written in the 70's then I wouldn't like his age to be mentioned. This is around the point where Bond comes immortal. It sounded like he was in his 40's in Gardner's books in the 80's. ;)

"I think Fleming intended that Bond's age be mid-thirties to early 40's and that he just stays in that range, as good fictional characters are able to do."

I like this.

chrisisall

I cannot WAIT for this book!!!

SaintMark

chrisisall wrote:

I cannot WAIT for this book!!!

You might have to, with the rest of us. ;)

Risico007

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/books/2012/04/the-art-of-fiction-the-return-of-007/

claims the novel is set in africa

chrisisall

I cannot WAIT for this book!!!

Oh... I said that...